Private foundations face an array of challenges that many organizations don’t—including minimum distribution requirements to excise or income taxes on self-dealing, taxable expenditures, excess business holdings, and unrelated business income—to name a few.
Join us for our 2024 Private Foundation Conference, in which we’ll cover topics to help you navigate your foundation’s financial and operational complexity. This virtual event offers CPE credit and features presentations from industry professionals on the following topics:
Upon registration, you’ll receive a confirmation email with four separate unique attendee links —two for each day of the conference.
9 AM–9:05 AM
9:05 AM–10:35 AM
The panelists will provide a brief refresher on the self-dealing rules for private foundations, followed by a discussion of real-life transactions and scenarios implicating self-dealing considerations from the perspectives of an attorney, CPA, and in-house counsel at a foundation.
The panelists will then discuss considerations around reporting potential violations based in real life examples. Join us for a technical, but practical discussion.
10:35 AM–10:45 AM
10:45 AM–12:15 PM
In today's fast-paced and highly demanding work environment, leaders and our workforce often face unique challenges that can lead to feelings of isolation and burnout.
This session aims to explore the underlying causes of leadership and workforce isolation and burnout, the impact on personal wellbeing and organizational health, and practical strategies for prevention and recovery.
12:15 PM–1 PM
1 PM–2 PM
Private foundations often deal with unique tax laws and regulations when compared to their counterparts in the philanthropic world.
We’ll provide a deep dive into some aspects of these complex rules, including grantmaking to non-public charities for a charitable purpose and the pitfalls that a foundation may encounter when venturing beyond the public charity; the use of program-related investments to achieve impact; and the impact private foundation grantmaking can have on public support calculations for public charity grant recipients.
Attendees will come away with a comprehensive understanding of these critical topics and how they relate to their own organizations.
2 PM–2:10 PM
2:10 PM–3:40 PM
Join us for a comprehensive session on accounting for complex gifts, including non-cash gifts, cryptocurrency, and alternative investments. We’ll explore the associated tax considerations, such as excess business holdings, unrelated business income, and state and foreign filing requirements.
This session aims to provide you with a deep understanding of the accounting and tax implications of these types of gifts and to equip you with the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively manage these complex issues.
9:30 AM–9:35 AM
9:35 AM–11:05 AM
What are the leading trends in giving, and how are they shaping philanthropy? How are not-for-profit endowments managed, and what are the key forces shaping the investment environment?
Join three noted speakers from Bank of America as we discuss these important topics and their implications for the future of the not-for-profit sector.
11:05 AM–11:20 AM
11:20 AM–12:20 PM
During this session, we’ll delve into the specifics of advocacy, lobbying, and political expenses, as well as understanding which expenses are allowable and how to accurately report them. We'll also discuss the federal reporting requirements, including what information must be disclosed and to whom.
Additionally, we’ll also cover the intricacies of 501c4 organizations in relation to C3 foundations, detailing how these entities can engage in advocacy and lobbying activities while preserving their tax-exempt status.
By the end of this session, participants will have a comprehensive understanding of impactful policy engagement and the associated legal and tax considerations.
12:20 PM–1:00 PM
1 PM–2 PM
Many funders lack a full understanding of how the IRS rules regarding minimum payouts, known as the 5% rule, is calculated and applied to their grantmaking budget.
This frequently leads to foundations overspending, thereby jeopardizing the long-term purchasing power of their assets. Foundations also risk overspending during down markets, which can impair the ability of their investments and grantmaking budgets to recover.
This session will explore various approaches to spending policy for private foundations. These approaches aim to provide flexibility for funders while maintaining compliance with the 5% rule.
2 PM–2:10 PM
2:10 PM–3:30 PM
The industry landscape for foundations is constantly shifting. Join us to explore how your board can adapt to changing governance, risk, and compliance strategies. Using real-world examples from foundation clients, our panelists will dive into the importance of effective governance and board development, sharing insights on how to build a strong, diverse, and dynamic board that can lead your foundation to new heights.
We'll discuss the growing importance of risk management in foundation operations. Finally, we'll tackle the challenging area of grant compliance to share strategies to increase the effectiveness of compliance programs. This session will provide practical advice for how to enhance your board’s operations and increase your impact in a changing world.
