As you embark on new year’s resolutions to improve your physical, financial, and emotional health, don’t overlook the importance of making resolutions to reset your organization’s internal systems, ensuring that you are positioned to achieve your strategic goals for 2026. For most nonprofits and small businesses, January marks the beginning of a critical compliance cycle. Annual filings, updates refreshing long-standing policies, and governance reviews are more than mere administrative chores; they’re foundational to organizational health and long-term stability.
Below is a practical, high impact checklist to help your organization start the year on solid legal footing.
1. Confirm Your Annual State Filings and Registrations
Make note of any renewals required by your state of incorporation (or state of qualification for business):
- Business license renewals
- Charitable solicitation registrations (for nonprofits)
- Annual reports with the Secretary of State
- Reporting a change of registered agent or registered office
2. Refresh Governance Documents and Board Practices
Support your Board’s effectiveness by ensuring governance documents are up-to-date and aligned with current needs.
- Schedule required annual Board and committee meetings
- Update board rosters and new director onboarding materials
- Circulate annual conflict of interest disclosures
- Review bylaws and committee charters
3. Review Key Contracts and Vendor Agreements
Contracts often renew automatically at the start of the year without prior notice. To avoid being locked into unfavorable arrangements, take steps to:
- Identify auto‑renewal clauses
- Reassess pricing, deliverables, and performance
- Confirm insurance requirements
- Evaluate whether vendors still meet your needs
4. Update Employment Policies and Handbooks
Employment laws frequently change on January 1. Organizations should:
- Update personnel handbooks to reflect new wage laws, leave requirements, or training obligations
- Refresh job descriptions
- Review finance, leave, conflict of interest, whistleblower, and other HR policies to ensure they reflect the realities of current operations
5. Reassess Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practices
With cyber risks increasing, the new year provides an opportunity to:
- Update privacy policies
- Review data retention schedules
- Confirm compliance with state privacy laws
- Evaluate cybersecurity insurance coverage
6. Align Legal Risk with Your Strategic Plan
January is the time when leadership teams set goals, launch new programs, and plan expansions. Evaluate any legal risk as part of these discussions, including:
- Whether new initiatives require updated policies
- If new revenue streams trigger additional regulatory obligations
- Whether your organizational structure still fits your operations
How DSA’s Fractional General Counsel Services Can Support Your New Year’s Reset
Nonprofits and small businesses lacking the time, capacity, or in-house expertise to manage these risks can take advantage of our Fractional General Counsel services, which provides you with ongoing, cost-effective access to experienced legal counsel delivered on a flexible, part-time basis customized to your needs and budget. A Fractional General Counsel provides a range of services related to entity formation, governance, and compliance; contracts and transactions; employment and labor matters; tax-exempt entity rules and regulations; fundraising and charitable activities; and strategic and risk management counsel.
To see if your organization can benefit from our Fractional General Counsel services, please contact Jeanny Lee at jlee@devsourcing.com.
Disclaimer: This material is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Access to or use of this information is not intended to create, and does not constitute, a lawyer-client relationship. No portion should be acted upon without first seeking legal counsel about your specific legal situation.