Nonprofit Issues® has been a leading provider of news, programming and insight on nonprofit law and governance for more than 30 years. Written by Philadelphia lawyer Don Kramer, who is listed as one of the "Best Lawyers in America" in the field of nonprofit and charity law, the national Web newsletter is intended for nonprofit officers and directors and their professional advisors. The newsletter and the regular monthly webinars provide clear, concise and comprehensive coverage of "Nonprofit Law You Need To Know."
What do subscribers receive?
Subscribers and non-subscribers alike receive our weekly question and answer where Don Kramer responds to readers' questions on topics of general interest.
Subscribers have full access to each new article as it is posted on our website. We normally add new content every week. Subscribers also receive full editions of the newsletter containing recent nonprofit legal news. We provide direct links to cases, statutes or regulations where available so that you can review the full text of the document. We give you direct links to related stories in Nonprofit Issues®, including links to relevant Ready Reference pages.
Through our archives area, back issues are available free to subscribers, including the complete library of more than 130 Ready Reference Pages and Commentaries, more than 1,000 searchable answers to readers' questions, and more than 15 years of articles. The Ready Reference Pages are generally 1200-word plain-English summaries of important issues of nonprofit law and governance. The archive is word-searchable and available 24/7. Some of our Ready Reference Pages are available through our Store.
Subscribers (and non-subscribers) can Ask Don Kramer specific questions about their organizations or discuss ideas raised by the stories of each issue. Subscribers receive a discount on participation and half price for a call within three months of their initial subscription. Callers will not receive legal advice, but will get the benefit of Don's long experience and perspective on the field. Readers can access Ask Don Kramer through our Store.
Nonprofit Issues has recently added an additional individualized service, for which subscribers receive a discount. We will review and comment on a nonprofit's bylaws if the organization is considering amendments or just wants to have a current critique of their effectiveness. Check the Store for a more complete description of the service.
Subscribers also receive a discount on our monthly webinars, co-produced with the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations, on topics of general nonprofit legal interest. Check our Store for a description of the next webinar and access to pre-recorded webinars previously presented.
What do we cover?
We select from current federal and state cases the issues of critical importance to nonprofit executives and their advisors such as:
- federal tax law
- state tax law for nonprofits
- fiduciary duty
- board liability
- volunteer law
- corporate governance
- foundation rules
- charitable giving
- employment law
- insurance
- copyright
- trademark
- and more
We put it all in a format that is quick to scan, easy to read and sometimes even fun. Most issues include a new or updated Ready Reference Page summarizing some aspect of the rules and regulations that control nonprofit activity.
Donald W. Kramer is chair of the Nonprofit Law Group at the Philadelphia law firm of Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads, LLP. Mr. Kramer has more than 45 years of experience dealing with the concerns of nonprofit organizations, not only as a lawyer, but also as a teacher, writer, publisher, and board member. He is editor and publisher of Don Kramer's Nonprofit Issues®, a national electronic newsletter of "Nonprofit Law You Need to Know", which he started at Montgomery, McCracken in 1989. He writes and lectures frequently on nonprofit legal issues, and has taught courses on nonprofit organization law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, the School of Social Policy and Practice at the University of Pennsylvania, and Eastern University. He has worked with nonprofit organizations of all types and sizes, helping structure start-up situations and restructure multi-organizational social service, health and educational systems. He counsels on a wide range of corporate, governance, tax, real estate, charitable giving and other nonprofit issues. Mr. Kramer was one of the original organizers of the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations and served on its board for more than 30 years. He is currently on the board of the Philadelphia Fire Department Historical Corporation. He served as Deputy Development Coordinator and Assistant to the Mayor of Philadelphia before joining Montgomery, McCracken in 1972. A graduate of Princeton University, he earned a law degree from Harvard Law School.
Don Kramer has been included in The Best Lawyers in America since the 2012 edition in the practice area of Non-Profit/Charities law. He has also been named a Super Lawyer in Pennsylvania. He was named "Lawyer of the Year" in 2019 and 2024 in the category nonprofit and charities law by the publication Best Lawyers in Pennsylvania.