Annie Rose helps mission-driven organizations increase their impact. With a focus on organizational development, Annie Rose’s areas of expertise include strategic planning, governance consulting, organizational assessments, succession planning, and leadership facilitation. Annie Rose has provided strategy, governance, and organizational consulting services to an array of public and social sectors clients, including local, state, and Tribal governments; not-for-profits and foundations; and higher education clients.
Brett has worked in human capital management consulting and several disciplines of HR since 1997. Over the course of his career, Brett has worked across multiple industries leveraging his human capital experience to partner with global HR organizations through their process, technology, and people transformations. Brett guides clients through their business and HR digital transformations, improving customer experiences, operational efficiency, and team performance. He has successfully devised and implemented transformational strategies while reducing operational expenses, improving enterprise processes, and building top-tier teams across a wide variety of professional disciplines. As a respected thought leader, Brett shares his knowledge at conferences and events at both regional and national levels.
Catherine is a director and investment officer, serving the firm’s family and institutional clients from the Hirtle Callaghan Houston office. Her practice focuses on improving governance and stewardship for her clients. She maintains expertise in tax and regulatory matters with an emphasis on giving her clients practical, actionable advice.
She began her career at the MIT Investment Management Company, the organization charged with investing MIT's endowment and pension funds. She then managed a long/short event-driven strategy within a family office. Prior to joining Hirtle Callaghan, she was a senior investment advisor with Sentinel Trust in Houston, advising high net worth families and foundations on investment strategy.
Catherine is active with the Houston Estate and Financial Forum, the Houston CFA Society, and has presented on institutional investing topics at Philanthropy Southwest, the University of Texas Law School’s Nonprofits Institute, and the Dallas Council of Gift Planners. She serves on the board of the Houston Audubon Society, is on the advisory board for The Fund for American Studies, and the investment committee of the Hermann Park Conservancy in Houston.
Chaney Bear is the HR manager at the Kalamazoo Community Foundation (KZCF). She has been with KZCF for three years and has been in the HR field for 11 years. She has been involved in her local community through various boards and volunteering.
Claire has provided consulting and advisory services since 2008 and has extensive audit management experience focused on providing consulting, internal audit, financial statement audit, and agreed upon procedure services to tax-exempt organizations including governments and governmental entities, Tribes and Tribal entities, not-for-profits, and hospitals.
Claire is experienced in government and not-for-profit operational accounting, financial systems, Uniform Guidance, grant compliance requirements, generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS). Her experience also includes consulting services related to Provider Relief Fund (PRF) and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) programs including risk assessment, budgeting, resource allocation, and project management. Claire advises her clients on economic and regulatory risks by identifying financial and non-financial performance measures, formulating and communicating audit plans, and answering complex questions involving GAAP and GAAS issues.
Colleen has provided strategic guidance to a diverse range of clients since 2003. She helps organizations enhance their operations and culture, improve strategic leadership and planning, reduce risk, and cultivate more effective governance. She works collaboratively with clients to understand their goals and objectives and define organizational and programmatic changes to better equip and position them to achieve those goals. Colleen leads the firm’s Strategy & Operations Consulting Practice, overseeing strategic and management consulting, human capital and construction advisory, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) consulting, and public sector internal and performance auditing. She also serves as the consulting leader for the firm's public Sector, not-for-profit, and Tribal industry group.
Danika founded Mendrygal Law to build a law firm devoted exclusively to serving not-for-profit and tax-exempt clients. Danika guides clients through the complexities of establishing, growing, and managing a tax-exempt organization. She provides counsel, advice, and representation in taxation, corporate governance, and compliance issues. Danika is rooted in the local not-for-profit community, both as a volunteer and a speaker. She was recognized by her peers in the legal community as a Super Lawyer in Nonprofit Organizations from 2018–2021 in Texas Super Lawyers, a Thompson Reuters publication.
Dianne is a trusted advisor to influential, impactful philanthropists and a passionate advocate for the not-for-profit organizations they support. Dianne is a managing director and national philanthropic strategy executive for Bank of America. Her team delivers customized consulting and advisory services on topics including strategic visioning, mission advancement, high-impact grant making, leadership development, governance, and board dynamics. Dianne is a frequent speaker and commentator on topics related to best practices and trends in philanthropy. Her insights have been featured in Axios, Barron’s, Business Insider, Fortune, Town & Country, Washington Post, and New York Times, among other publications. In her TEDx Talk, Dianne makes The Case for Fierce Optimism.
