A Note from Our Founder

Greetings,

Thank you for your interest in our work.

I built Good Works Legal Solutions after years of watching capable, deeply committed nonprofit leaders make decisions that ended up costing their organizations time, money, relationships, and momentum.

Not because they didn’t care. And not because they were reckless.

They were being asked to make consequential decisions in environments where the rules were complex, authority lines were not always clear, and there was rarely enough space to slow down, get grounded, and think through what the law, good governance, and the organization itself actually required before pressure took over.

I kept seeing the same thing: good people carrying enormous responsibility without always having access to the knowledge or support that would help them make those decisions with confidence.

One moment, in particular, stayed with me.

I had been supporting a multinational nonprofit virtually for years before I ever met the team in person. When we finally gathered at an in-person convening, an operations leader who also carried HR responsibility came up to me in tears and wrapped me in a big, long, joyful bear hug.

She thanked me for making her feel safe and supported when the stakes were high.

Others from the organization shared similar reflections that day.

What stayed with me was not simply their gratitude. It was the realization that having someone who could help you understand what was happening, think clearly when things became difficult, and make a sound decision without feeling alone in it had created a sense of safety.

And I kept thinking, every nonprofit leader deserves access to that.

Not only the organizations that can afford to have lawyers and other advisors on call. Not only large institutions with deep administrative infrastructure. The consequences of a poor decision do not become smaller simply because an organization’s budget is smaller.

That realization became part of the foundation for Good Works Legal Solutions.

Over the years, I have seen nonprofit leaders struggle with the fear of making the wrong call, uncertainty about where authority actually sits between boards and executives, and hesitation when the rules are unclear.

HR issues come up again and again in my practice. So do board disputes, unclear roles, inconsistent decision-making, weak documentation, policies that do not reflect how the organization actually operates, and governing documents that everyone assumes somebody else understands.

When clear structures and baseline legal knowledge are missing, organizations often begin relying on personalities and relationships to carry responsibilities that should be supported by systems.

And eventually, something that should have been an organizational question becomes personal.

That is usually when things get much harder.

I wish more nonprofit leaders understood that strong governance and legal compliance are not distractions from mission. They are part of how mission is sustained.

Governance determines who has authority, how decisions are made, how people are held accountable, how resources are protected, and how an organization keeps functioning when circumstances become difficult or leadership changes.

When those systems are weak, the mission becomes more vulnerable.

Every nonprofit needs people who are paying attention to legal and compliance responsibilities. Sometimes that is a lawyer. Sometimes it is a compliance professional. Sometimes it is a leadership team that has been given the education, tools, and systems necessary to recognize issues early and know when professional help is needed.

But that knowledge should not be reserved for organizations with the deepest resources.

Our work helps nonprofit leaders understand the legal and governance principles that shape their responsibilities and then translate that understanding into systems and practices they can actually use.

I do not want leaders simply to know more.

I want them to make better decisions because they understand more.

I want them to recognize red flags earlier. Ask better questions. Understand where authority sits. Know when something requires legal counsel. Build systems that do not depend on one extraordinary person remembering everything. And develop the judgment to lead responsibly when the answer is not obvious.

Good Works Legal Solutions itself is not a law firm, and our governance advisory and educational work is distinct from standalone legal representation. Our purpose here is to make legally informed governance practical and to help leaders strengthen the systems that too often receive attention only after something has gone wrong.

I would much rather help an organization build strong governance upstream than meet its leaders for the first time in the middle of a crisis.

To me, good governance is an act of stewardship.

I often think about the biblical story of the woman who gave her last penny to the temple. Nonprofits should be run as though they are accountable to her.

People give what they have because they believe in the mission. They volunteer their time. They contribute their expertise. They serve on boards. They work long hours. They entrust organizations with money, people, stories, hopes, and communities they care deeply about.

Governance is part of how we honor that trust.

I am glad you are here.

And I look forward to supporting you as you strengthen your good works.

Warmly,

Nancy