Give back to the community
You’ve achieved financial independence, looked after your family, mentored others, and paid more than enough tax. Now you want to do more—make a real difference in your wider community, and make sure it is done right.
We help donors, founders, boards, and executives set up and run charities, not-for-profits, social enterprises, and philanthropic structures (including Private Ancillary Funds), so capital is deployed effectively, governance is sound, and compliance does not become a distraction.
Why planning matters
Giving back is not just about intention. It is about structure, governance, and execution. The right setup protects the mission, reduces regulatory risk, supports funding and reputation, and keeps time and money directed at impact rather than avoidable compliance problems.
Setting up (and running) a charity, NFP, social enterprise, or philanthropic structure is about more than good intentions.
Getting the structure right helps you:
- access funding and build credibility;
- protect the organisation’s reputation through good governance and compliance;
- reduce risk for directors/committee members and key decision-makers; and
- keep resources focused on impact, not preventable administration and regulatory distractions.
How we can help:
We offer a range of services to help you give back with confidence, including:
Structure and register your PAF / charity / NFP
Choose the optimal structure, establish the legal entity, and secure all registrations (DGR, GST, FBT) so you maximise impact and tax benefits from day one.
Run, manage and administer your PAF / charity / NFP
Keep internal governance, external dealings, and regulator obligations under control—so leaders can stay focused on serving the community.
Your peace of mind
Your structure matches your purpose. Your governing documents and governance processes are fit-for-purpose. Your registrations and compliance obligations are clear and actively managed. Your time and resources stay directed to the community outcomes you are trying to achieve.
Why do we do this work?
We believe that we all have a responsibility to:
- leave our world in at least as good a state as we come into it, and ideally improve it;
- provide our kids with a society and environment to enjoy that is at least as positive, open and clean as we inherited; and
- work towards providing everyone in society with as equal an opportunity as possible to live a meaningful and productive life.
We recognise that we have unique skills and knowledge that are highly valuable to Not For Profits (NFPs). As a law firm, we can make the most impact socially by helping other organisations that do social and environmental work, rather than doing the work directly.
Why are we good at this sort of work?
Our firm is in a very good position to provide quality services to NFPs because:
- our core business revolves around entrepreneurs and investors, so we bring valuable business and strategic skills to the table;
- each lawyer has broad legal experience, meaning we have a strong overall understanding of the commercial risks and opportunities facing NFPs;
- we have particular expertise in issues impacting the NFP sector such as NFP structures, fundraising laws, charity tax concessions and endorsements, ACNC charity registrations, and governance of NFP entities; and
- we can be flexible in how we engage, including pro-bono services, board roles, special projects, or an ongoing retainer.
The sort of clients we work with
We work with NFPs that treat their organisation as an accountable enterprise. That means we are:
- serious about making a real and long-lasting impact in the community;
- not doing good just for personal branding/ego; – genuinely prepared to see the mission through;
- flexible, adaptive, and responsive to changing circumstances and community needs;
- building a funding model not solely dependent on the next government funding cycle; and
- recognising the value of professional services (including where work is done at cost or discounted rates).
The leaders of these organisations see their role as a responsibility, not just an attractive by-line. They understand that real impact requires the right support, the right mix of people in charge, and disciplined focus on fulfilling the organisation’s mission.
Our Great Lawyer Guarantee
We want to be part of your team over the long term. We'll achieve this by sticking closely to the following principles:
- We'll listen carefully to understand what you want to achieve. Then we'll thoroughly explain our advice and step you through the documents. You can be sure you'll know the full consequences.
- Our lawyers work as a team, so someone will always be available to answer your questions, or point you in the right direction. You will also benefit from a range of perspectives and experience.
- One of our key goals is to pass on as much knowledge as we can, so you can make your own informed decisions. We want to make you truly independent.
- We only do what we're good at. You can be confident that we know what we're doing and won't pass on the cost of our learning.
- For advice and documents, we provide a fixed or capped quote so you don’t take price risk. If you're in a dispute, we'll map out the process and costs so you know what to expect.
- We're not in this game for our egos. We're in it for a front row seat to witness your success.
We measure our success on how efficiently we have facilitated your objectives, enhanced your relationships, and reduced the level of stress for all involved.
If we sound like people you can work with, call us now and speak directly with a great lawyer.