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GOOD COUNSEL SERVICES INC
New York, NY · EIN 814662958 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE I80 · Crime & Legal-Related · Micro (<$100K) · goodcounselinc.org
revenue
$62K
expenses
$64K
net assets
$13K
employees
0
volunteers
12
program ratio
76%
mission · from form 990

GCS is part of a growing movement to break down the financial and knowledgebased barriers in order to increase access to legal services

profile · synthesized from sources

Good Counsel Services supports social entrepreneurs and emerging nonprofits through fiscal sponsorship, legal counsel, and capacity-building services. Based in New York, it helps organizations navigate legal, financial, and marketing challenges to maintain tax-exempt status and scale impact. The organization also runs targeted initiatives, including reproductive rights support and internship programs for aspiring legal and nonprofit professionals.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $51K
    Fiscal Sponsorship: Good Counsel provides fiscal sponsorship to groups aligned with its mission to support social entrepreneurs and emerging nonprofits. In 2024, we managed tax-deductible donations and grants for various charitable projects, including Bumble Bee Agency and Project Liberation. The Bumble Bee Agency quickly established itself as a trusted partner for families navigating medical, educational, and disability support systems, helping multiple families secure IEP eligibility, developing customized care coordination tools, and launching practical caregiver resources. Project Liberation continued to empower justice-involved women through trauma-informed programs.
  2. #2 $250
    Internship Program: In 2024, Good Counsel Services completed its sixth year of partnership with Michigan State University Social Science Science Scholars Program. Through this collaboration, our internship program continues to launch legal careers, build student self confidence , and inspire undergraduates to pursue pro-social professions. Participants consistently report an excellent experience, describing the opportunity as both hands-on and deeply insightful into the legal and nonprofit fields. This year, three Social Science Scholar interns worked closely with our team, gaining practical skills in nonprofit management and exposure to real-world legal practice.
named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Fiscal Sponsorship
Provides fiscal sponsorship to mission-aligned groups, managing tax-deductible donations and grants for emerging nonprofits and social impact projects such as Project Liberation and Elevated Access
Internship Program
Offers year-round internships in partnership with academic institutions like Michigan State University, providing hands-on experience in legal and nonprofit management to undergraduate and graduate students
Legal and Capacity-Building Services
Provides affordable legal counsel, incorporation support, bookkeeping, and marketing consulting to nonprofits and social entrepreneurs through tiered membership and project-based models
Reproductive Rights Campaign
Partners with Righteous Causes to fund transportation, accommodations, medical procedures, and mental health support for individuals seeking reproductive healthcare following the overturn of Roe v. Wade
activities · 7 groups

