Overview
Gowling WLG understands the many challenges and needs of charities and not-for-profit organizations. Our strategic thinking and creative problem-solving is what attracts clients to our Charities & Not-for-Profits Group.
Our expertise is based on our clients' broad interests and activities, including health care, international development, social services, environmental protection, arts and culture, education and religion.
We offer a wealth of experience and work with many different types of not-for-profit organizations, including charities, foreign entities, community groups, governmental and quasi-governmental entities, service clubs, religious organizations, trade organizations, recreational clubs, those engaged in joint ventures with businesses and other not-for-profits, and many special interest groups.
We provide a broad range of services to charities and other not-for-profits in all areas of law, including taxation, intellectual property, corporate and commercial, litigation, real estate, employment and public policy matters. These services include:
- Incorporation and charitable registration applications
- Structural issues for international organizations and national organizations with provincial and local branches
- Tax advice on the aspects and advantages of setting up charitable foundations
- Structuring governance solutions for complex charitable and not-for-profit situations
- Planned giving, endowments, fundraising, charitable gaming and sponsorships
- Risk management, asset protection and insurance issues
- Governance, conflict of interest, ethics, and officer and director liability issues
- Sponsorship, borrowing, financing, funding, licensing and other agreements
- Advice to Canadian charities operating abroad
- Advice to foreign charities operating in Canada
We deliver timely, effective advice and representation to directors, trustees, officers, and all levels of management. We also offer on-going training to board members, senior managers and the staff of charities and not-for-profit organizations on their public-policy advocacy efforts and related strategic communications.
In addition, many Gowling WLG professionals actively volunteer and are involved in community organizations and charities as senior advisers and directors. These experiences greatly enhance our individual and collective expertise.
