Overview
It is very important to cover your organization's legal bases from the start. Yet, expensive corporate lawyers can also be outside an organization's budget. One way to keep costs down is to think about your organization and its needs, then choose a lawyer with expertise in the areas you seek. Sometimes it is better to pay an expert a higher per hour fee, than to pay a cheaper, generalist less and lose money on inaccuracies.
One excellent resource is The Entrepreneur's Guide to Business Law by Constance E. Bagley, and Craig E. Dauchy. This Guide focuses on the for-profit world, but its lessons apply to nonprofit organizations.
Included in this chapter are sample legal documents. These are provided for reference and learning purposes and should not be used as legal advice.