Conflict of Interest Policy
What a church conflict of interest policy needs to cover, and how California Corporations Code § 9243 governs self-dealing by religious corporation directors.
Tag Archives: Fiduciary Duty
Church Officer and Director Liability
Church board members are often surprised to learn they can be personally liable despite the corporate shield. Here’s what fiduciary duty, duty of care, and duty of loyalty actually require.
Endowments
Endowments are money or property given to a church with the understanding that the principal stays invested rather than being spent, while the investment earnings support the church’s programs or operations over time. That basic idea is simple. What trips churches up is that endowments aren’t just a financial arrangement — they’re a legal one, governed by a specific California statute that limits how and when the church can actually spend the money. The Law Behind Endowments: California’s UPMIFA California governs institutional endowments through the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional […]
Conflicts of Interest in Church Governance
Understand what conflicts of interest look like in church leadership, and how a clear disclosure policy protects both the board and the congregation.
Restricted Donations: Rules Every Church Should Know
Restricted donations bind a church to spend the gift exactly as the donor intended — spend it elsewhere and you risk a breach of fiduciary duty claim. Here’s how to tell a restricted gift from an unrestricted one, and the only lawful ways to change course.