Nonprofits and exempt organizations are focused on delivering upon their mission, however complicated regulations dictate every structure of their life-cycle. It’s crucial nonprofits know how to stay in compliance with government rules and regulations. Our attorneys understand the important work these organizations provide and realize they can ease the burden of compliance.
We work with public charities, private foundations, social service organizations, and family trusts from their inception – preparing organizational documents and tax exempt applications – through ongoing maintenance and daily operations. Specifically services include:
- Incorporation and corporate structures
- Nonprofit board governance
- Mandatory filings
- IRS issues
- Tax-exemption applications
- Legal audits
- Charitable solicitation registration
- State and local tax matters
- Charitable gifts and fundraising
- Unrelated business income tax (UBIT)
- Board governance
- Employment
- Investment and endowment policies
- Reasonable compensation
Our lawyers also counsel section 501(c)(3) organizations in fundraising and donor-related activities, providing advice on matters such as:
- Compliance with charitable solicitation laws
- Availability of income tax deductions for donors, and substantiation requirements
- Creation of donor advised funds, field of interest funds and endowment funds
- Creation of charitable remainder and lead trusts
- Creation of gifts annuities and pooled income funds
Founded in 1920, Ruder Ware provides business, employment, estate planning, and litigation services through its offices in Wausau, Eau Claire, and Green Bay, Wisconsin. A full-service law firm, over 40 attorneys provide clients with a one-stop approach to their legal needs. Ruder Ware, Business Attorneys for Business Success.
Posted on January 15, 2020 by Kayla E. Murphy
For many people, the first time they start thinking about an estate plan is when they start to have family members that depend on them financially – typically, a spouse or a child. Let’s take, for example, a young married couple with young children. The couple may think they need a will, but they might […]
Posted on January 7, 2020 by Ruder Ware Estate Planning Attorneys
The federal appropriations bill enacted into law on December 20, 2019 changed federal law in ways that may affect your retirement assets, including 401(k) plans and IRAs. Those changes, often referred to as the “SECURE Act,” may affect you during your lifetime and also the way those retirement assets may be distributed to your beneficiaries […]
Posted on December 19, 2019 by Ashley L. Hawley
Picture this: you are lying on the beach in sunny Aruba, thinking about your best friend, Kristin, who valiantly volunteered to watch your three children while you and your spouse got away from the Wisconsin winter for the first time in ages – when all of a sudden you see a hotel staff member racing […]
Posted on November 14, 2019 by Aric D. Burch
It is common for a client whose spouse is receiving Medicaid to lack adequate estate planning to protect those Medicaid benefits in the event the client dies before their spouse. Yet, after all of the time and energy spent to qualify for Medicaid, it would be awful to see those benefits lost simply because proper […]
Posted on October 9, 2019 by Shanna N. Yonke
It seems like our world becomes more digital each day. We can manage almost every aspect of our lives online. But, unless you have updated your estate plan in the last few years, chances are good that your estate planning documents do not address what will happen to your electronic documents, e-mails, text messages, blogs, […]
Posted on August 28, 2019 by Jessica A. Merkel
Leaving an inheritance to a loved one with special needs who is or will be receiving government benefits (SSI, medical assistance, long term care services) is tricky and can have unintended negative consequences if not done carefully. Well-meaning gifts may result in the loved one (who I will refer to as the “Special Needs Beneficiary”) […]
Posted on July 17, 2019 by Ashley L. Hawley
As our aging population grows so does the cost of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and in-home care services. Contrary to popular belief, Medicare will only cover certain short-term stays and typically will not cover non-rehabilitative long-term care. This leaves many elderly and disabled individuals with few options for covering costs. Often, at first, family […]
Posted on June 11, 2019 by Aric D. Burch
After working and saving, clients are concerned that unexpected costs will become unplanned for drains on their Retirement Accounts (e.g, 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA, 403(b), etc.). As the need to pay for nursing home care nears, those concerns grow and questions begin to be asked about whether retirement accounts are safe from the nursing home. […]
Posted on May 16, 2019 by Shanna N. Yonke
Some clients decide to hire an attorney to prepare their estate planning documents because they do not like the default laws in Wisconsin about who gets their property if they die without a will. In Wisconsin, if you die without a will, or your will doesn’t give all of your property away, your property will […]
Posted on March 12, 2019 by Jessica A. Merkel
Did you know that Medicaid is the largest source of funding for nursing home care? Medicaid, often called Medical Assistance or Title 19, has many rules that are confusing, and thus a mystery to many people. Even more of a mystery surrounds the idea that you can protect your assets and still be eligible for […]
More Insights...
