Illinois Church Operational Issues Lawyer
Helping Your Religious Organization Run a Tight Ship
Nonprofit organizations such as religious institutions and religious schools must deal with the day-to-day of business operation, just as they would if they were for-profit businesses. Churches, religious schools, and other service centers have to wade through issues concerning real estate, loans, construction, fundraising, foreign transactions, intellectual property, and third-party contractors providing a host of services necessary to operate. Without proper legal help, these issues threaten to bog down and overwhelm religious nonprofits with day-to-day operations, preventing them from actually pursuing their mission.
The church and nonprofit operational issues attorneys at MacDonald, Lee & Senechalle have years of experience dealing with the interactions between church and nonprofit law with operational and governance issues. We will help you make sure the “business” side of your church runs smoothly so that you can focus on service to your community.
Helping Churches Deal With a Variety of Operational Matters
At MacDonald, Lee & Senechalle, our nonprofit legal team is prepared to help churches navigate a wide range of operational matters, including, but not limited to:
- Intellectual property, including trademark and copyright issues
- Licensing agreements
- Fundraising
- Affiliation agreements
- Benevolence programs
- Real estate transactions
- Construction projects
- Leases
- Third-party contractor issues
- Employment disputes
- International activities
- Vendor contracts
- Security
- Leadership and management
- Corporate maintenance and nonprofit status
Make Sure Your T’s are Crossed, Your I’s dotted, and Your Questions Answered
Whenever a church is planning to expand to a new location, offer new services, retain new employees, or start new projects, it is a good idea to consult an attorney. A host of legal issues can arise in any given transaction, and the better prepared you are in advance, the more likely you are to avoid legal troubles down the line.
Some events that merit advice and representation from a qualified nonprofit attorney include:
- Forming a religious organization and maintaining tax-exempt status
- Expanding to a new location
- Ensuring that real estate development does not trigger any environmental concerns and that leases and loan terms are fair and proper
- Terminating or reassigning an employee without triggering labor law concerns
- Opening up a related service such as an orphanage, foster care center, youth group, bookstore, or coffee shop. Each activity demands its own separate legal concerns and attendance to various operational issues, all while avoiding any problems that can affect tax exemptions.
- Entering investment agreements with other institutions
- Dealing with zoning issues before or after construction
- Making adjustments to management or leadership in compliance with corporate law, nonprofit law, and labor law
- Ensuring that fundraising is conducted above-board and in compliance with all relevant state and federal laws
- Updating a corporate charter, set of bylaws, or other governing documents
- Negotiating loans
- Resolving disputes with vendors and third-party contractors such as cleaning services, caterers and event staff, construction companies, security, printing services, and others
- Negotiating and preparing employment agreements
- Holding big donor or other fundraising events
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you are preparing to engage in any of the above events, or if you are facing any potential issues, retain the services of an Illinois nonprofit lawyer sooner rather than later. You will save yourself time, money, and stress. If any event results in legal fallout, we can help you resolve any resulting disputes and legal troubles as well.
Keeping Your Focus on Your Mission
Whether you are a church or other not-for-profit organization, regardless of size, your mission and ministry matter to us. You do not need to be bogged down by the minutiae of operational issues. Let us shoulder the burden of operational issues and events for you so that you can focus on your mission. Contact our Chicago nonprofit lawyers to discuss how we can help you maintain your church or other house of worship. Protect yourself and the future of your organization by calling MacDonald, Lee & Senechalle, Ltd. today.
