Nonprofit Legal Support Project
About the Nonprofit Legal Support Project
The Nonprofit Legal Support Project (NLSP) helps Illinois nonprofits navigate an evolving landscape of federal legal requirements and compliance challenges, focused on responding to the following issues:
- DEI-related threats and risk assessment
- 501(c)(3) compliance
- Federal funding certification requirements and related risks
The NLSP is one of the pillars of the broader Nonprofit Resilience Hub to assist Illinois nonprofits facing these issues. It is a partnership between The Chicago Bar Foundation, Forefront, and the Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, with a distinguished advisory committee of nonprofit and law firm experts and many other local and national partners playing key roles.
Volunteer Opportunities
Pro bono lawyers can help Illinois nonprofits navigate and respond to a fast-changing federal legal landscape by volunteering through the Nonprofit Legal Support Project.
Pro bono opportunities through the NLSP range from consultations to limited scope services to full representation and include helping nonprofits to:
- Assess and respond to threats to DEI programs and related legal risks.
- Understand and comply with requirements for their 501(c)(3) status.
- Navigate certifications and other challenges to federal funding.
- Evaluate and assist with restructuring or merger deliberations.
To learn more about volunteering through the NLSP, please contact Sarah Blair at sblair@chicagobarfoundation.org. More information on opportunities to volunteer through the NLSP will be coming soon as well.
Advisory Committee
Alexa Berlin, Latham & Watkins LLP
Amy Cook, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights
Brandon Dixon, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Jan Feldman, Lawyers for the Creative Arts
Norah Jones, C3 Legal
Caryn Lederer, HSPRD
Caroline Manley, Forefront
Sherizaan Minwalla, Scott Pollock & Associates
Lauren Worsek, Lawyers for Good Government
CBF Staff
Sarah Blair, CBF Director of Pro Bono & Training
Bob Glaves, CBF Executive Director
Melanie MacBride, CBF Chief Grants & Operations Officer
How to get legal help
Eligible organizations can request a legal intake through the Nonprofit Legal Support Project (NLSP). To qualify for NLSP assistance, an organization must be an Illinois-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit with an annual operating budget below $10 million. Organizations facing imminent or significant federal funding threats, certification requirements, or other federal scrutiny may be prioritized.
You can learn more about common legal issues facing nonprofits and the evolving legal environment here.
Have questions? Please, contact Bob Glaves at bglaves@chicagobarfoundation.org.