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Small Business and Nonprofit Services

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Small Business and Nonprofit Services

The Community Economic Justice program works to empower communities of color to build long-term solutions to poverty in the East Bay. We provide free legal advice and representation on:

  • Commercial lease questions

  • Starting a new business, nonprofit, or cooperative (legal entity formation)

  • Business licenses and permitting

  • Nonprofit tax-exemption

  • Converting a business to a cooperative

  • Business, nonprofit, or cooperative governance

  • Employment law

  • Alternative models of affordable housing (i.e. community land trusts, housing cooperatives)

How to Access our Services: 

You can reach us in one of the following ways:

Clinic: For a free one-to-one consultation with an attorney on a small business/nonprofit matter, please attend our online clinic. Our clinics are held from 5PM – 7PM on the 1st Tuesday of each month. Sign up here: Community Economic Justice Legal Clinic Sign-up

Phone: please call (510) 548-4040, and leave a message for the Community Economic Justice team. Clearly state your full name, your phone number, and a brief description of your issue.

Email: please email cej@ebclc.org and provide a brief description of your legal issue.

Eligibility for Services 

We will determine your eligibility for services after we have completed an intake assessment. In general, our services are available to people, businesses and organizations who:

  • Live or do business in Alameda county

  • Are led by, or serve, people from communities of color

For information about other service providers who may be able to help with your issue, please see our Small business and nonprofit referrals page.

Additional Resources

Where can I learn about the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) in Berkeley? Where can I learn about alternative models of housing? How can I set up a food business? Where can I learn about the failures of for-profit affordable housing? What are my rights as a tenant in a Low Income Housing Tax Credit property? ¿Cuáles son mis derechos como inquilino en una propiedad de crédito fiscal para viviendas de bajos ingresos? (español)