Miscellaneous

Food donations support many in need, but nonprofits must not overlook their legal risks and obligations in distributing donated items. Every day, food is wasted by restaurants, growers and stores. This is in part because potential donors fail to understand food donation policy or fear possible liability. Fortunately, a federal law known as the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act provides fairly broad protections to food donors and nonprofits distributing donated food. This article provides an overview of the Good Samaritan Act and some factors to consider for nonprofits engaged in or considering engaging in food donations.

Many nonprofits in Georgia, particularly those that work with vulnerable populations including children, the elderly, and victims of violence, do not permit weapons on their premises. In 2014, the laws of Georgia changed significantly to further limit one’s ability to restrict gun-carrying by licensed gun-holders. These changes may affect nonprofits that have such restrictions, particularly those that are located in government buildings or lease property from a municipality, county or the State of Georgia. This article describes the new set of rules regarding restrictions on gun-carrying as set forth in the Safe Carry Protection Act.

Because nonprofits enjoy a significant discount on application fees for outdoor festival and alcohol permits in Atlanta, some for-profit entities have asked nonprofits to apply for such permits on their behalf. This article lays out some of the risks nonprofits should consider before agreeing to file for a permit on a for-profit’s behalf.

Under Georgia law, certain individuals are required to report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of disabled adults or elder persons. This article explains the reporting requirements, including what should be reported, who is required to report, and the procedures for reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation.

If you receive a subpoena, summons, writ of garnishment, notice of government investigation or similar document, seek legal counsel as quickly as possible. Whatever you do, do not ignore legal papers. The problem will not go away and will probably get worse. Read this important article for more information.

As a nonprofit, your organization may have access to a lot of information about a lot of different people, including clients, volunteers, employees and donors. Information is necessary to enable your organization to better serve your clients, manage your volunteers and employees, and communicate with your donors. But mismanagement of information can have legal consequences or, worse yet, damage your reputation in the community.
This webcast will answer the following questions:

• What are the basic privacy and data security legal and regulatory requirements every nonprofit should know?
• How can your organization collect, use, share, and dispose of personal information without getting into trouble?
• What happens if the personal information you collect is lost or stolen?
• What are some privacy and data security best practices that you can implement today?

Presenter: Stacey Keegan, Home Depot