Overview

Community-based nonprofits provide food, shelter, housing, jobs, job training and other critical social services that are necessary for healthy, stable neighborhoods. Poverty, homelessness, and school or employment achievement are all linked to health, so we are particularly interested in providing assistance to nonprofits that strengthen the healthcare safety net. We equip nonprofit management and boards with legal and capacity-building assistance to maximize their effectiveness and impact. 

Public Counsel’s Community Development Project provides free legal assistance to nonprofits serving low-income people in Los Angeles in a number of substantive practice areas, including incorporation and obtaining tax exemption, employment law, reviewing contracts and leases, mergers, intellectual property, real estate, drafting governance policies, ongoing reporting and compliance obligations, and ensuring that nonprofit activities are allowable under IRS rules. We assist both established nonprofits and individuals and groups that want to create new nonprofits and need assistance with incorporation, tax-exemption applications, and establishing workable corporate structures and policies.