This work is ALI’s first project restating the law of charities. This area of the law implicates many subjects, including the laws of trusts, corporations, property, and state and federal constitutions. Although some of our projects, most notably the Restatements of Trusts, include Sections that address charities or mention nonprofits generally, none addresses the topic in a comprehensive manner.

To the extent possible, this Restatement sets forth a single law for charities regardless of whether they are corporations, unincorporated associations, or charitable trusts, or whether they take some other legal form that a charity may adopt. The importance of the charitable sector to the U.S. economy, the civic life of its residents, and the aspirations of its people make it critically important to provide comprehensive legal guidance to the people who donate to, benefit from, govern, and regulate charities.