Legal Help for Small Businesses, Nonprofits,
and Social Enterprises:
Who We Are
Formerly called the Community Law Project, our attorneys have helped to build, strengthen and support nonprofit organizations and small businesses that contribute to economic development and deliver social services in low-income neighborhoods since 1985. Our work is focused in historically disinvested communities of color on Chicago’s South and West Sides. Our attorney volunteers and expert legal staff provide nonprofit leaders and small businesses owners with the knowledge to sustain the quality of their programs, improve outcomes, and spur economic development. Chicago Lawyers’ Committee recognizes that structural racism is a major contributor toward economic injustice; we work to eradicate racism and end poverty in our city and coordinate our activities in close working relationship with our community partners.
Key Staff
Erica Spangler Raz, Senior Counsel and Director of Pro Bono Works
Angela Dear, Paralegal and Program Associate
Upcoming Events
Recent News
Our Services
Our Services
We provide legal support to community-based nonprofits, small businesses and social enterprises.
Nonprofits
We provide free legal services to eligible nonprofit organizations and social enterprises that are working to improve low-income communities. Our clients are economic development organizations, affordable housing developers, social service agencies, job training and development organizations, community education programs, community health clinics, legal services organizations, transitional and supportive housing programs, and technical assistance providers. We offer these nonprofit legal services:
Negotiating a contract
Hiring or firing an employee
Working with an independent contractor
Exempt or nonexempt employees - who gets overtime?
Nonprofit structure and formation
Protecting the name and logo of the nonprofit
Program participant waiver for photos, liability, etc.
Protecting work created by the nonprofit
Can’t make it work; closing the doors
Ownership of work created by an employee or contractor
Real estate construction contracts
Questions about tax exemptions: income, real estate and sales tax exemptions
Nonprofit revenue creation, new income sources and structures
Decision-making on a nonprofit board; process, problems, bylaws
Work with another nonprofit -merger, acquisition, joint venture, employee sharing
Zoning
Buying or selling real estate
Getting a loan
Negotiating lease terms
You can submit an application if your organization needs assistance, check out our resource page for nonprofit legal alerts and webinars, or schedule a free consultation with our Employer Hotline. We also offer five workshops in an Emerging Nonprofit Certificate of Training for founders of nonprofit startups through our Bootcamp program .
Small Business
We provide legal support to entrepreneurs and social enterprises who are starting or have their own small businesses as a strategy to create financial independence. Since most entrepreneurs operate on a shoestring budget, obtaining legal advice is often unaffordable. We offer these small business legal services:
Review or draft employee handbook
Business structure and formation
Waive your liability
Protecting the name and logo of the business
Protecting work created by the business
Can’t make it work; closing the doors
Ownership of work created by an employee or contractor
Real estate construction contracts
Zoning
Buying or selling real estate
Getting a loan
Negotiating lease terms
Negotiating a contract
Hiring or firing an employee
Working with an independent contractor
Exempt or nonexempt employees - who gets overtime?
You can schedule a free consultation with our Employer Hotline or check out our resource page for legal alerts, webinars, and other materials. We also offer small business clinics in Chicago neighborhoods, as well as free walk-in consultations at the Solution Station at City Hall every Wednesday – find our upcoming events in our calendar. As your business grows, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee is available to continue to assist you with legal matters.
Employer Hotline
Employer Hotline
If you manage any employees at a small business or a nonprofit, employment law questions are inevitable. Must you offer benefits? How do you hire an independent contractor? What about unemployment insurance?
Attorneys from the law firm of Seyfarth Shaw LLP are available for free 30-minute phone consultations with eligible nonprofit and small business employers on employment law issues. To determine eligibility and request an appointment, fill out the form below and we will provide you with the date, time, and contact information for the phone consultation.
If you have questions about the Employer Hotline, please contact Erica Spangler Raz.
Nonprofit Resources
Resources for Nonprofits
Publications
A Guide for Nonprofit Organizations - General Charitable Organization Compliance
A Guide for Nonprofit Organizations - Employment Issues
A Guide to Being a Fiscal Sponsor: Is it a Good Fit for Your Organization?
Annual Reporting Requirements
Bankruptcy Issues: A Guide for Nonprofit Organizations
Bylaws Fact Sheet for Illinois Nonprofits
Chicago Land Use: A Guide for Communities
—> Chapter 1: Zoning Basics
—> Chapter 2: Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
Dissolution of Illinois Not for Profit Corporations: A Guide
Fiscal Sponsorship FAQ
Is NPO the Way to Go?
