For Nonprofits

For Nonprofits

The Clearinghouse provides pro bono legal services to nonprofit organizations through two programs:

  • The Community Legal Referral Program (CLRP) matches volunteer lawyers with nonprofit groups that develop or sponsor affordable housing, promote economic development, or operate as homeless shelters, tenant organizations, and housing and homeless advocacy groups.
  • The BBA Business Law Pro Bono Project (BLP) created in 2001 as a project BBA Business Law Section, matches volunteer lawyers with nonprofit organizations in need of assistance with corporate or business related legal needs.

The Clearinghouse also collaborates with Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts on a bi-monthly seminar geared towards nonprofit representatives seeking assistance with incorporating in Massachusetts and/or filing for federal tax-exempt status. The goal of the nonprofit seminar is to provide education to nonprofit representatives so that they are well informed about the process on which they are about to embark and to ensure that our volunteer attorneys are working with prepared clients on the road to success.

Last year, the Clearinghouse expanded its legal workshops to additional areas of law that were identified by nonprofit clients as being most needed including employment law and risk management.

For more information about these programs, contact Machiko Sano Hewitt at (617) 778-1954.


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We are effective and efficient.

On a budget of only $160k, we are able to provide the community with over a million dollars of donated legal services. The nonprofits that receive our services are then able to provide extensive services in their own communities.