Wednesday, April 24th

8:00-8:20 am
Registration & Continental Breakfast

8:20-8:30 am
Welcome & Introduction
Lawrence J. Center, Celia Roady

8:30-9:00 am
Beyond the Cause: The Art and Science of Nonprofit Lobbying
Diana Aviv

• What It Takes to Succeed in Advocacy
• Creating More Active Nonprofit Participation in the Public Square

9:00-9:45 am
A View from the IRS and State AGs
Lois G. Lerner, Jason Lilien

• Views on Advocacy and Lobbying
• Current Issues and Challenge for Regulators

9:45-10:00 am
Networking Break

10:00-11:00 am
Charities and Lobbying: Putting a Voice to a Mission
Tomer J. Inbar, Susan Nelson, Angela F. Williams

• Defining the "No Substantial Part" Test
• Taking the 501(h) Election
• Deciding What Is Right for Your Organization

11:00 am-12:00 pm
Foundations: Lobbying Is Not a Dirty Word
Lauren W. Bright, Douglas N. Varley, Luz A. Vega-Marquis

• When Foundations Can and Cannot Lobby
• How Foundations Can Legally Fund Advocacy Programs and Charities That Lobby

12:00-12:30 pm
An Insider's View: What's at Stake for the Nonprofit Community in Tax Reform?
Nicholas P. Giordano

• Status of Tax-Reform Legislation
• Potential Reform that Will Impact EOs
• Are Changes Coming for the Charitable Deduction, Taxation of Unrelated Business Income, and Qualification for and Retention of Tax-exempt Status?

12:30-1:45 pm
Lunch (on your own)

1:45-3:00 pm
Tracking and Reporting Lobbying Expenditures
Rebecca Branzell, John Pomeranz, Cheryl Schaffer

• Best Practices in Record Keeping
• Rules and Common Issues in Schedule C and the Lobbying Disclosure Act
• Dealing with an IRS Audit

3:00-3:15 pm
Networking Break

3:15-4:15pm
When Insubstantial Is Insufficient: Making Use of 501(c)(4)s
Gregory L. Colvin, Katherine L. Karl, Nina Ozlu Tunceli

• When Is It Time to Start a 501(c)(4)?
• Lobbying Rules for Public Charities and Social-Welfare Organizations
• Relationships between 501(c)(3)s and 501(c)(4)s

4:15-5:15pm
Making the Most of Critical Assets: CEOs, Boards, and Lobbying
Melanie Lockwood Herman, Elizabeth J. Kingsley

• Evaluating whether Advocacy Can Help Advance a Mission
• Getting Board Members Involved
• Legal Protections of Foundation/Charity Managers and Board Members