Lawyers Alliance for New York

“A copy of the draft form 990 is shared with each member of the board of directors for review prior to filing with the internal revenue service. The draft form 990 is disseminated to the board via email.”

“Lawyers alliance collects information annually from each person subject to the conflict of interest policy about any interests or relationships that may give rise to a conflict. In addition the organization requires its directors and others subject to the policy to disclose any new relationships or interests that arise in between those annual disclosures.”

“Any increases or changes in the executive director's compensation are set by the executive committee and by the full board. Salaries of other highly compensated employees and key employees are reviewed and approved by the full board as part of the annual operating budget. A compensation committee was formed in september 2024 to review salaries. The board executive committee is provided with compensation information from comparable organizations in new york city.”

“Lawyers alliance makes its governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements available to the public upon request.”

“Lawyers alliance is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1969 and incorporated in 1984. Lawyers alliance is the leading provider of business and transactional legal services for nonprofit organizations and social enterprises that are improving the quality of life in new york city neighborhoods. Our network of pro bono lawyers from law firms and corporations and staff of experienced attorneys collaborate to deliver expert corporate, tax, real estate, employment, intellectual property, and other legal services to community organizations. By connecting lawyers, nonprofits, and communities, lawyers alliance helps organizations to provide housing, stimulate economic opportunity, improve urban health and education, promote community arts, and operate and advocate for vital programs that benefit low-income new yorkers of all ages. In addition, lawyers alliance provides a range of educational opportunities for nonprofit board members and managers, including workshops and webinars, printed publications and online legal alerts.”

“During the fiscal year ended june 30, 2024, lawyers alliance for new york provided legal assistance and information to nonprofit organizations and social enterprises on a broad range of topics. There was robust demand for services. Lawyers alliance leveraged the expertise of its skilled staff and pro bono networks to help nonprofits survive and thrive. For example, lawyers alliance: a) provided legal representation services to 719 organizations on a total of 1,464 legal matters, including 667 new matters (a record high for total and new matters). B) targeted client outreach to assist nonprofits in five program priority areas: economic opportunity; housing and human services; quality education, with emphasis on college access and career pathways; community arts, and urban health. C) offered timely guidance on legal risk management, nonprofit advocacy, post-pandemic recovery, and technology-related issues to meet legal needs that relate to groups across the nonprofit sector. D) continued to offer services that address the changing legal needs of organizations working to improve economic vitality and advance racial justice in nyc's low-income and disadvantaged neighborhoods. E) provided 1,209 customized consultations on legal issues to 810 organizations and their counsel: 1,022 through our resource call helpline and 187 through pro bono clinics and special volunteer consultations. F) assisted a total of 1,234 organizations through one or more of the foregoing services; we estimate that the ripple effect of these services positively impacts 500,000+ low-income and underserved people annually. G) engaged 2,200+ attorneys from law firms and corporations in pro bono legal projects, so lawyers alliance could better leverage the legal community's skills and time; and used a new case monitoring system to communicate with clients and volunteers about active legal representation matters. H) educated thousands of nonprofit managers and attorneys through webinars, presentations, clinics, legal alerts, and publications about relevant legal developments. I) regularly updated and shared practical information through www.lawyersalliance.org, with a searchable resources section. J) participated in coalitions and served as a leading voice on legal and public policy issues of significance to new york nonprofit groups, achieving concrete results for the nonprofit sector including a bill that improves governance sections of state nonprofit law. K) coordinated exponentum, a national network of business law pro bono providers, including exponentum's sixth annual national day of service. L) as a result, nonprofits have stronger programs, finances, and operations, enabling them to offer better services to individuals, families, and communities. M) during the past fiscal year, more than 87% of clients were continuing or returning clients, and more than 64% of volunteers were continuing or repeat volunteers, reflecting ongoing interest in lawyers alliance work as well as interest from new participants.”