When asked if he could convey one thing to clients, Wade said, “I take time to understand clients’ objectives – I help them achieve their mission and goals as an extension of their team. The nonprofits I serve are making a difference in the world. I am honored to help them navigate their legal needs.”

Wade Hauser works exclusively with nonprofit organizations—helping them navigate legal complexity and achieve success. Having worked for several nonprofits prior to his legal career, Wade brings a knowledge of their business and passion for their missions to his work.

Wade guides tax-exempt organizations through a wide range of legal issues, including joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions and financing. Wade also helps form, establish and refine the governance structures of standalone nonprofits and coalitions with diverse operations and missions including those that advance equity and racial justice, preserve the environment, support higher education, promote economic development in underserved areas, protect reproductive rights and deliver health care. He works with a variety of nonprofit organizations including:

  • Colleges and universities and university foundations
  • Community foundations
  • Health care organizations
  • Long term care organizations
  • Political advocacy organizations
  • Industry membership associations

While nonprofit organizations deal with all the same legal issues as other businesses, they also face unique challenges and opportunities. Wade supports these clients with:

  • Mergers, asset transfers and major contracts
  • Campaign finance, lobbying and election law
  • Charitable gift planning including restricted and endowed gift acceptance and management
  • Form 990 review and strategy
  • Tax-exempt bond financing and other loans
  • Formation advice (articles of incorporation, bylaws, Form 1023)
  • Dissolution
  • Board of Directors and committee structure and operations and conflict-of-interest management
  • Grant making and private foundation compliance, including program-related investments and expenditure responsibility
  • Tax-exemption compliance and unrelated business taxable income
  • Property tax-exemption
  • Scholarship program management
  • Donor-advised funds
  • Nonprofit cemetery association governance
  • Ongoing legal counsel and strategy

When asked… 

Why did you become a lawyer?

I have always enjoyed research and writing, and I wanted to understand how the law shapes institutions and institutional success. Having worked in nonprofits as an AmeriCorps volunteer and staff member, I wanted to help nonprofit organizations understand and manage legal risk so they can accomplish their important missions.

What do you do outside of work?

My wife and I spend our time outside of work chasing our two boys through our neighborhood, on bike trails and in state parks throughout the state.

Areas of Focus

Services

Sectors

Experience

  • Led a team of attorneys that assisted a large Minnesota nonprofit with negotiating the receipt of a complex gift of an operating business, real estate, artwork and intellectual property.
  • Helped an advocacy organization optimize its corporate structure and maximize the funding available to it from various sources to successfully advocate for the adoption of legislation and the election of candidates who championed the organization’s agenda.
  • Helped guide a large senior housing provider through the complex sale of a large skilled nursing facility, which enabled the organization to pay down its debt and transition its operations to more home-based case options that seniors increasingly prefer.
  • Secured federal income tax and state property tax exemption for dozens of clients with unique charitable purposes.

Credentials

Education

  • University of Iowa College of Law (J.D., with highest distinction, 2014)
    • Order of the Coif
    • Iowa Law Review, articles editor
  • St. Olaf College (B.A., Political Science; Environmental Studies, magna cum laude, 2009)
    • Student body president

Clerkship

  • Hon. James E. Gritzner – U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa

Admissions

Bar Admissions

  • Iowa
  • Minnesota

Recognitions

  • Minnesota State Bar Association, "North Star Lawyers," 2016-2017, 2019-2023

Presentations

  • Co-presenter, "All Tied Up and Nowhere to Go? Managing Restricted Gifts to Your Benefit," Minnesota Gift Planning Association Annual Conference, October 4, 2023
  • Presenter, "Lightning Round: New Regulatory Updates - HIPAA Privacy Rule Updates: Abortion, Guns, and More!" Lathrop GPM Health Law Seminar, September 13, 2023
  • Presenter, "Kansas Donor Intent Protection Act," Kansas Association of Community Foundations, July 13, 2023
  • Presenter, "Legal Basics for Nonprofit Directors," United Way of Central MN, United University Board Training, November 29, 2022
  • Co-presenter, "Stump the Experts: Lathrop GPM Panel Fields Your Questions," Minnesota Gift Planning Association Annual Conference, November 2, 2022
  • Co-presenter, "Playing Your Hand: Managing Restricted and Complex Gifts and Funds," Minnesota Council on Nonprofits Finance and Sustainability Conference, March 31, 2022
  • Co-presenter, "Election Year Issues," 2022 Nonprofit Law Conference, Minnesota CLE, March 8, 2022
  • Co-presenter, "Tax-Exemption 101," 2022 Nonprofit Law Conference, Minnesota CLE, March 8, 2022
  • Co-presenter, "Governance Best Practices for Minnesota Cemeteries and Cemetery Foundations," MN Association of Cemeteries Annual Conference, September 23, 2021
  • Co-presenter, "First Steps Towards Assisted Living Licensure," LeadingAge Minnesota, April 7, 2021
  • Presenter, "Tapping Restricted and Endowment Funds in a Down Economy," MN CLE, December 15, 2020
  • Presenter, "What You Need to Know about The Charitable Solicitation Act," 2020 Nonprofit Law Conference, March 3, 2020
  • Presenter, "Just a Bit of UBIT – What Nonprofits Need to Know about Unrelated Business Income Tax," 2020 Nonprofit Law Conference, March 3, 2020
  • Co-presenter, "Navigating the New Tax Law Changes in the Nonprofit World," Gray Plant Mooty Event & Webinar, April 24, 2018
  • Co-presenter, "Charitable Development Team Breakfast Briefing: Planned Giving 101," Gray Plant Mooty Event & Webinar, April 20, 2017

Publications

Community Involvement

  • Minnesota Gift Planning Association, Board of Directors