Senior Attorney, Charitable Giving

Mass General Brigham; Somerville (MA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 213,000; Full time

Job summary

Mass General Brigham seeks a Senior Attorney, Charitable Giving, to provide strategic legal guidance for complex philanthropic activities across the system. This role partners with the centralized development function and affiliated institutions to structure, negotiate, and oversee gifts, grants, and related arrangements.

The attorney will advise on donor restrictions, tax compliance, and multi-state solicitation laws, reporting to the Office of General Counsel and supporting a large

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• 10+ years of legal practice experience.
• Massachusetts bar admission or eligibility.
• Experience advising nonprofit, tax-exempt, and charitable giving matters.
• Experience with academic medical centers, healthcare systems, or universities.
• Experience supporting large-scale fundraising operations.
• Knowledge of IRS rules for charitable organizations, including UPMIFA and solicitation regulations.
• Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to brief senior leaders.
• Ability to engage credibly with executives, trustees, and leadership.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal guidance to the centralized development office supporting fundraising across 13 affiliated institutions.
• Counsel on gift terms, donor restrictions, and multi-state charitable solicitation laws.
• Draft, review, and negotiate gifts, grants, sponsorships, and related agreements.
• Advise on governance, risk, and compliance related to charitable giving and fundraising operations.

Skills

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Strategic advisory

Senior stakeholder communication

Leadership with executives

Education

J.D. from an accredited law school

Job description

Site: Mass General Brigham Incorporated

Mass General Brigham relies on a wide range of professionals, including doctors, nurses, business people, tech experts, researchers, and systems analysts to advance our mission. As a not-for-profit, we support patient care, research, teaching, and community service, striving to provide exceptional care. We believe that high-performing teams drive groundbreaking medical discoveries and invite all applicants to join us and experience what it means to be part of Mass General Brigham.

Job Summary

Mass General Brigham seeks a highly skilled attorney to serve as Senior Attorney, 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.

Key Responsibilities

Legal Advisory – Philanthropy & Development

• 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.

Drafting & Structuring Agreements

• 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.

Regulatory & Compliance Counseling

• 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.

Governance & Committee Support

• 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.

Qualifications

• 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.

Additional Job Details (if applicable)

Remote Type

Hybrid

Work Location

335 Revolution Drive

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Employee Type

Regular

Work Shift

Day (United States of America)

Pay Range

$150,000.00 - $212,500.00/Annual

EEO Statement:

Mass General Brigham Incorporated is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, and/or other status protected under law. We will ensure that all individuals with a disability are provided a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. To ensure reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Veteran’s Readjustment Act of 1974, and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicants who require accommodation in the job application process may contact Human Resources at (857)-282-7642.

Mass General Brigham Competency Framework

At Mass General Brigham, our competency framework defines what effective leadership “looks like” by specifying which behaviors are most critical for successful performance at each job level. The framework is comprised of ten competencies (half People-Focused, half Performance-Focused) and are defined by observable and measurable skills and behaviors that contribute to workplace effectiveness and career success. These competencies are used to evaluate performance, make hiring decisions, identify development needs, mobilize employees across our system, and establish a strong talent pipeline.