Imagine having an experienced attorney on your staff – your general counsel. He or she would be familiar with your organization's mission and culture from long experience, and would have a close familiarity with the legal needs and challenges that face California nonprofits in general, and your organization in particular. 

Your general counsel would not be satisfied to just wait for needs or legal emergencies to arise.  Rather, he or she would be proactive.  Is your board's conflict-of-interest policy in good order?  Are salary levels within IRS guidelines? Does your gift policy manual cover all of the gift types?  Has your organization's employee policy manual kept pace with California law?

Then, too, your general counsel would be easily accessible as questions arise.  In fact, he or she knows that being available as questions and needs arise is one of the most important aspects of the job. Since your general counsel is already familiar with your organization, its culture, and its leaders, advice will be better informed, more effective. One more thing – since your general counsel is not billing by the hour, you won't hesitate to get timely advice. 

Trouble is, your organization hasn't budgeted for a full-time attorney to come onto your staff as general counsel.  Or perhaps you haven't been able to locate an attorney with the experience in the law of tax-exempt organizations that is needed. That's where