Dianne has more than 25 years of experience working with operating charities, grant makers, and social entrepreneurs. Previously as an attorney, Dianne’s practice was dedicated to the representation of tax-exempt organizations with clients including colleges and universities, museums, human service organizations, sports philanthropists, health care affiliate and conversion foundations, corporate and community foundations, private foundations and donor-advised fund holders, churches and other religious organizations, national fraternities and sororities, business leagues, trade organizations, as well as a myriad of start-up and grassroots charities. In addition, Dianne regularly was engaged as an expert witness in state and federal litigation matters, providing strategic counsel and trial testimony. Dianne began her career at Georgetown University Law Center, where she served on the adjunct faculty and raised annual and major gifts.
Dianne’s professional commitment to not-for-profits is also deeply personal. An active community leader, she has served on and chaired many not-for-profit boards including Discovery Place, Novant Health Presbyterian Hospital Foundation, and Women Executives. Her current board affiliations include University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Visitors and North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Foundation. Dianne is also a member of MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving grant evaluation panel.
An evangelist for women’s philanthropy, Dianne currently serves as chair of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute national council. She’s a founding member and past president of Women’s Impact Fund. Her professional recognition includes a Charlotte Business Journal Women in Business Achievement Award, Leadership Charlotte Circle of Excellence Award, and UNCF Charlotte Maya Angelou Women Who Lead Honoree. Dianne previously was named the Mecklenburg Times Woman of the Year.
Liz has practiced public accounting since 2000. Her focus is financial statement and compliance audits for not-for-profit organizations including public and private foundations, trade associations, multiservice not-for-profit entities, health care organizations, and universities. Liz audits many organizations receiving federal funding under Uniform Guidance for Federal Awards—formerly OMB Circular A-133. Liz leads the Northern California government, not-for-profit & regulated entities group and is also leads the foundations assurance services for the firm.
Jessie specializes in organizational development work, including strategic planning, succession planning, process improvement, organizational and operational assessments, compensation benchmarking, and structure and staffing assessments. Jessie has a keen ability to identify areas for improvement and implement targeted interventions to enhance efficiency, foster innovation, and improve overall organizational effectiveness. She is known for her collaborative approach, integrity, and solution-oriented mindset, driving tangible and sustainable improvements within any organization.
Jessie is also a leader in the firm’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Practice. She provides strategic insights to organizations navigating the complexities of ESG at any phase of their journey, including start-up, ESG strategy development, ESG risk assessment and management, reporting, policies, procedures, and governance practices. She works closely with organizations across industries to support integrated business practices and achievement of goals. Jessie holds the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Fundamentals of Sustainability (FSA) credential.
Prior to founding Mill Law Center, Karl Mill was a partner at Adler & Colvin, a boutique law firm serving not-for-profits and their donors. Karl continues to advise a broad range of not-for-profit organizations, including everything from the most innovative start-ups to some of the largest, most established foundations and charities around the country. Karl’s philosophy is to apply his years as a lawyer and educator to provide clear, actionable legal advice and support to not-for--profits. His areas of expertise include private foundations, public charities, impact investment, social enterprise, and charitable gift planning.
Lauren has practiced public accounting since 2004. She provides compliance and consulting services for all types of exempt organizations, including public charities in the health care and higher education industries. Lauren consults on a wide range of issues including public support planning, reasonable compensation best practices, tax impact of alternative investments, lobbying and political activities, unrelated business income tax planning, foreign activities, charity watchdog optimization, and tax-exempt bond compliance.
Lauren’s also experienced in charitable planning for businesses and individuals. She advises private foundations on pertinent issues, including tax planning related to alternative and foreign investments, structuring program and mission-related investments, charitable giving structuring, transactions with disqualified persons, expenditure responsibility, and distribution planning.
Maggie has practiced public accounting since 2014, providing tax compliance and consulting services to taxable and tax-exempt organizations. She consults on the public support test, unrelated business income, self-dealing, the minimum distribution requirement, grantmaking, and program-related investments. Maggie works with a variety of industries ranging from government, not-for-profit, higher education, and health care. She has co-presented and co-led board trainings on private foundation technical topics and authored several articles.
