Senior Legal Counsel, Charitable Giving

Mass General Brigham•Somerville, MA

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

Mass General Brigham seeks a highly skilled attorney to serve as Senior Legal Counsel, Charitable Giving, providing strategic legal guidance to support complex philanthropic activities across the system. This role partners closely with MGB’s centralized development function and affiliated institutions to structure, negotiate, and oversee charitable gifts, grants, and related arrangements—ensuring compliance with applicable laws while advancing MGB’s mission. The position reports through the Research and Technology Section within the Office of General Counsel and supports a large-scale, multi-institution fundraising enterprise.

Requirements

J.D. from an accredited law school.
10+ years of experience practicing law
Admission to practice law in Massachusetts or eligibility to obtain promptly.
Experience advising on nonprofit, tax-exempt, and charitable giving matters.
Experience advising academic medical centers, healthcare systems, or universities.
Experience supporting large-scale fundraising operations.
Knowledge of IRS rules governing charitable organizations and gift compliance, including UPMIFA and charitable solicitation regulations.
Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex legal issues into clear, practical guidance for legal and non-legal audiences.
Demonstrated ability to engage effectively and credibly with senior leaders, including executives, institutional leadership, trustees, and development and innovation leaders.
Sound judgment, discretion, and diplomacy, with the ability to navigate sensitive donor, leadership, and cross-institutional matters with professionalism and confidence.

Responsibilities

Provide legal advice to MGB’s centralized development office supporting fundraising across 13 affiliated 501(c)(3) institutions, including guidance on donor restrictions, current-use gifts, endowments, board-designated funds, fundraising structures, planned giving (e.g., charitable remainder trusts, charitable gift annuities, bequests) gift and grant terms, and multi-state charitable solicitation laws.
Counsel stakeholders on structuring philanthropic support to align with institutional priorities while mitigating legal, tax, and reputational risks.
Advise on interpretation and application of terms in existing gift agreements.
Support gift-related activities of the Office for Interactions with Industry (“OII”), including advising on gift structures, gift terms and documentation, donor-facing communications, and coordination with Development, OII, institutional leaders, and other stakeholders.
Engage and supervise outside counsel for complex matters, when appropriate.
Advise, draft, review, and negotiate agreements relating to gifts, grants, sponsorships, cause-marketing initiatives, and third-party fundraising events.
Advise, draft and review, endowed fund agreements (including chairs and scholars), and mission-related collaboration agreements.
Draft inter-institutional operational and governance agreements supporting donor-funded multi-institution initiatives.
Draft amendments to gift agreements to reflect evolving institutional structures, including cross-institutional use of funds and clinical integration initiatives.
Advise and draft grant agreements supporting MGB’s Community Health and Equity Office in distributing funds to community organizations aligned with MGB’s mission.
Provide guidance on compliance with IRS tax-exempt organization rules and charitable gift substantiation requirements.
Advise on Massachusetts Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (UPMIFA) and multi-state charitable solicitation laws.
Counsel and support the Development Management Committee and Trustee Naming and Gift Acceptance Committee.
Provide training and legal guidance on risks, due diligence, and best practices in evaluating gifts requiring heightened scrutiny.