Nonprofit organizations with a strong spiritual grounding might want to consider designating themselves or seeking federal tax exemption as a “church.” Sustainable Economies Law Center works with many land-based organizations that operate according to a very different logic than our dominant culture. For example, rather than relating to land as a commodity or asset, people might see themselves as inseparable parts of the land and all life on it. This prompts a different set of practices, beliefs, and ethics that, all combined, become so central in the lives of participants that it is equivalent to the place of God in the lives of many religious people. These organizations often benefit from a legal status – as a religious organization or church – which gives them latitude to be themselves and be relieved of many burdens and procedures that could otherwise disrupt the sacred nature of their work.
This MCLE is for lawyers interested in supporting groups who might benefit from church status. This webinar will go over federal and California law.
This activity is approved by the California State Bar for 1 MCLE credit.
Please email [email protected] for accessibility needs and/or if you can't afford the ticket price.
Presenters
Erika Sato
Erika was a 2021 Equal Justice Works legal fellow sponsored by Baker McKenzie and Salesforce, and is now a staff attorney at the law center. Erika received their B.A. in International Relations from Pomona College and their J.D. from Harvard Law School, where they were an editor of the Harvard Law Review and active in the QTPOC affinity group community. Starting in September of 2023, they transitioned to being a staff attorney at the Law Center.
Erika is passionate about economic justice, rematriation of land to Indigenous communities, collective control of resources, mutual aid, and making the law accessible to everyone. Erika lives in Berkeley, and they are licensed to practice law in both California and Illinois. In their free time, Erika enjoys crafts, sewing, cooking, singing, hiking, and gardening in their community garden plot.
Tia Taruc-Myers
Tia is the Sustainable Economies Law Center’s Director of Legal Education. She mostly represents Indigenous land return groups and radical real estate projects, but sometimes provides legal advice to nonprofits who want to adopt the worker self-directed model.
Tia helps organize the Law Center's teach-ins, webinars, legal cafes, MCLE seminars, online resources, and more! Passionate about redistributing power and wealth, Tia spends her time promoting participatory budgeting and community control of resources.