Matt has practiced public accounting since 2005. He serves various sectors within the not-for-profit and government industries. His clients include higher education institutions, foundations, child care development agencies, associations, hospitals, health clinics, health plans, and municipal entities. He also serves life science companies that receive grants and require compliance audits or consulting over control processes in administering awards.
Matt’s experience includes preparation of financial statements, internal control examinations, and conducting audits in accordance with Government Auditing Standards and single audits of federal awards. He has significant background in compliance with student financial assistance awards, research and development grants, Head Start, and child care development grants. He’s published articles and presented webcasts on relevant topics related to updates on the Uniform Guidance, compliance challenges affecting colleges and universities, and most recently the CARES Act. Matt also provides training on accounting and auditing topics for Moss Adams professionals as well as clients and industry organizations.
Michael is a managing director and senior investment strategist at Bank of America Private Bank. He’s responsible for the development and execution of clients’ investment objectives, which include strategic asset allocation, tactical asset allocation, manager selection, and portfolio construction. Michael focuses on both the short- and long-term needs of endowments, foundations, charitable trusts, and pension plans, helping them obtain clarity about the financial implications of missions and investment strategies. He works closely with the CIO office to bring top-down macroeconomic, asset allocation, and portfolio strategy issues to clients.
Prior to joining the firm, Michael held a variety of senior investment management roles at Commonfund for almost 20 years. He most recently served as the executive vice president, head of asset allocation, and chief economist, helping to develop the OCIO and Treasury business. Michael also held positions as a chief economist and financial market strategist with Sanwa Securities, Yamaichi International (America) Inc., and UBS.
Michael maintains a strong client following in the endowment, foundation, and overall investment world, with his most recent focus centered on raising and managing client assets. Michael has been a faculty member and speaker at the Treasury Institute for Higher Education (TIHE) and the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) Conference. He has also been widely quoted in the press and appeared on financial television programs for 30 years.
Mike has practiced public accounting since 2010 and specializes in assisting tax-exempt organizations with compliance and consulting tax issues. He serves a wide variety of tax-exempt entities, including foundations, community health centers, long-term care communities, and social and welfare organizations. Mike’s expertise includes planning, research, compliance, and consulting in areas including annual tax filings, unrelated business income tax issues, intermediate sanctions and compensation issues, application for tax-exempt status and entity formation, and state and international tax compliance.
Misty’s practice is dedicated exclusively to representing not-for-profit and tax exempt organizations, including forming tax-exempt organizations, preparing organizational documents and policies, preparing applications for federal and state tax exemptions, and advising on issues regarding the operation, management, and taxation of tax-exempt organizations, with a focus on private foundations, including complex activities such as program related investments and international grantmaking and operations. Her practice also includes addressing sophisticated tax issues.
The legal advice that Misty provides is grounded in experience. During her 24-year career, Misty was the head of finance of a $1.5B private foundation with domestic and international operations, served as in-house tax counsel at a major public utility, and was a member of the tax team of a top-rated international law firm. This diverse background gives her a unique lens into the legal and financial aspects of the not-for-profit sector and the needs of not-for-profit clients.
With more than 15 years of HR and operations experience, that includes 10 plus years in leadership roles, Robyn has notable experience in strategic HR planning, performance management, DEIA strategy, succession planning, federal law compliance, employment contract negotiation, employee benefits, compensation and payroll, training and development, and management coaching.
Robyn has been responsible for leading enterprise-wide HR projects; developing a human resource strategic plan, influencing managers, driving organizational initiatives; cost benefit and compensation analysis; HR process improvement and procedure automation; standardizing HR policies and procedures; advising on talent development and succession planning; performance development; and high impact training and engagement programs.
Robyn holds a current SHRM-CP license, along with a certification in ISO9001 as a Lead Auditor, from BSI Group America, and a certification in Preventative Control Qualified Individuals (PCQI) from AIB International.
Saskia de Boer advises tax-exempt organizations and businesses regarding the federal and state rules that regulate the charitable sector. As the former managing director and senior program counsel for a multibillion-dollar national private operating foundation, Saskia has a particular appreciation for the complex regulatory environment and business challenges faced by not-for-profits. Saskia counsels management and boards of public charities, private foundations, advocacy organizations, trade associations, and business corporations on a wide range of compliance matters and strategic issues. She has substantial experience with governance, complex collaborations, public-private partnerships, advocacy, and political activities. Combining her passion for community with her management background and legal expertise, Saskia provides her clients with incomparable strategic vision to manage risk while increasing charitable intent and impact.
