Description:

Position Summary:
The Legal team manages and oversees all legal work for BFF and CEF, advises the Boards and management of both entities, supports grantmaking and other organizational activities, manages legal risk, and ensures compliance with laws governing private foundations and affiliated 501(c)(4) organizations.

The General Counsel leads a small legal team and is responsible for providing legal guidance and advice to A Non-Profit Organizations (including its single-member LLC A Non-Profit Organizations) and the Children's Equity Fund. Under the direction of the VP, Operations, this individual will manage and lead all legal matters related to grantmaking, contracts, risk management, compliance (with a particular focus on c3/c4 compliance), internal policy development or review, and analysis of the variety of legal issues that arise across the entities. This individual will also provide support for corporate governance, tax and investment matters as needed and will represent the Legal team in cross-departmental working groups and committees. The General Counsel works closely with other teams to oversee and manage the organizations' legal and compliance needs. The individual in this role has deep knowledge of the legal requirements governing private foundations and 501(c)(4) entities, including IRS rules and federal, state and local lobbying and campaign finance regulations.

This role requires excellent judgment, the ability to work across all levels and departments of the entities, the ability to evaluate and advise on risk, and the ability to make decisions and recommendations on complex matters.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Legal, Compliance and Risk

Advise the board of directors, executive team and staff on legal, compliance, risk management and regulatory matters; make recommendations, taking into account BFF's and CEF's tax statuses, programmatic priorities, core values and operational effectiveness
Advise and assist other departments within the organizations on legal matters, including grants, contracts, intellectual property, tax, investments, data privacy, employment and employee benefits.
Provide legal research, analysis, recommendations, policy suggestions, and proposed implementation plans to address a broad range of business, legal, regulatory, risk and compliance matters.
Lead and manage compliance with state, federal, and local laws and regulations applicable to the entities
Develop and deliver staff training on legal, compliance and risk matters
Maintain expertise in private foundation and 501(c)(4) laws and best practices and help to integrate best practices into organizational operations
Support organizational responses to claims, lawsuits, subpoenas and government
inquiries
Oversee the organization's corporate insurance program and other risk management efforts
Oversee and manage outside counsel

Governance:

Advise the board and staff on matters of nonprofit governance
Oversee the management of Board and staff conflicts of interest policies, including serving as the chair of the conflict of interest committee
Serve as corporate secretary of the affiliated entities
Prepare or oversee the preparation of motions, resolutions, charters, minutes and other governance-related records and oversee the tracking and management of all corporate governance records.

Leadership:

Provide overall vision and strategic leadership to the Legal team
Oversee the efficiency and effectiveness of the Legal team:

Supervise legal staff (at present, a Corporate Paralegal)and consultants
Promote a culture of high performance and continuous improvement consistent with the foundation's core values and cultural expectations
Mentor and develop staff using a supportive and collaborative approach on a consistent basis.
Establish and monitor staff performance and development goals assign accountabilities, set team objectives, establish priorities and conduct annual performance appraisals.

Train other team members and peers as appropriate.

Other Responsibilities:

Attend and participate in organizational leadership team meetings that inform strategy, shape our work and reinforce culture
Manage the legal budgets for all affiliated entities
Serve as the representative of the Legal team on internal committees and working groups as needed
Represent BFF and CEF in interactions with external individuals and organizations as needed

Qualifications:
Functional/Technical Requirements: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Equivalent combinations of work experience and training that provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities will also be considered.

Juris Doctor from ABA-accredited school and current membership in good standing in a U.S. bar required
Experience providing legal guidance and advice to affiliated 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations strongly preferred
Minimum 5 years of relevant legal practice
In-depth understanding of federal, state and local lobbying and campaign finance laws
Experience reviewing, monitoring and developing compliance programs involving contracts, grants, lobbying and political activities
General working knowledge of risk management
Ability to expeditiously identify and assess issues and provide legally sound recommendations consistent with laws governing 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations
Ability to self-motivate, take initiative, work under minimal supervision, but know when to coordinate with management, and learn new substantive areas within and beyond 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) law
Ability to read and interpret contractual documents and grants, operating instructions, policies and procedures
Solid organizational skills and keen attention to detail in order to process detailed information accurately and efficiently
Experience identifying, recommending and supervising outside counsel is highly desirable
Experience creating internal training program materials and delivering training to professionals in other functional areas is highly desirable

Additional Information:
Physical Demands:
The physical demands described below are representative of the requirements by an employee for the successful performance of the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may occur to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee may regularly be required to talk and listen. The employee is frequently required to sit and use their hands. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee may be required to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.