What they do

  • Nonprofit Capacity Building Services 3 activities
    • General support for nonprofit development and mission realization
      Provides assistance to nonprofits in overcoming legal, financial, and marketing challenges to advance their missions.
    • Support services for nonprofit operations
      Delivers operational support to nonprofits including website creation (WordPress setup, copywriting, visual design), bookkeeping (cloud accounting setup, transaction recording, financial reporting), and contract management.
    • Training and capacity-building programs for nonprofit and legal professionals
      Offers educational programming including webinars, workshops, networking events, one-on-one instruction, and mentorship to build capacity among social entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders.
  • Reproductive Health Advocacy & Education 1 activity
    • Advocacy campaign on reproductive rights
      Launched a focused campaign advocating for reproductive rights.
  • Reproductive Health Access and Support Services 1 activity
    • Financial and logistical assistance for reproductive healthcare access
      Provides financial support for transportation, accommodations, medical procedures, and mental health services related to reproductive healthcare access.
  • Nonprofit Internship Programs 1 activity
    • Internship and fellowship programs for professional development
      Provides year-round internship and fellowship opportunities, including a 2024 partnership with Michigan State University hosting three Social Science Scholars, to deliver practical experience in nonprofit management and legal practice.
  • Professional Membership and Association Benefits 1 activity
    • Membership-based legal and business development services
      Offers tiered membership programs (Platinum, Gold, Silver) providing annual hours of one-on-one legal and business development support, with additional hours available at reduced rates, and unconditional access to workshops, webinars, and resources.
  • Pro Bono Legal Representation and Support 1 activity
    • Pro bono legal support for social change initiatives
      Engages legal volunteers to deliver pro bono legal services in support of social change efforts.
  • Uncategorized 2 activities
    • Fiscal sponsorship for charitable projects and organizations
      Provides fiscal sponsorship to support charitable initiatives by managing tax-deductible donations and grants; sponsored multiple organizations and projects annually, including Bumble Bee Agency, Project Liberation, and initiatives supporting asylum seekers.
    • Provision of legal and administrative support for nonprofit and business formation
      Provides comprehensive legal and administrative services for the formation of nonprofits and businesses, including incorporation, IRS 501(c)(3) and Form 1023/1023-EZ filings, EIN acquisition, bylaws and operating agreements, trademark guidance, and first board meeting support for both nonprofit and for-profit entities in New York State.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$62K
Contributions & grants$53K86%
Program service revenue$8K14%
Investment income$10%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$64K
Program expenses76%
Admin / overhead24%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$40K
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$14K
Cash$13K
Investments$0
Liabilities$1K
Net assets$13K
Liquid reserves2.4 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -27.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 3
  • BRENDA DOUCETTE — BOARD CHAIR
  • GLORIA THAKURIA — BOARD TREASURER
  • JOHN CAMPANARIO — BOARD SECRETARY
relationships · 10

Who they work with

  • #FutureMeetsPresent Partner — Provided legal advisory services for incorporation as an LLC.
  • Bumble Bee Agency Partner — Fiscally sponsored project focused on supporting families navigating medical, educational, and disability systems.
  • DIDA Partner — Assisted with incorporation in New York State and filing for IRS tax-exempt status, including Form 1023.
  • Elevated Access Partner — Fiscally sponsored nonprofit providing free flights to individuals needing essential healthcare.
  • GuideStar Network — Profiled on GuideStar, indicating participation in its nonprofit transparency network.
  • IRS Government — Assists organizations with 501(c)(3) applications to the IRS.
  • Michigan State University Social Science Scholars Program Partner — Academic partner collaborating on an internship program to train undergraduate students in legal and nonprofit work.
  • Project Liberation Partner — Fiscally sponsored organization empowering justice-involved women through trauma-informed programs.
  • Righteous Causes Partner — Partner organization collaborating on facilitating access to reproductive healthcare services.
  • The Artist Co-op Partner — Supported with incorporation, 501(c)(3) status application, trademark guidance, and membership agreements.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Affordable Access Through Subsidized Service Models
    methodology: affordable_access_model
    By offering flat-rate, membership-based, and low-cost legal and business development services, we ensure underserved nonprofits can access high-quality resources because financial barriers are a primary constraint to organizational capacity.
  • Decentralized Movement Building Through Replication Support
    methodology: decentralized_movement_building
    By equipping individuals with the tools and training to launch their own women’s rights nonprofits, we amplify systemic change because empowering local leadership creates more resilient, geographically diverse movements than centralized models can achieve.
  • Fiscal Sponsorship as Infrastructure Enablement
    methodology: fiscal_sponsorship
    By providing fiscal sponsorship, we enable emerging social impact initiatives to receive tax-deductible funding and operate efficiently before becoming independent nonprofits because early-stage organizations often lack the administrative and legal foundation to fundraise and comply independently.
  • Holistic Capacity Building for Social Impact Organizations
    methodology: holistic_support_model
    By integrating legal, marketing, and financial services with operational support, we strengthen the long-term sustainability of nonprofits and social enterprises because comprehensive, cross-functional support addresses systemic barriers to growth more effectively than siloed assistance.
  • Impact Amplification via Collaborative Resource Distribution
    methodology: impact-amplification-through-donation-leverage
    By pooling and strategically distributing donated resources across multiple organizations, a single contribution generates broader impact because shared infrastructure and coordinated networks reduce duplication and increase reach.