Steve has practiced public accounting since 2013, after a 25-year career in publishing and journalism. He serves a wide range of tax-exempt clients, including community charities, arts organizations, hospitals, and private foundations. Steve works on tax compliance and consulting, including tax research on specific issues affecting the not-for-profit industry. He also writes many of the firm’s articles on topics related to tax-exempt entities.
Wendy has worked in public accounting since 2000 and focuses primarily on tax-exempt organizations, including private and public foundations, higher education institutions, hospitals, credit unions, trade associations, and other not-for-profit organizations. Wendy is a highly capable business advisor to her clients, providing compliance and consulting in the areas of unrelated business income, alternative investments, obtaining and maintaining tax-exempt status, deferred taxes, fringe benefits, Forms 990, 990-PF, and 990-T, grantmaking, related and controlled organizations, compensation reporting, self-dealing, planning for the minimum distribution requirements, and excise tax rate.
William Jarvis is a managing director and philanthropic executive at Bank of America Private Bank, where he heads strategic thought leadership for institutional and private not-for-profit organizations. An authority on investment policy and governance for endowed not-for-profit organizations, Bill brings 42 years of experience to this role. Bill is the managing editor of the Bank of America Study of Philanthropy and the author of numerous white papers on investment policy and endowment governance. He’s well known as a speaker and moderator at events convened by leading industry associations and by Bank of America, and advises the bank’s not-for-profit clients.
Prior to joining Bank of America in 2017, Bill served as the executive director of the Commonfund Institute, where he edited many of the leading studies on endowment investment and governance, including those for the NACUBO, the Council on Foundations, and the National Business Officers Association.
In 2021, Bill was honored with NACUBO’s Rodney H. Adams Endowment Management Award for outstanding individual contributions to professional development activities in the area of college and university endowment and investment management.
Annie Rose helps mission-driven organizations increase their impact. With a focus on organizational development, Annie Rose’s areas of expertise include strategic planning, governance consulting, organizational assessments, succession planning, and leadership facilitation. Annie Rose has provided strategy, governance, and organizational consulting services to an array of public and social sectors clients, including local, state, and Tribal governments; not-for-profits and foundations; and higher education clients.
Brett has worked in human capital management consulting and several disciplines of HR since 1997. Over the course of his career, Brett has worked across multiple industries leveraging his human capital experience to partner with global HR organizations through their process, technology, and people transformations. Brett guides clients through their business and HR digital transformations, improving customer experiences, operational efficiency, and team performance. He has successfully devised and implemented transformational strategies while reducing operational expenses, improving enterprise processes, and building top-tier teams across a wide variety of professional disciplines. As a respected thought leader, Brett shares his knowledge at conferences and events at both regional and national levels.
Catherine is a director and investment officer, serving the firm’s family and institutional clients from the Hirtle Callaghan Houston office. Her practice focuses on improving governance and stewardship for her clients. She maintains expertise in tax and regulatory matters with an emphasis on giving her clients practical, actionable advice.
She began her career at the MIT Investment Management Company, the organization charged with investing MIT's endowment and pension funds. She then managed a long/short event-driven strategy within a family office. Prior to joining Hirtle Callaghan, she was a senior investment advisor with Sentinel Trust in Houston, advising high net worth families and foundations on investment strategy.
Catherine is active with the Houston Estate and Financial Forum, the Houston CFA Society, and has presented on institutional investing topics at Philanthropy Southwest, the University of Texas Law School’s Nonprofits Institute, and the Dallas Council of Gift Planners. She serves on the board of the Houston Audubon Society, is on the advisory board for The Fund for American Studies, and the investment committee of the Hermann Park Conservancy in Houston.
Chaney Bear is the HR manager at the Kalamazoo Community Foundation (KZCF). She has been with KZCF for three years and has been in the HR field for 11 years. She has been involved in her local community through various boards and volunteering.
