October 12, 2012 - 8:00 AM - 10:30 AM ET

"Nonprofit Bloopers: Avoiding Political and Promotional Pitfalls" for Association of Fundraising Professionals DC Chapter's Advanced Education Session

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Washington, DC

Join the Advanced Executives of Association of Fundraising Professionals DC Chapter (AFP DC) and several leading legal experts in nonprofit law for an exciting and interactive session on select timely legal issues facing nonprofits today. During this session, we will explore how nonprofit organizations can influence elections without endangering their tax-exempt status and discuss examples of nonprofit forays into the political process. We will also explore some best practices in cause-related marketing and legal requirements for commercial co-ventures, as well as give an overview of current regulatory actions in this arena.

The discussion will be moderated by the chair of Venable’s Nonprofit Organizations Practice Group, Jeffrey Tenenbaum. He will be joined by two key members of Venable’s legal team: Ronald Jacobs and Kristalyn Loson.

Speaker Bios:

Jeffrey Tenenbaum chairs Venable's Nonprofit Organizations Practice Group. He is one of the nation's leading nonprofit attorneys, and also is an accomplished author, lecturer and commentator on nonprofit legal matters. Based in the firm's Washington, DC office, Mr. Tenenbaum counsels his clients on the broad array of legal issues affecting charities, foundations, trade and professional associations, think tanks, credit and housing counseling agencies, advocacy groups, and other nonprofit organizations, and regularly represents clients before Congress, federal and state regulatory agencies, and in connection with governmental investigations, enforcement actions, litigation, and in dealing with the media.

Mr. Tenenbaum was the 2006 recipient of the American Bar Association's Outstanding Nonprofit Lawyer of the Year Award, and was the inaugural (2004) recipient of the Washington Business Journal's Top Washington Lawyers Award. He was one of only seven "Leading Lawyers" in the Not-for-Profit category in the 2012 Legal 500 rankings, and was the 2004 recipient of The Center for Association Leadership's Chairman's Award, and the 1997 recipient of the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives' Chairman's Award. Mr. Tenenbaum was listed in The Best Lawyers in America 2012 and 2013 for Non-Profit/Charities Law, and was named as one of Washington, DC’s “Legal Elite” in 2011 by SmartCEO Magazine. He was a 2008-09 Fellow of the Bar Association of the District of Columbia and is AV Peer-Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Mr. Tenenbaum started his career in the nonprofit community by serving as Legal Section manager at the American Society of Association Executives, following several years working on Capitol Hill as a legislative assistant.

Ronald Jacobs co-chairs Venable’s Political Law Practice Group and advises clients on all aspects of state and federal political law, including campaign finance, lobbying disclosure, gift and ethics rules, pay-to-play laws, and tax implications of political activities. He also assists clients with crises response to government investigations and enforcement actions, Congressional investigations, class-action law suits, and other high-profile problems that involve potentially damaging legal and public-relations matters. He has developed political compliance programs for Fortune 500 companies and other clients that lobby and make political contributions nationwide. In addition to counseling clients on political law matters, Mr. Jacobs has extensive experience in the administrative rulemaking process and in litigating challenges to agency decisions in federal court. He has represented clients in administrative matters before the Federal Election Commission, the Merit Systems Protection Board, the Federal Trade Commission, the United States Congress, and in federal court. Mr. Jacobs has also counseled and defended clients in a host of other regulatory matters, including disputes involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and privacy and data security issues.

Kristalyn J. Loson is an Associate in Venable's Regulatory Practice Group. She focuses her practice primarily on nonprofit organizations and associations, assisting charities, trade and professional associations, and other nonprofit organizations on a wide array of legal issues, including incorporation and tax-exemption applications, tax-exemption compliance and IRS audits, corporate governance, membership issues, and event contracts, among others. Ms. Loson regularly advises charitable organizations as well as major corporations on laws related to fundraising and charitable solicitation, and has assisted several prominent retailers and manufacturers in designing nationwide and international cause-marketing campaigns. Prior to entering the legal profession, Ms. Loson worked as a fundraiser for a large multi-national nonprofit organization. Through her experience in the nonprofit sector, she has gained perspective on the unique needs of these organizations, both legal and otherwise.


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