Cooper Grace Ward has a team of lawyers who have worked with numerous not-for-profit organisations across a range of industries.

Our team is passionate about the work we do with the not-for-profit sector and understands the issues that impact on those involved.

Cooper Grace Ward offers a diverse range of services to support the diversity of the sector.

Our work in this area encompasses more than 15 years of advice to not-for-profit organisations including public benevolent institutions, health promotion charities, harm prevention charities, public museums, clubs established for the encouragement of sport and racing, art galleries, school building funds, private ancillary funds, income tax exempt funds and clubs operating under the principle of mutuality.

Services we offer

The types of legal matters that Cooper Grace Ward can assist not-for-profit organisations with are:

• Advising on appropriate legal structure and preparing governing documents
• Meeting requirements of legislation and procedure for applying for and obtaining various endorsements (including the ATO and AusAID)
• Maintaining endorsements and registrations
• Involvement in commercial activities
• Tax treatment of income and gifts received
• GST compliance and availability of duty exemptions
• Registration requirements to undertake fundraising and requirements for holding such events
• Employment law, salary packaging and matters relating to volunteers
• Corporate governance, compliance with directors' duties and the Corporations Act
• Tendering for government funding
• Establishment of charitable trusts and bequest clauses in wills
• Property and leasing advice
• Intellectual property advice and protection strategies
• Litigation and dispute resolution.

What our clients say

The Sunshine Coast Youth Partnership (SCYP) is designed to reduce disadvantage and cyclical poverty by maximising the potential of young people on the Sunshine Coast and the capacity of organisations to support them. The SCYP, originally the Caloundra City Youth Partnership needed to rebrand, regionalize and incorporate as a community not for profit when the three Sunshine Coast Local Government areas amalgamated in early 2008. SCYP was fortunate enough to qualify for Pro Bono assistance through QPILCH and was allocated Cooper Grace Ward to undertake work on its behalf in incorporating and qualifying as a Public Benevolent Institution. Cooper Grace Ward were diligent, attentive, helpful and extremely effective in the work they carried out on behalf of SCYP. There were a few bumps along the way but the CGW staff allocated to SCYP were strategic and dogmatic in achieving the best results for the service and I believe exceeded all expectations in the scope of works they undertook for the organistion. Carly Cameron and her support staff were outstanding and I highly recommend and unreservedly thank Carly and CGW for their work on behalf of SCYP.”
Thank you!

Jody Tunnicliffe
CEO
Sunshine Coast Youth Partnership Inc

Cooper Grace Ward (CGW) has provided pro bono legal services to the Silver Lining Foundation since its establishment as a Trust in 1999. It very generously helped in  obtaining the approval of the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for the Silver Lining Foundation Trust as  Deductible Gift Recipient in 1999, with establishment of Silver Lining Foundation Limited as a company limited by guarantee in 2005 and its approval as  Public Benevolent Institution by the ATO that same year and with obtaining various approvals from the ATO, the Queensland Office of State Revenue and the Office of Fair Trading for changes to the Deed of the Trust and Constitution of the Company over the ensuing years. CGW has also very generously advised on all legal aspects of commercial matters including land and asset acquisitions and, until recently, with employment law.

There is no doubt that without CGW’s very generous support, the Foundation could not have achieved all that it has in offering jobs to Indigenous Australians.”

Mike O'Neill
Chief Executive
The Silver Lining Foundation

Read more about what CGW clients say about our firm.