Legal Structures for Social Enterprises
Steps to Dissolve and Illinois Not for Profit Corporation
Tax Issues for Exempt Organizations - A Primer
The City of Chicago's Nonprofit Lobbying Guide
Understanding Not for Profit Board Composition
*Not finding what you need? Try our archived resources page.
Legal Alerts
Director Conflicts of Interest
Fiduciary Duties of Nonprofit Directors
Independent Contractor/Employee Relationships
Lobbying Restrictions for 501(c) (3) Charities
Political Activity of Nonprofit Organizations
Trademark or Not to Trademark
Unrelated Business Income Tax Updates to Chicago’s Sexual Harassment Laws Midterm Elections Political Activity Reminder for Nonprofits
Webinars
Advocacy By The Book Training Series
Legal and Compliance Issues for Grassroots Advocacy Organizations
Ins and Outs of Fiscal Sponsorship
Financial Management Basics for Grassroots Advocacy Nonprofits
Employment Issues Faced by Community Organizations
2018 Nonprofit Board of Directors Training Series
Nonprofit Board Responsibilities
Nonprofit Board Fiduciary Duties
Nonprofit Director and Officer Responsibilities
Nonprofit Board Conflicts of Interest
Nonprofit Board and Executive Director Relations
Nonprofit Board Recruitment and Orientation
Engaging Boards in Setting an Organization’s Strategic Direction
How to Get Pro Bono Legal Services for Your New Nonprofit
Other Organizations
Alliance for Justice has information on lobbying activities and 501(c)(3) organizations.
Arts & Business Council aids the Chicago nonprofit arts and culture community by enlisting business sector volunteers to provide arts organizations with assessment, training, consulting and board services that strengthen their management and marketing capacity.
BoardSource works to build effective boards of directors.
Charity Channel hosts online discussion groups and articles.
Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV) provides video training, equipment, facilities and channel time for Chicago residents and nonprofit groups.
Chicago Community Loan Fund provides low-cost, flexible financing and hands-on technical assistance to community development organizations for affordable housing, economic/commercial development, and community facility space.
Forefront gives workshops and resources for grants and grantwriting.
Executive Service Corps provides volunteer consultants to advise and strengthen nonprofit organizations and public agencies across the greater Chicago area in areas of governance, management and operations, leadership development, and organizational transformation.
Idealist – articles, workshops and other resources for nonprofits.
Illinois Secretary of State, Business Services – Online filing center for nonprofits and small businesses, and search to see whether an organization is in good standing (up to date on all filings and fees, etc.).
Internal Revenue Service – Tax information for Charities gives info about the “life-cycle” of a nonprofit organization, as well as IRS guidance and updates.
Illinois Attorney General, Building Better Charities maintains a database of all registered charities in Illinois – can search to see your organization’s registration status, and provides links to Filing Requirements, Registration and Annual Report Forms, Forming a Charitable Organization, etc.
SCORE Chicago serves nonprofits by providing free business/operations counseling, management consulting, and low-cost workshops.
Social Enterprise Alliance spreads knowledge and builds capacity regarding social enterprise, builds social enterprise communities and networks, gathers and disseminates information regarding the impact of social enterprise, and advocates and promotes supportive public policy for social enterprise.
Emerging Nonprofit Certificate of Training
Bootcamp for Founders of Nonprofit Startups
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights offers the Emerging Nonprofit Certificate of Training program for nonprofit founders who are interested in or are in the process of forming a new nonprofit organization. We are offering a shortened, virtual version of our Emerging Nonprofit Training Program. If you are interested in attending Bootcamp, click here to be added the Bootcamp waitlist and contact Angela Dear at adear@clccrul.org for current Bootcamp dates and times.
Nonprofit Board Basics – Learn roles and responsibilities for board directors and officers, fiduciary duties, the founder’s role, and the importance of recruiting a diverse board of directors.
8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Funding a New Nonprofit – receive an introduction to grant prospecting (including further resources on grant writing), funder perspectives on new nonprofits and fiscally sponsored groups.
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Business Planning for a New Nonprofit – A solid business plan is critical to the success of your organization and will make filing for 501(c)(3) status less difficult. Attend this workshop to learn the components and the writing process.
