Tracy Boak represents nonprofit organizations in matters including fundraising compliance, regulatory investigations, and governance.  Tracy regularly guides clients through comprehensive legal audits, a process that evaluates an organization’s overall legal health and compliance, and identifies areas to improve compliance and manage risk.  On the for-profit side, she counsels professional fundraisers on their state and federal regulatory compliance obligations, as well as contractual issues related to their partner charities.

As an experienced litigator, Tracy represents clients on matters such as responding to investigations and defending actions initiated by the various states’ charity and other government officials; organizational internal governance disputes; and breach of contract claims.

Tracy’s proficient knowledge in the regulation of charitable solicitation is rooted in her twelve years of service in the public sector, including as Director of the Pennsylvania Department of State’s Bureau of Charitable Organizations, the agency responsible for the administration and enforcement of the State’s charitable solicitation law. Tracy served on the board of the National Association of Attorneys General/ National Association of State Charity Officials (NAAG/NASCO) for six years as Secretary, Vice-President and President.

• Represented Food For The Poor (FFTP) in a case brought by the California Attorney General claiming that FFTP misrepresented in its charitable solicitations the percentage of donations allocated towards its programs.   The judge’s Statement of Decision declared as facially unconstitutional two sections of California’s Supervision of Trustees Act and vacated the cease-and-desist order and the $1 million fine that had been imposed by the State. 
• Represented members of the American Psychoanalytic Association in a successful Article 78 proceeding against the Association (Ascherman v. American Psychoanalytic Assn., Inc.) to enforce the Association’s bylaws in novel dispute regarding certification standards. Cited as Decision of Interest in New York Law Journal, Vol. 250; No. 76.
• Obtained a summary judgment in the amount of $329,604.52 and pierced the corporate veil in favor of the United Service Organizations (USO) in a breach of contract action against Jet One Jets, Inc., Louis Ottimo and Anthony Ottimo, Jr.
• Represented the Association of Research and Enlightenment of New York and several members in obtaining a judgment confirming the election defeat of the organization’s chair and enjoining him from any further acts as chair of the organization.
• Represented Wadsworth Avenue Baptist Church in obtaining an injunction against several individuals who were asserting themselves as the pastor, officers, trustees or members of the church.
• Obtained a dismissal of an action brought by the California Attorney General against Creative Direct Response in the matter of The People of the State of California vs. Help Hospitalized Veterans, et al.

New York City Bar Association, Nonprofit Organizations Committee, Co-Chair 2022-2025

The Nonprofit Alliance, Government Affairs Committee, member

Nonprofit New York, Government Relations Committee, member

Advisory Board of the College of Arts and Sciences, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania