If you’re on a budget, here are some free resources for creators and small businesses

LEGAL RESOURCES

Oregon Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
The Oregon Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (OVLA) is a nonprofit organization that provides legal assistance, resources, and educational programs to artists and organizations in the visual, literary, performance, media, and other arts.

The OVLA hosts a monthly, free legal clinic where lawyers offer one-on-one advice to members of the artistic community.

If you’re not an Oregon resident, please contact your local Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts organizations. A list of such organizations in the U.S. is available on Wikipedia.

Lewis & Clark Small Business Legal Clinic
The Lewis & Clark Small Business Legal Clinic (SBLC) provides business transactional legal services to low-income small and emerging businesses, cooperatives, and nonprofit corporations.

The SBLC is an extension of Lewis & Clark Law School that facilitates both an intern program and the pro bono project.

NONPROFIT RESOURCES

The Nonprofit Association of Oregon
The Nonprofit Association of Oregon (NAO) is a statewide network of nonprofits, foundations, business partners, and individuals dedicated to supporting Oregon’s nonprofit sector.

NAO has many resources for Oregon nonprofits, including the NAO Helpline. The Helpline is primarily composed of a question and answer based email and phone service and an FAQ for information and tools to help manage a nonprofit.

Nonprofit Publications
Nonprofit Publications is a joint effort of Cindy Cumfer and Kay Sohl, authors of the Oregon Nonprofit Corporation Handbook, a must have for any Oregon nonprofit.

Oregon Department of Justice Charitable Activities Section
The Oregon Department of Justice oversees nonprofit organizations and their activities in Oregon. The Charitable Activities Section has many great resources and guides on how to start and run a charitable organization in Oregon.

Form1023.org
This website is a resource for nonprofits and provides information on preparing Form 1023 Application for Tax Exemption to obtain tax exemption by the IRS under section 501(c)(3).