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Developing a Budget for a New Nonprofit – Learn the basics of creating a budget for new nonprofit organizations including how to use and prepare each type of budget, the best ways to develop reliable estimates of revenue and expenses, and the true cost of hiring employees.
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Legal Steps to Create a 501(c)(3) Charitable Organization – Gain in-depth knowledge about the legal requirements and various filings for creating a 501(c)(3) nonprofit tax exempt organization.
3:00 PM - 4:45 PM
The Fine Print
Participants must attend all five workshops to obtain the certificate. The certificate of training is awarded to an individual (not the organization), and attendance at the workshops is not transferable to other co-founders for the certificate of training. For example, a founder may register for the series, but send another co-founder to one of the workshops (24 hour advance notice to Chicago Lawyers’ Committee is required for all attendee substitutions due to building visitor registration requirements).
To waive the application fee, the certificate of training recipient must be listed as the primary or secondary contact for the organization. Only one application fee will be waived per recipient, and the filing fees deposit is still required for new nonprofits per the application. The organization must meet our eligibility guidelines:
1. The organization is a not for profit tax exempt organization or an organization seeking assistance to obtain recognition of tax exemption from the Internal Revenue Service.
2. The organization is not in need of legal representation for a dispute, litigation or matters that might reasonably lead to litigation.
3. The organization is engaged in activities that serve low-income populations or communities. Most client organizations are involved in the following activities:
• job training, development, placement, retention and/or entrepreneurship
• loan funds, community lending programs or a community credit union
• child care, after school programs
• civil rights, human rights
• community education and awareness, health clinics, domestic violence
• social services including food pantries, clothing and/or furniture distribution
• arts and cultural organizations
• real estate development (commercial, retail and affordable housing)
• transitional housing, supportive housing, group homes, shelters
• technical assistance providers
The Emerging Nonprofit Certificate of Training is neither a professional certification, nor an assessment-based certificate program. For questions about the program, please contact us at clp@clccrul.org.
Cancellation Policy
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights reserves the right to cancel or re-schedule any workshop for which registrants will receive a full refund. If you cannot attend a workshop or program you have registered, you may contact us or call 312-939-3638 to request a refund according to the provisions below.
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee will retain an administrative fee of a minimum of 30 percent of the cost of the workshop. This fee increases closer to the workshop date. Additionally, a workshop registration will not be transferable to any future workshops should you not attend. This allows us to plan for event capacity and keep costs affordable. Please take this into account before you sign up for a workshop.
70 percent refund for cancellations received at least seven-days prior to the first day of the workshop in a series, or the day of the workshop, whichever is earlier.
50 percent refund for cancellations received at least three-days prior to the first day of the workshop in a series, or the day of the workshop, whichever is earlier.
No refunds will be issued for cancellations received within 72-hours of the first day of the workshop in a series, or the day of the workshop, whichever is earlier. No refunds will be issued for “no shows”.
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee reserves the right to modify cancellation policies as necessary. Any such changes will be clearly stated on registration and program materials to which they apply.
Small Business Resources
Resources for Small Business
Webinars
Legal Structure and Contract Negotiation for Small Businesses
Publications
A Guide to Starting Your Business
Changing the Name of Your Illinois Business
Where should I incorporate my small business or form my LLC?
Legal Alerts
Should you turn your side-hustle into a legal entity?
Independent Contractor/Employee Relationships
Can We Use It? Using Photos of Others in Your Promotional Materials
Chicago Ordinance Requiring Paid Sick Leave
I-9 Overview for Employers
Special Zoning in the City of Chicago
Trademark or Not to Trademark
Other Organizations
Allies for Community Business (A4CB) provides the capital, coaching, and collaboration entrepreneurs need to grow great businesses in their communities.
ChiBizHub connects a large network of primarily nonprofit service providers offering a wide variety of business-building services for small businesses.
City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection provides resources and information for businesses operating in the city.
SCORE Chicago serves small businesses by providing free business counseling, management consulting, and low cost workshops.
West Side Forward operates a number of business start-up, entrepreneurial training and business support services at no charge to individuals who live in and start their businesses in designated communities primarily on the West Side of the city of Chicago.
Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC) delivers business services and financial assistance to empower women towards entrepreneurship and economic self-sufficiency.
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