Legal Webinar: Bylaws: The “Constitution” of Nonprofits – The Art and Science of Making Them Work

Legal Webinar: Bylaws: The “Constitution” of Nonprofits – The Art and Science of Making Them Work

Wednesday, January 14 | 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM | Webinar

Presented by: Don Kramer, Esq., Of Counsel, Montgomery McCracken, and Editor, Nonprofit Issues

Moderated by: Melissa Sines, Interim Standards for Excellence Director, PANO

Offered in Partnership with: Nonprofit Issues

*CPE & CLE credits are available for this program for accountants and lawyers; to receive credit you must REGISTER HERE via Nonprofit Issues website.

Can Donald Trump serve a third term as President?

A lot of commentators say the answer is clearly “No.”  Steve Bannon says they have “a plan.”

If the bylaws of a nonprofit function as the “Constitution” of the corporation, and the Constitution of the United States functions as the bylaws of the nation, learn why the term limit provision of the Constitution is not so clear and how it would undoubtedly lead to litigation if Trump seeks to serve a third term.

If you want bylaws that don’t lead to litigation, join us for tips on how to write them so that they say what you mean and mean what you say.

• Not bylaws that are open to several interpretations.
• Not bylaws that describe the way things used to be done.
• Not bylaws that fail to cover key power issues.

But bylaws that set out clear roles and responsibilities so that people can understand how to proceed, without litigation.

There is both art and science in drafting nonprofit bylaws that work. Well-written bylaws help shape power relationships within a nonprofit organization, provide unambiguous procedures to prevent disputes, and reduce the risks of litigation. They are the “Constitution” of a nonprofit corporation. They should provide answers, not raise questions.

This webinar will answer your questions and leave you with confidence in being able to recognize a workable set of governing instruments:

• Understand the relationship to articles of incorporation.
• Learn whether you should be a “membership” organization.
• Determine whether your bylaws answer the question: "whose organization is it?"
• Learn how to deal with ex officio directors.
• Learn how to deal with term limits.
• Learn how to deal with board committees.
• Learn the critical issues in removal clauses.

In a line-by-line review of sample articles of incorporation and bylaws, you will learn how to avoid aspirational language, inconsistent language, passive tense and ambiguities. Participants can raise their questions for immediate answers.

You will take home our most popular Ready Reference Pages on articles of incorporation and bylaws, "annotated" with explanatory comments. You will also take home sample forms that work!

Presented by Don Kramer, Esq., Editor of Nonprofit Issues in partnership with the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations.

Attendees of this program will be eligible for a 20% discount on a bylaw review session with Don Kramer.

*CPE & CLE credits are available for this program for accountants and lawyers; to receive credit you must REGISTER HERE via Nonprofit Issues website.

Single Login Cost:
$45 per person for PANO Members | $100 per person for Not-Yet Members

Terms of Participation
Your purchase entitles you to a single login. Please do not share the login information with others, as it may interfere with your ability to join. If multiple individuals from your organization would like to view the webinar, please purchase separate tickets for each person or consider a group screening ticket (below).

Group Screening Cost (4-10 individuals):
$150 per group for PANO Members | $333 per group for Not-Yet Members

Terms of Participation
If you have 4-10 individuals interested in viewing the webinar, please have one person register selecting the group ticket. You can then enter the names and email addresses of up to 10 individuals to add to your group ticket.

This option makes the most sense when you have 4-10 individuals interested in viewing the webinar. For fewer than 4 attendees, a single login ticket for each person is the most cost-effective option. For more than 10 attendees, please email Christina at christina@pano.org to discuss options.

Materials & Login Instructions:
Materials (PowerPoint and other handouts, if applicable), along with login instructions, will be emailed to attendees within 24 hours of the webinar. PANO uses Zoom as our webinar platform; you can familiarize yourself with Zoom and/or join a test meeting prior to these sessions.

Can’t attend? All PANO registrants will receive a recording of the webinar following the live session!

What Past Participants Have to Say:

• Excellent, even for those who are Bylaws-savvy.
• I got what I needed to proceed with change and revisions.
• Well paced. Excellent speaker and materials.
• The sample bylaws are SO helpful.
• I have been involved in revising our bylaws for the last year. I wish I had [this webinar] a year ago!
• Exactly what I hoped, with added emphasis of keeping it simple, non-detailed and 'timeless.'

About the Facilitators

Donald W. Kramer, Esq., Nonprofit Issues & Montgomery McCracken

Donald W. Kramer serves as chair of Montgomery McCracken’s Nonprofit practice group. Don has more than 45 years of experience dealing with the concerns of nonprofit organizations, not only as a lawyer, but also as a teacher, writer, publisher, and board member.

He has worked with nonprofits of all types and sizes, helping structure startup situations and restructure multiorganizational health and educational systems. He counsels on a wide range of nonprofit corporate structure and governance, private and community foundations, continuing care retirement communities, exempt organization taxation, low-income housing tax credit transactions, real estate, charitable giving, and other nonprofit issues.

Don serves as the editor and publisher of Don Kramer’s Nonprofit Issues®, a national newsletter of “Nonprofit Law You Need to Know,” which he founded in 1989.

Prior to joining Montgomery McCracken in 1972, Don served as deputy development coordinator and assistant to the mayor of Philadelphia. Learn more about Don here.