Claire has provided consulting and advisory services since 2008 and has extensive audit management experience focused on providing consulting, internal audit, financial statement audit, and agreed upon procedure services to tax-exempt organizations including governments and governmental entities, Tribes and Tribal entities, not-for-profits, and hospitals.
Claire is experienced in government and not-for-profit operational accounting, financial systems, Uniform Guidance, grant compliance requirements, generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS). Her experience also includes consulting services related to Provider Relief Fund (PRF) and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) programs including risk assessment, budgeting, resource allocation, and project management. Claire advises her clients on economic and regulatory risks by identifying financial and non-financial performance measures, formulating and communicating audit plans, and answering complex questions involving GAAP and GAAS issues.
Colleen has provided strategic guidance to a diverse range of clients since 2003. She helps organizations enhance their operations and culture, improve strategic leadership and planning, reduce risk, and cultivate more effective governance. She works collaboratively with clients to understand their goals and objectives and define organizational and programmatic changes to better equip and position them to achieve those goals. Colleen leads the firm’s Strategy & Operations Consulting Practice, overseeing strategic and management consulting, human capital and construction advisory, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) consulting, and public sector internal and performance auditing. She also serves as the consulting leader for the firm's public Sector, not-for-profit, and Tribal industry group.
Danika founded Mendrygal Law to build a law firm devoted exclusively to serving not-for-profit and tax-exempt clients. Danika guides clients through the complexities of establishing, growing, and managing a tax-exempt organization. She provides counsel, advice, and representation in taxation, corporate governance, and compliance issues. Danika is rooted in the local not-for-profit community, both as a volunteer and a speaker. She was recognized by her peers in the legal community as a Super Lawyer in Nonprofit Organizations from 2018–2021 in Texas Super Lawyers, a Thompson Reuters publication.
Dianne is a trusted advisor to influential, impactful philanthropists and a passionate advocate for the not-for-profit organizations they support. Dianne is a managing director and national philanthropic strategy executive for Bank of America. Her team delivers customized consulting and advisory services on topics including strategic visioning, mission advancement, high-impact grant making, leadership development, governance, and board dynamics. Dianne is a frequent speaker and commentator on topics related to best practices and trends in philanthropy. Her insights have been featured in Axios, Barron’s, Business Insider, Fortune, Town & Country, Washington Post, and New York Times, among other publications. In her TEDx Talk, Dianne makes The Case for Fierce Optimism.
Dianne has more than 25 years of experience working with operating charities, grant makers, and social entrepreneurs. Previously as an attorney, Dianne’s practice was dedicated to the representation of tax-exempt organizations with clients including colleges and universities, museums, human service organizations, sports philanthropists, health care affiliate and conversion foundations, corporate and community foundations, private foundations and donor-advised fund holders, churches and other religious organizations, national fraternities and sororities, business leagues, trade organizations, as well as a myriad of start-up and grassroots charities. In addition, Dianne regularly was engaged as an expert witness in state and federal litigation matters, providing strategic counsel and trial testimony. Dianne began her career at Georgetown University Law Center, where she served on the adjunct faculty and raised annual and major gifts.
Dianne’s professional commitment to not-for-profits is also deeply personal. An active community leader, she has served on and chaired many not-for-profit boards including Discovery Place, Novant Health Presbyterian Hospital Foundation, and Women Executives. Her current board affiliations include University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Visitors and North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Foundation. Dianne is also a member of MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving grant evaluation panel.
An evangelist for women’s philanthropy, Dianne currently serves as chair of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute national council. She’s a founding member and past president of Women’s Impact Fund. Her professional recognition includes a Charlotte Business Journal Women in Business Achievement Award, Leadership Charlotte Circle of Excellence Award, and UNCF Charlotte Maya Angelou Women Who Lead Honoree. Dianne previously was named the Mecklenburg Times Woman of the Year.
Liz has practiced public accounting since 2000. Her focus is financial statement and compliance audits for not-for-profit organizations including public and private foundations, trade associations, multiservice not-for-profit entities, health care organizations, and universities. Liz audits many organizations receiving federal funding under Uniform Guidance for Federal Awards—formerly OMB Circular A-133. Liz leads the Northern California government, not-for-profit & regulated entities group and is also leads the foundations assurance services for the firm.
