Help! My multi-year federal grant was just terminated effective immediately out of nowhere.
Is this email from the IRS legitimate?
How do I know if our organization needs to be compliant with new Executive Orders?
Do we need to scrub our website for references to the racial and social justice values of our organization?
This year, nonprofits are navigating a shifting federal legal landscape marked by increased scrutiny, evolving compliance requirements, and executive actions that impact funding, operations, and advocacy work. Recent federal priorities — such as heightened enforcement of fraud prevention, changes to tax-exempt regulations, and restrictions on certain forms of political engagement—pose challenges to organizations, particularly those whose missions intersect with contested policy areas. Additionally, nonprofits receiving federal funds face greater oversight, requiring stronger internal controls and transparent reporting practices.
To respond to the emergent legal needs of Minnesota nonprofits and reduce the high-cost barrier of legal support, the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and LegalCORPS are partnering to launch a free Nonprofit Legal Services Initiative, featuring the following resources:
Nonprofit Legal Help Desk:
Real-time legal support for nonprofits and MCN members with referrals to resources and counsel.
Legal Resource Library: Resources addressing legal considerations to ensure compliance and protection of nonprofits’ legal rights.
Compliance Support:
Guidance for a compliance assessment for your nonprofit, with legal standards and best practices.
All Minnesota nonprofits are eligible for the free Legal Help Desk, Legal Resource Library, Compliance Support, and Compliance Clinics. The 1:1 Legal Needs Assessment and Compliance Audit services are available for nonprofits with cash budgets under $1.5 million.
Upcoming Legal and Compliance Workshops and Webinars
No events coming at this time.
Past Legal and Compliance Workshops and Webinars
- August 13: Navigating Your Role as a Director in a Time of Legal Uncertainty (Slides from MCN & MCF Partner Event)
- July 29: Civil Rights Laws and Nonprofit Missions (slides from MCN & MCF Partner Event)
- July 8, 2025: Registration and Reporting Requirements for Minnesota Nonprofits
- June 24: Cybersecurity and Data Privacy 101 (FREE MCN & MCF Partner Event)
- March 27, 2025: What Nonprofit Entities Should Know About Immigration Site Visits
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Minnesota Nonprofit Legal Help Desk?
The nonprofit legal help desk is a first point of entry for nonprofits seeking free, time-sensitive guidance and resources around recent actions of the federal government. To access the help desk, first complete the intake form. A team member will then contact you to complete the intake process via phone, and additional guidance will be provided from there.
Who is eligible to use the Minnesota Nonprofit Legal Help Desk?
The Minnesota Nonprofit Legal Help Desk is designed to expand access to legal services for nonprofits who are impacted by recent actions of the federal government. Common examples include: abrupt cancellation of a federal grant, self-certification requirements, IRS audits, guidance on recent executive orders.
The help desk is open to all Minnesota nonprofits and/or MCN members. Nonprofits with annual operating cash budgets under $1.5 million will also be able to access more intensive, one-on-one legal counsel, including:
- 1:1 Legal Needs Assessment: Individual legal needs assessments for nonprofits who are potentially at higher risk in light of executive orders and federal actions.
- 1:1 Compliance Audit and Deeper Legal Support: Individual audits for nonprofits and, as needed, connection for nonprofits to attorneys for additional 1:1 counsel.
What sort of services are provided through the Minnesota Nonprofit Legal Help Desk?
The services that are provided through the help desk will vary depending on each nonprofit organization’s needs. Services could include:
- Direct answer to a question or referral to an existing resource
- Connection to upcoming compliance assessment clinics designed to help organizations assess their risks and opportunities in light of recent federal actions
- Organizational legal needs assessment with a lawyer (only available to nonprofits with $1.5 million or less annual operating cash budget)
- 1:1 legal counsel (only available to nonprofits with $1.5 million or less annual operating cash budget)
What can’t the Minnesota Nonprofit Legal Help Desk desk help me with?
In its first year, we are focusing the scope of the nonprofit legal help desk and will be evaluating its alignment with the sector’s most urgent and pressing needs. The following services are currently outside of the scope of what we offer:
- Litigation (representing nonprofits or individuals in a lawsuit)
- Advising nonprofits on what actions they should take to mitigate risks; Our job is to help you understand the legal risks and opportunities in your work, not to make decisions for you.
- Submit official responses to the government on your behalf (ie. Audit materials, dispute or appeal letters). Our job is to help you build a response plan, understand what next steps you need to take to be compliant with the government, and identify and review require documents.
The Minnesota Nonprofit Legal Help Desk is an initiative of LegalCORPS and the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and is made possible by supporters of the Minnesota Council on Foundations’ Legal Pooled Fund. Funding for this project currently runs through June 30, 2028.
