Focus Area
Tax-Exempts & Nonprofit Organizations
Mission-driven organizations power communities and industries, but advancing their work comes with unique legal and operational challenges. Our Tax-Exempts & Nonprofits Team helps organizations of every size and purpose navigate these complexities with clarity and creativity, so they can thrive and deliver lasting impact.
Public charities, private foundations, educational and religious institutions, hospitals, trade associations, social clubs, and other nonprofit organizations rely on us for guidance that blends deep knowledge of tax and regulatory frameworks with practical, day-to-day insight. We advise on formation, governance, compliance, and fundraising, while also helping leaders anticipate challenges around UBTI, property tax, real estate transactions, and employment matters. Many of our lawyers serve as outside general counsel, guiding boards and executives on fiscal sponsorships, donor relations, risk management, and strategic alliances.
Because no two nonprofits are alike, we tailor our advice to each client’s goals, whether refining a foundation’s grantmaking, advising a university on development projects, or guiding a social club through tax filings and member relations. Our collaborative model gives nonprofits seamless access to the firm’s full capabilities across tax, corporate, real estate, employment, and litigation. We provide pragmatic, business-minded counsel that keeps the focus on advancing each organization’s nonprofit purpose.
Our work spans the full spectrum of nonprofit needs, including:
- Strategy & Governance: Formation, structuring, executive succession planning, and board advisory services.
- Tax & Regulatory Compliance: Federal and state tax matters, including exemption applications, UBTI, PILOTs, fundraising regulations, lobbying and advocacy regulations, donor communications, and required regulatory filings.
- Operations & Transactions: Property acquisition and financing, leasing, employment and ERISA, intellectual property protection, technology licensing, collaboration agreements, fiscal sponsorship arrangements, and mergers, acquisitions, and asset transfers.
- Risk Management & Disputes: Regulatory compliance, mission-related risk management, and litigation or alternative dispute resolution when needed.
With this breadth of experience, we act as both steady advisors on everyday matters and strategic partners on transformative initiatives.
Key Contacts
Andrew J. Ferren
Director, Washington, D.C.
aferren@goulstonstorrs.com+1 202 721 1144
Martha J. Nahill Frahm
Director, Boston
mfrahm@goulstonstorrs.com+1 617 574 4063Related Insights
See all insightsIn the News
Q&A with Goulston & Storrs Attorneys Darren Baird and Martha Frahm on “Reimagining Real Estate”
April 19, 2021