Collaboration Legal Services for Charities and Not-for-Profit Organisations

Helping charities and not-for-profit organisations build effective collaborations with clear structures, defined responsibilities and the right legal agreements in place.

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Collaboration can enable charities and not-for-profit organisations to extend their reach, share resources and expertise, and deliver greater impact. Whether you are developing a joint project, sharing services or building a longer-term strategic partnership, it is important to have a clear framework for how the relationship will operate.

DTM Legal advises charities, charitable companies, trusts, community interest companies, social enterprises and other not-for-profit organisations on establishing and managing collaborative arrangements. We help clients consider the most appropriate way to work together, define responsibilities and decision-making processes, and put suitable legal documentation in place.

Whether you are exploring a new partnership or formalising an existing working relationship, our Charity & Philanthropy team provides practical advice designed to support the objectives of the organisations involved while reducing the risk of uncertainty or disputes later.

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Collaboration Legal Services

We support organisations at every stage of developing and formalising collaborative working arrangements, including:

  • Advising on appropriate structures for collaborative ventures
  • Drafting and reviewing collaboration agreements
  • Advising on joint projects and service delivery arrangements
  • Supporting shared service and resource-sharing arrangements
  • Advising on strategic partnerships and joint initiatives
  • Drafting memoranda of understanding and heads of terms
  • Advising on governance and decision-making arrangements
  • Establishing the roles, responsibilities and obligations of each organisation
  • Advising on funding, costs and financial responsibilities within a collaboration
  • Addressing intellectual property, confidentiality and data considerations
  • Advising on risk allocation, liability and termination arrangements
  • Reviewing existing collaborative arrangements and documentation
  • Supporting organisations where an informal partnership needs to become more formal
  • Advising on the legal implications of expanding or restructuring an existing collaboration

Why Instruct DTM Legal?

Every collaboration is different. The right arrangement will depend on what the organisations are seeking to achieve, the activities they intend to undertake together and how closely they want their operations to be connected. We take the time to understand these wider objectives before advising on the most appropriate legal framework.

Our advice is practical and focused on how the collaboration will operate in the real world. Rather than introducing unnecessary complexity, we help organisations identify the issues that need to be addressed and put proportionate arrangements in place that provide clarity while allowing the relationship to develop.

Clear documentation can help prevent uncertainty by establishing responsibilities and expectations from the outset. We work with clients to create agreements that reflect the practical realities of the proposed collaboration, including how decisions will be made, how resources will be used and what should happen if circumstances change.

Our Charity & Philanthropy team understands the particular governance and operational considerations that charities and not-for-profit organisations need to balance when working with others. This enables us to provide advice that considers both the objectives of the collaboration and the wider responsibilities of the organisations involved.

We provide:

  • Clear and practical advice tailored to your proposed collaboration
  • Support from the initial planning stages through to implementation
  • Collaboration agreements and documentation designed around how you intend to work together
  • Advice that considers your organisation’s governance, objectives and wider priorities
  • A responsive approach focused on identifying and resolving potential issues early
  • Ongoing legal support as collaborative relationships develop or change

Get in Touch

Whether you are considering a new collaborative venture or need to formalise an existing working relationship, DTM Legal can help you establish a clear and practical legal framework that supports your organisation’s objectives.

Contact Alison and the Charity & Philanthropy team by calling 01244 354 800 or via email at alison.brennan@dtmlegal.com.

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Head of Compliance and Service Delivery
DTM Legal
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Key Considerations for Organisations Planning a Collaboration

Thinking through the practical details of a proposed collaboration before speaking with a solicitor can help identify the most appropriate structure and ensure that any agreement properly reflects how the parties intend to work together. Read our Key Considerations guide to understand some of the points a solicitor may wish to discuss when responding to your enquiry. It can help you prepare the relevant information and make your initial conversation more productive.

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DTM Legal
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Charity & Philanthropy Team

Alison Brennan

Head of Compliance and Service Delivery
Richard Thomas

Head of Business Recovery

Frequently Asked Questions

Commonly asked questions when thinking about setting up a collaboration.

Not every form of collaborative working will require a detailed contract, but it is important that all organisations understand what has been agreed. Where charities are committing funding, resources or staff, delivering services together or taking on significant responsibilities, a written collaboration agreement can provide valuable clarity and reduce the risk of future disagreements.

The appropriate documentation will depend on the nature and scale of the arrangement. A solicitor can help you determine whether you need a detailed agreement or whether a simpler form of documentation would be proportionate.

The contents will depend on how the organisations intend to work together, but an agreement will commonly address the purpose and scope of the collaboration, each party’s responsibilities, decision-making arrangements, funding and costs, confidentiality, intellectual property, risk and liability.

It should also consider how the relationship will be reviewed, how disagreements will be resolved and what happens when the collaboration ends. The aim should be to create an agreement that reflects the practical way in which the parties intend to operate.

Charities can work with a wide range of organisations, but the proposed arrangement needs to be considered carefully. Trustees should understand how the collaboration supports the charity’s objectives and ensure that the charity’s funds, resources and reputation are appropriately protected.

Collaborations involving businesses, social enterprises or other non-charitable organisations may therefore require additional consideration around areas such as the use of charitable resources, commercial benefit, branding, decision-making and accountability.

It can be helpful to obtain legal advice before the main terms of the collaboration have been finalised. Early advice can help identify structural or practical issues before significant commitments have been made and ensure that negotiations address the matters that will need to be reflected in the final documentation.

However, we can also assist where organisations have already agreed key principles, are working under an informal arrangement or need an existing collaboration agreement reviewed or updated.

A well-drafted collaboration agreement should establish how disagreements will be managed before they arise. This may include escalation to senior representatives, a structured negotiation process or another form of dispute resolution.

Where a disagreement has already developed, obtaining advice early can help the organisations understand their respective rights and responsibilities and explore options for resolving the issue while, where possible, preserving the wider collaborative relationship.

What our Clients Say

See what our customers have to say about their experience

Review Solicitors Stars
5/5 350+Reviews
Anonymous
01/10/2023
The DTM Legal LLP are one of our charity’s most valued legal skill donors. We can rely 100% on DTM Legal’s support. They are always quick to respond and very efficient and thorough in their work. They set out the parameters to which they are able to offer pro bono support and have a personable approach, which puts the charities at ease, during what can be stressful situations.
Dianne Parrish
26/05/2026
Alison and her colleagues at DTM Legal have provided legal support and peace of mind for a wide range of organisations consistently over many years. Expertise, solutions and guidance delivered promptly with clarity.
Anonymous
01/10/2023
Our initial key contact has been such a pleasure to work with, Alison Brennan. Alison always responds to email requests promptly and, wherever possible, will offer to help either directly, if the skills request is within her area of expertise, or she will facilitate support from her colleagues in other departments, within the DTM Legal practice. Our charities are always very happy with Alison, Kate and their respective teams’ support.

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