BakerHostetler has been at the vanguard of nonprofit law for decades, providing comprehensive advice to help mission-driven organizations achieve their visions. We have long been respected for our knowledge, experience and innovative thinking regarding tax-exempt organizations and charitable giving. Half a century ago, BakerHostetler led the nonprofit sector through the watershed Tax Reform Act of 1969 which divided nonprofits into private foundations and public charities, the legal framework that continues to this day. In response, our late Partner, Norman Sugarman, invented philanthropic funds (now called donor-advised funds or DAFs), giving vehicles that have proven tremendously popular, holding over $140 billion in assets.
BakerHostetler carries forward Mr. Sugarman’s legacy to this day, leading the nonprofit sector through legal and legislative challenges with innovative thought leadership and advice that not only meets rigorous federal and state compliance requirements but also supports the high standards of excellence, integrity and ethics expected from tax-exempt organizations of all kinds and the fiduciaries who serve them.
We value the vital role nonprofits play in the United States economy and are proud of our role guiding the nonprofit industry. Nonprofits contribute more than $1 trillion each year to the U.S. economy, according to the Federal Reserve, and provide more than 11.4 million jobs, making nonprofit employees the third-largest workforce in the nation, behind only manufacturing and retail. The nonprofit sector is expected to grow rapidly over the next several decades as generational wealth is transferred. For example, The Wall Street Journal predicts donations to nonprofits to exceed $9 trillion over the next 20 years.
Most importantly, BakerHostetler, together with our clients – including hospitals and medical research organizations; colleges, universities and other educational organizations; private foundations, supporting organizations, DAFs and other grantmaking institutions; environmental, civil rights, and humanitarian organizations; performing art institutes, cultural organizations, and museums; congregations and other religious organizations; international, humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding organizations; disaster and hardship relief organizations; and many others – helps make the world a better place.
We provide advice regarding:
- Tax matters, including formation, audits, regulations, tax litigation, and private rulings at both the federal and state levels.
- Charitable contributions, donor-advised funds, development activities, grant-making.
- Corporate governance, board relations, executive compensation, internal investigations, outside general counsel services.
- Charitable investment funds, endowments, private equity, investor-side advice, mission-related and program-related fund formation, ESG investing.
- Intellectual property, technology transfer and licensing, trademark.
- Operational issues, including employment, contracts, M&A, joint ventures.
- Privacy and cybersecurity.
- Government relations, advocacy.
- Bankruptcy or insolvency, combinations and consolidations.