Charitable giving is the lifeblood of the nonprofit world, and our attorneys have a long history of providing practical advice to organizations in connection with the solicitation of charitable gifts and bequests, and their administration, once received. We counsel extensively with donors concerning various tax, property, securities, and trust and estate law implications of their gifts and help our clients craft detailed proposals for specific gifts in light of their personal and family financial planning needs. Our long-standing and varied experience dealing with endowment issues gives us a unique perspective on structuring restrictions and using and investing donated funds.
We act as the recipients of bequests and trust interests for organizations, which can assure timely and accurate payment. Our attorneys have been engaged by development officers to provide immediate counsel regarding giving matters and we also advise on structuring specific charitable contributions.
Major gifts and planned giving
For many institutions, we act as their planned giving counsel, readily available to cover the broadest range of giving opportunities. Our history in the field is long; our partners first authored the Warren, Gorham, and Lamont treatise, Charitable Giving and Solicitation—then recognized as the most authoritative publication of its kind. We have established and aided in the legal administration of pooled income funds, numerous charitable remainder and charitable lead trusts, supporting foundations and trusts, charitable gift annuity programs, and a number of diverse restricted and unrestricted gifts.
Donations and fundraising
The laws governing investment, use and spending of endowment, quasi-endowment, charitable trusts, support foundations, and other restricted funds are complex and strict. Clients who seek our counsel in this area of the law can expect sound advice from knowledgeable attorneys, and a useful perspective on the long-term results of financial decisions made today.
Several attorneys on our team enjoy national reputations for their work in advising donors and organizations on the structure of charitable donations. We help establish and operate all forms of planned giving programs, including pooled income funds, charitable gift annuities, and charitable remainder trusts. Major donors frequently retain our services to assist in better structuring their financial support of nonprofit organizations, allowing a greater gift to be made while achieving certain financial objectives of the donor.
Representative experience
- The firm represents a large, multinational corporate foundation with respect to the implementation of its charitable giving and marketing program. Through a thoughtful approach to corporate philanthropy, we have been able to maximize the goodwill generated through the program, while identifying tax-smart methods to conserve scarce cash to fund the annual grantmaking budget. Recently, we helped extend this model to the United Kingdom.
- We structured a contribution by a Fortune 500 company to a community group interested in the economic development of a former industrial site. Our innovative approach was responsible for major cost savings to all parties involved.
- We represent numerous colleges and universities, hospitals, and community foundations on all aspects of their charitable giving, from restricted gifts to planned giving.