Please Treat the Information in the Digest as Confidential. Do Not Circulate Outside of the Lex Mundi Network.

If you are interested in a matter, please let us know as soon as possible by emailing Isis Bous and Allison Laubach through the “Ask About a Matter” button on the details page or directly (ibous@lexmundiprobono.org; alaubach@lexmundiprobono.org) and let us know which project(s) interests you. We will place matches with Lex Mundi member firms on a first-come, first-served basis.

You can view all matter summaries on the “Digest” page(s). To view summaries by legal need, select the category of interest. See details of individual matters via the “Read More” link in a matter. To view all details of all available matters, choose “View All”.

View by Legal Need
Consultation (6) Contracts (3) Employment/Labor (5) Finance/Fundraising (2) Intellectual Property (4) Nonprofit Formation (3) Real Estate (1) Regulatory (2) Research (1) Tax Exempt/Nonprofit (4)

Digest  |  View All

Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans

Advise on Potential Cooperative Ownership Model

Summary:

Assist a nonprofit advocating for refugees by providing a consultation on a potential cooperative ownership structure for a California property they recently purchased.

Referred by:

  • Anonymous Collaborator
Jurisdiction(s): CA
About the Organization: Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA) advocates for the full economic, social, and civic inclusion of refugees and displaced populations in the San Diego region, throughout California, and across the country.
Legal Entity Type: Nonprofit/Charity
SDG(s): Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities
Legal Issue(s):

Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (“PANA”) formed a 501(c)(2) Holding Corporation, which purchased a 2.2-acre property in San Diego County. PANA is now leading a community visioning process and working to raise money for the development of this property. The project, which is currently called the Refugee and Immigrant Cultural Hub (RICH), will house refugee-serving and social justice organizations, civic spaces for community gathering/healing/power-building programs, and include transitional housing for migrants as well as permanent affordable housing. The Holding Corporation currently owns and manages the property.
However, the PANA team wants to ensure the project is community stewarded and owned going forward, and is considering establishing a cooperative structure. They would like stakeholders to include, (i) resident members (individuals living in properties owned by the cooperative); (ii) community members (individuals who support the mission and can invest in the cooperative but do not live on the properties, including those donating relatively small amounts of money); and (iii) worker members (those who work for the cooperative, helping to manage and develop properties).

They are seeking a comprehensive consultation with an attorney to discuss the best governance structure for this envisioned ownership model going forward. Importantly, they want to encourage community participation, while also ensuring that the structure does not become too unwieldy. Additionally, they want to limit PANA’s liability to the greatest extent possible.

Ideally, they’d like to have this consultation before mid-November.

Ask About a Matter
,