Your Nonprofit Startup Partner

An all-in-one legal program for nonprofit organizations.
Get started strong with the right team by your side.

Starting a nonprofit is tough, I know I’ve helped hundreds of clients on their startup journey. I know you're passionate and have a deep understanding of your dream and the mission, but that doesn't mean you're an expert in the nonprofit sector. How can you lay the foundation for a successful organization when there are so many unknowns?

What if you had an expert nonprofit attorney and consultant by your side every step of the way?

With Mission Guardian, You Can:

  • Stop worrying about making decisions in a vacuum
  • Feel secure knowing you're getting started right
  • Have a strategic partner who helps you pursue your mission
  • Have a clear picture of costs
  • Finally, turn your vision into a real, thriving nonprofit organization

Common Traps and Pitfalls for Nonprofit Startups

After years of advising nonprofits at all stages and working in-house at a national nonprofit, I know one thing is true: new nonprofits thrive when they are built on a strong foundation. But many founders experience these frustrations sometime during the startup process:

The DIY Approach
You're smart so you start cobbling together information you find online and any support you can get for free or cheap. You're doing your best, but you have the nagging feeling you could be doing something very wrong.

The Pricing Mystery
You know you need help, but most law firms will only commit to an hourly rate and say "it depends." So, you plow forward on your own or with less expert help making mistakes that slow down a new nonprofit.

The Paperwork-Only Problem
You hired someone to help with the paperwork -- but that's it. Documents got filed with the government, but you're left with no direction for anything else. So, it's back to Googling and crossing your fingers that it'll work out.

The Billable Hour Fear
You had a lawyer once and it wasn’t a great experience because you knew every minute on the phone was billable time. You have a million questions now but nobody to call.

With Mission Guardian, these problems disappear. You'll have:

  • A dedicated team leading you through the whole process
  • Complete pricing transparency
  • Individualized coaching and advice for you and your mission
  • Freedom to ask questions without watching the clock

The Mission Guardian Difference

Most lawyers aren’t invested in your success. We care about giving you a strong start.

The Mission Guardian Model

  • Excellent legal advice
  • Transparent pricing
  • Coaching & advice just for you
  • Unlimited communication with the firm
  • Generate custom docs using our apps
  • Searchable educational library
  • Member badge for your website

Traditional Hourly Billing Model

  • Excellent legal advice
  • Unpredictable costs
  • Transaction-based relationship
  • Every minute on the phone is billable
  • Pay separately for every little thing
  • Limited or no self-help resources
  • No recognition of your commitment

The Real Risk of Going It Alone

Like anything brand new, it is tender and vulnerable to problems. For a new nonprofit when problems arise, the costs can be devastating:

  • Potential delay or denial of your tax-exemption application
  • Denied grant funding from getting the wrong tax status
  • Damaged reputation with brand new donors or members
  • Board time wasted on drama or damage control
  • Your valuable attention diverted from your mission at a key time
  • $4,000-5,000 for just one day of arbitration or mediation
  • $36,000 average cost to defend against a frivolous lawsuit
  • 25% IRS penalty for excess benefit transactions

Why take these risks when you could have expert help for a predictable monthly price?

Your All-Inclusive Mission Guardian Startup Experience

Phase 1: Custom Planning

You'll meet with our team to develop a tailored work plan to start your nonprofit strong and address your specific needs.

Phase 2: Implement the Work Plan

Once we know what the new nonprofit needs, we’ll get straight to work. We only accept a few clients into this program at any given time, so your work is our priority.

Phase 3: Ongoing Care

Throughout the year we provide a suite of continuing benefits. These resources would cost over $10,000 a year in billable hours elsewhere—with this program, they're all included.

Quarterly Check-ins with Jess

Something new coming up? No worries, you can check in with Jess 1:1 for any reason – even if it’s not strictly “legal.” Jess has a Masters in nonprofit management, is tech savvy and great with people problems.

Compliance Monitoring

Along the way your dedicated Client Success Paralegal is working to take care of the nonprofit, building a knowledge bank of your nonprofit's core compliance requirements

Online Document Generation Apps

I believe if we can turn it into a form most founders can use for free, then we should do that. We’re constantly adding to our library of members-only apps you can use to create customized and fully editable Word documents like:

Your Mission Guardian Membership

All-in-One Startup

$2,500/mo
Includes:

  • Regular check-ins with your legal team
  • All work needed to start a strong nonprofit
  • Compliance reviews to stay in good standing
  • Access to all document generation apps
  • Searchable educational library
  • Mission Guardian website badge

Typical Startup Journey

Most startups will follow this general journey, but the exact projects & timeline are determined based on your unique needs. No matter what needs we identify, we will work through them with you one at a time. Most pieces of work can happen within one month, but some are bigger and more complicated (like the IRS application), and those need to be 2 or more months.

This workflow is a visual representation to help you see how the process works. What you need might be a little different. For example, a trade association creating voting members with rights and benefits will spend two months on governance. A church or school will spend three months on their IRS application to prepare additional materials. What you need will vary. We will design a customized work plan for you based on your needs and tell you up front what your minimum commitment is based on what you need to accomplish. You should plan for a minimum of six months.

Month 1 - $2,500

Strategy & Foundations

Month 2 - $2,500

Forming the Corporation

Month 3 - $2,500

Bylaws & Governance

Month 4 - $2,500

Begin IRS Tax-Exemption App

Month 5 - $2,500

Finish IRS Process & Set Strategy

Month 6 - $2,500

Board Training & Enter Phase 2

Frequently Asked Questions

Let's Get Started

Schedule a FREE 15-minute call with our New Client Guides. Get clarity, guidance, & answers — no pressure, no obligation.

Build Your Nonprofit on a Strong Foundation

Don't leave your mission to chance. Join Mission Guardian and take your startup from a dream to a reality.