Title:  Using the Law to Protect Nonprofits’ Missions and Finances: An Empowered Approach

Date: Thursday, May 29, 2025

Time: 2:00 - 3:30 pm ET

Summary

This session will debut a new, much anticipated but not yet published book on nonprofit law called, Rules of the Road for Nonprofit Leaders: Using the Law to Achieve Your Mission. Published by Georgetown University Press this new publication covers a wide variety of topics where legal questions regularly come up.

It will cover the following:

• The importance of following the mission, watching the finances, and completing the paperwork
• Special considerations if the mission faces political pushback
• Risk management steps, ranging from writing careful minutes to revamping policies and restructuring the organization
• Steps to take if funding is threatened
• How realistic are the threats of investigation or loss of exemption?
• What can nonprofits do to advocate for their own causes and for the sector generally?

When you register, be sure to submit the issues you most want covered!

Meet the Presenter

Elizabeth Schmidt, who will lead this session, is an established author and expert in nonprofit law and regulation. She is also an advocate for the civil sector as an active and necessary canvass for democracy. This drives her to approach legal issues from a standpoint that is practical, strategic and principled all at the same time. She encourages the idea that laws are rarely settled, especially in this sector where much of the law is hard difficult to strictly interpret with precision but her knowledge of the current state of nonprofit law is extensive.