Nicole works for a wide range of types and sizes of organisation. She aims to provide a pragmatic and efficient service to all of her clients. She has been working for NGOs for 24 years, and has seen many changes in NGO legislation and the NGO environment, in that time.
Nicole Copley is an NGO lawyer based in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, working with not-for-profit organisations across South Africa and internationally. She works with a wide range of organisations of varying sizes and structures and aims to provide a pragmatic, efficient, and practical service tailored to the needs of each client.
Nicole has worked in the NGO sector for over 24 years and has witnessed significant changes in NGO legislation and the broader not-for-profit environment during this time. Her long-standing experience gives her deep insight into both the legal framework governing NGOs and the practical realities organisations face when operating within it.
Her work includes advising on, drafting, amending, and setting up founding documents for all types of South African not-for-profit organisations. Nicole assists clients with applications for tax exemption, including Section 18A approval for the deduction of donations, as well as registration with the Nonprofit Organisations Board. She also supports organisations by keeping registrations up to date, ensuring compliance, and assisting with ongoing reporting requirements.
In addition to legal advisory services, Nicole’s office offers support with CIPC registrations and updates, NPO reporting, and related compliance services. She also advises organisations on restructuring and assists not-for-profits in understanding and applying relevant provisions of B-BBEE in a way that is appropriate to their operations and objectives.
Nicole works closely with other consultants in the not-for-profit sector and regularly collaborates on training initiatives, sector newsletters, and advisory work. This includes contributing to discussions with government on legislation affecting the NGO sector.
Most recently, Nicole has been involved in developing a series of practical legal guides for the not-for-profit sector titled NGO Matters, published by Juta. Her volume, NGO Matters: A Practical Legal Guide to Starting Up, is currently available, with additional volumes on tax, governance, financial management, social entrepreneurship, and B-BBEE to follow.