Jessie specializes in organizational development work, including strategic planning, succession planning, process improvement, organizational and operational assessments, compensation benchmarking, and structure and staffing assessments. Jessie has a keen ability to identify areas for improvement and implement targeted interventions to enhance efficiency, foster innovation, and improve overall organizational effectiveness. She is known for her collaborative approach, integrity, and solution-oriented mindset, driving tangible and sustainable improvements within any organization.
Jessie is also a leader in the firm’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Practice. She provides strategic insights to organizations navigating the complexities of ESG at any phase of their journey, including start-up, ESG strategy development, ESG risk assessment and management, reporting, policies, procedures, and governance practices. She works closely with organizations across industries to support integrated business practices and achievement of goals. Jessie holds the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Fundamentals of Sustainability (FSA) credential.
Prior to founding Mill Law Center, Karl Mill was a partner at Adler & Colvin, a boutique law firm serving not-for-profits and their donors. Karl continues to advise a broad range of not-for-profit organizations, including everything from the most innovative start-ups to some of the largest, most established foundations and charities around the country. Karl’s philosophy is to apply his years as a lawyer and educator to provide clear, actionable legal advice and support to not-for--profits. His areas of expertise include private foundations, public charities, impact investment, social enterprise, and charitable gift planning.
Lauren has practiced public accounting since 2004. She provides compliance and consulting services for all types of exempt organizations, including public charities in the health care and higher education industries. Lauren consults on a wide range of issues including public support planning, reasonable compensation best practices, tax impact of alternative investments, lobbying and political activities, unrelated business income tax planning, foreign activities, charity watchdog optimization, and tax-exempt bond compliance.
Lauren’s also experienced in charitable planning for businesses and individuals. She advises private foundations on pertinent issues, including tax planning related to alternative and foreign investments, structuring program and mission-related investments, charitable giving structuring, transactions with disqualified persons, expenditure responsibility, and distribution planning.
Maggie has practiced public accounting since 2014, providing tax compliance and consulting services to taxable and tax-exempt organizations. She consults on the public support test, unrelated business income, self-dealing, the minimum distribution requirement, grantmaking, and program-related investments. Maggie works with a variety of industries ranging from government, not-for-profit, higher education, and health care. She has co-presented and co-led board trainings on private foundation technical topics and authored several articles.
Matt has practiced public accounting since 2005. He serves various sectors within the not-for-profit and government industries. His clients include higher education institutions, foundations, child care development agencies, associations, hospitals, health clinics, health plans, and municipal entities. He also serves life science companies that receive grants and require compliance audits or consulting over control processes in administering awards.
Matt’s experience includes preparation of financial statements, internal control examinations, and conducting audits in accordance with Government Auditing Standards and single audits of federal awards. He has significant background in compliance with student financial assistance awards, research and development grants, Head Start, and child care development grants. He’s published articles and presented webcasts on relevant topics related to updates on the Uniform Guidance, compliance challenges affecting colleges and universities, and most recently the CARES Act. Matt also provides training on accounting and auditing topics for Moss Adams professionals as well as clients and industry organizations.
Michael is a managing director and senior investment strategist at Bank of America Private Bank. He’s responsible for the development and execution of clients’ investment objectives, which include strategic asset allocation, tactical asset allocation, manager selection, and portfolio construction. Michael focuses on both the short- and long-term needs of endowments, foundations, charitable trusts, and pension plans, helping them obtain clarity about the financial implications of missions and investment strategies. He works closely with the CIO office to bring top-down macroeconomic, asset allocation, and portfolio strategy issues to clients.
Prior to joining the firm, Michael held a variety of senior investment management roles at Commonfund for almost 20 years. He most recently served as the executive vice president, head of asset allocation, and chief economist, helping to develop the OCIO and Treasury business. Michael also held positions as a chief economist and financial market strategist with Sanwa Securities, Yamaichi International (America) Inc., and UBS.
Michael maintains a strong client following in the endowment, foundation, and overall investment world, with his most recent focus centered on raising and managing client assets. Michael has been a faculty member and speaker at the Treasury Institute for Higher Education (TIHE) and the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) Conference. He has also been widely quoted in the press and appeared on financial television programs for 30 years.
