Minnesota Nonprofit Legal Services Initiative

1. Determine Eligibility: All Minnesota nonprofits are eligible for the free Legal Help Desk and Legal Resource Library. The 1:1 Legal Needs Assessment and Compliance Audit services are available for nonprofits with cash budgets under $1.5 million.
2. Complete the Legal Help Desk Intake Form: The Legal Help Desk is a first point of entry for nonprofits seeking free, time-sensitive legal guidance and resources. To access, 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.
3. Check the Resource Library: We may already have information on your legal inquiry. Check the Resource Library for resources addressing legal considerations to ensure compliance and protection of nonprofit legal rights.
4. Register for an Upcoming Compliance Event: Join MCN and LegalCORPS for a free one-hour virtual workshop covering essential legal requirements and best practices for charitable organizations and private foundations in Minnesota. Offered April – August, 2026.

The Legal Help Desk is a first point of entry for nonprofits seeking free, time-sensitive legal guidance and resources. To access, 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. 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 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).

In its first year, the Legal Help Desk is focusing on the sector’s most urgent and pressing legal needs, and we will evaluate alignment in the future. 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 (i.e., 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 help desk is free and available 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.

To respond to the emergent legal needs of Minnesota nonprofits and reduce the high-cost barrier of legal support, LegalCORPS and the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits created the Minnesota Nonprofit Legal Services Initiative. The initiative is made possible by supporters of the Minnesota Council on Foundations’ Legal Pooled Fund. Funding for this project currently runs through June 30, 2028.