Mike has practiced public accounting since 2010 and specializes in assisting tax-exempt organizations with compliance and consulting tax issues. He serves a wide variety of tax-exempt entities, including foundations, community health centers, long-term care communities, and social and welfare organizations. Mike’s expertise includes planning, research, compliance, and consulting in areas including annual tax filings, unrelated business income tax issues, intermediate sanctions and compensation issues, application for tax-exempt status and entity formation, and state and international tax compliance.
Misty’s practice is dedicated exclusively to representing not-for-profit and tax exempt organizations, including forming tax-exempt organizations, preparing organizational documents and policies, preparing applications for federal and state tax exemptions, and advising on issues regarding the operation, management, and taxation of tax-exempt organizations, with a focus on private foundations, including complex activities such as program related investments and international grantmaking and operations. Her practice also includes addressing sophisticated tax issues.
The legal advice that Misty provides is grounded in experience. During her 24-year career, Misty was the head of finance of a $1.5B private foundation with domestic and international operations, served as in-house tax counsel at a major public utility, and was a member of the tax team of a top-rated international law firm. This diverse background gives her a unique lens into the legal and financial aspects of the not-for-profit sector and the needs of not-for-profit clients.
With more than 15 years of HR and operations experience, that includes 10 plus years in leadership roles, Robyn has notable experience in strategic HR planning, performance management, DEIA strategy, succession planning, federal law compliance, employment contract negotiation, employee benefits, compensation and payroll, training and development, and management coaching.
Robyn has been responsible for leading enterprise-wide HR projects; developing a human resource strategic plan, influencing managers, driving organizational initiatives; cost benefit and compensation analysis; HR process improvement and procedure automation; standardizing HR policies and procedures; advising on talent development and succession planning; performance development; and high impact training and engagement programs.
Robyn holds a current SHRM-CP license, along with a certification in ISO9001 as a Lead Auditor, from BSI Group America, and a certification in Preventative Control Qualified Individuals (PCQI) from AIB International.
Saskia de Boer advises tax-exempt organizations and businesses regarding the federal and state rules that regulate the charitable sector. As the former managing director and senior program counsel for a multibillion-dollar national private operating foundation, Saskia has a particular appreciation for the complex regulatory environment and business challenges faced by not-for-profits. Saskia counsels management and boards of public charities, private foundations, advocacy organizations, trade associations, and business corporations on a wide range of compliance matters and strategic issues. She has substantial experience with governance, complex collaborations, public-private partnerships, advocacy, and political activities. Combining her passion for community with her management background and legal expertise, Saskia provides her clients with incomparable strategic vision to manage risk while increasing charitable intent and impact.
Steve has practiced public accounting since 2013, after a 25-year career in publishing and journalism. He serves a wide range of tax-exempt clients, including community charities, arts organizations, hospitals, and private foundations. Steve works on tax compliance and consulting, including tax research on specific issues affecting the not-for-profit industry. He also writes many of the firm’s articles on topics related to tax-exempt entities.
Wendy has worked in public accounting since 2000 and focuses primarily on tax-exempt organizations, including private and public foundations, higher education institutions, hospitals, credit unions, trade associations, and other not-for-profit organizations. Wendy is a highly capable business advisor to her clients, providing compliance and consulting in the areas of unrelated business income, alternative investments, obtaining and maintaining tax-exempt status, deferred taxes, fringe benefits, Forms 990, 990-PF, and 990-T, grantmaking, related and controlled organizations, compensation reporting, self-dealing, planning for the minimum distribution requirements, and excise tax rate.
William Jarvis is a managing director and philanthropic executive at Bank of America Private Bank, where he heads strategic thought leadership for institutional and private not-for-profit organizations. An authority on investment policy and governance for endowed not-for-profit organizations, Bill brings 42 years of experience to this role. Bill is the managing editor of the Bank of America Study of Philanthropy and the author of numerous white papers on investment policy and endowment governance. He’s well known as a speaker and moderator at events convened by leading industry associations and by Bank of America, and advises the bank’s not-for-profit clients.
Prior to joining Bank of America in 2017, Bill served as the executive director of the Commonfund Institute, where he edited many of the leading studies on endowment investment and governance, including those for the NACUBO, the Council on Foundations, and the National Business Officers Association.
In 2021, Bill was honored with NACUBO’s Rodney H. Adams Endowment Management Award for outstanding individual contributions to professional development activities in the area of college and university endowment and investment management.