2026

Nonprofit Organizations Essentials

PRESENTED BY
The University of Texas School of Law
Philanthropy Southwest

Austin Jan 21, 2026 Four Seasons Hotel $375 Individual $340 Group rate per person (5 registrants minimum) $300 Group rate per person (10 registrants minimum)

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Overview

The 2026 Nonprofit Organizations Essentials program is the perfect half-day overview for new entrants and seasoned practitioners alike, with focused attention on core concerns and strategies for both private foundations and charitable organizations, as well as opportunities to ask questions of experts and colleagues.

By attending this program, participants will be able to:

Identify the key decision points and strategies in forming new tax-exempt entities under Section 501(c)(3)
Evaluate compliance and operational considerations necessary to maintain tax-exempt status, including recurring filings, unrelated business income, private benefit, and private inurement.
Understand the essential information in Forms 990 and 990-PF, plus laws central to regulatory oversight by the IRS and states' attorneys general.

Continue on for the 43rd Annual Nonprofit Organizations Institute for two full days of nationally recognized experts from private foundations, public charities, law, finance and government discussing the latest tax, legislative and governance issues affecting nonprofit organizations.

Event Schedule

Program is subject to change.
All times are Central Time Zone.

Time

Credit

Subject

Speaker
Wednesday Afternoon, Jan. 21, 2026
Presiding Officer:
Andrea L. March, Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid - Austin, TX
1:00 pm

Registration Opens

Includes light refreshments.
1:50 pm

Welcoming Remarks
2:00 pm

1.00 hr

Decision Points and Strategies in the Formation and Tax-Exemption of New Entities

Learn more about the strategies and decisions points that should be considered when establishing a new tax-exempt organization. Specifically, explore what organizations need to know to qualify for recognition of tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, including an overview of the application process, the different bases for obtaining exemption, and the different types of tax-exempt organizations from an attorney and accountant perspective. Also, gain insight into the different types of entities that can be used to carry out exempt activities and the factors that should be considered when selecting among them.

Neely D. Duncan, Forvis Mazars, LLP - Dallas, TX
Nykolas McKissic, Holland & Knight LLP - Dallas, TX

Neely D. Duncan, Forvis Mazars, LLP - Dallas, TX
Nykolas McKissic, Holland & Knight LLP - Dallas, TX
3:00 pm

1.00 hr

Compliance and Operational Considerations for Maintaining Tax-Exempt Status

This presentation explores several key, general compliance requirements in connection with maintaining (after already having initially obtained) tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. More specifically and time permitting, the conversation touches upon recurring filings, the operational test, unrelated business income, private benefit, private inurement, and more.

Ryan Mayor, Ernst & Young LLP - Dallas, TX
Hamish Nieh, Fizer Beck - Houston, TX

Ryan Mayor, Ernst & Young LLP - Dallas, TX
Hamish Nieh, Fizer Beck - Houston, TX
4:00 pm

15-Minute Break
4:15 pm

1.00 hr

Form 990 & Form 990-PF - Unlocking the Mysteries

This session covers the fundamentals of the Form 990 and Form 990-PF, with an emphasis on the essential information that every director, officer, fundraiser, and staff member must understand. Learn how these information returns are simultaneously a public relations tool for potential donors and a compliance roadmap, both internally (for staff) and externally (for regulators).

Elaine Sommerville, Sommerville & Associates, P.C. - Arlington, TX
Genevra Williams, Mendrygal Law, PLLC - Dallas, TX

Elaine Sommerville, Sommerville & Associates, P.C. - Arlington, TX
Genevra Williams, Mendrygal Law, PLLC - Dallas, TX
5:15 pm

1.00 hr

IRS and AG Oversight

Laws at the heart of regulatory oversight and authority over nonprofit organizations by the IRS and states’ attorneys general remain substantially the same. Hear a practical discussion of the authority of regulators to exercise oversight, with exemplar cases. Have things changed or not?

Kurt Coburn, Blazek & Vetterling - Houston, TX
Susan K. Staricka, Staricka Law, PLLC - Austin, TX

Kurt Coburn, Blazek & Vetterling - Houston, TX
Susan K. Staricka, Staricka Law, PLLC - Austin, TX
6:15 pm

Adjourn

Download Schedule

Conference Faculty

Kurt Coburn

Blazek & Vetterling
Houston, TX

Neely D. Duncan

Forvis Mazars, LLP
Dallas, TX

Ryan Mayor

Ernst & Young LLP
Dallas, TX

Nykolas McKissic

Holland & Knight LLP
Dallas, TX

Hamish Nieh

Fizer Beck
Houston, TX

Elaine Sommerville

Sommerville & Associates, P.C.
Arlington, TX

Susan K. Staricka

Staricka Law, PLLC
Austin, TX

Genevra Williams

Mendrygal Law, PLLC
Dallas, TX

Planning Committee

Megan E. Bell

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
New York, NY

Jonathan S. Blum

Holland & Knight LLP
Dallas, TX

Lucille DiDomenico

DiDomenico Group
Dallas, TX

Mallory Driggers

Philanthropy Southwest
Dallas, TX

Neely D. Duncan

Forvis Mazars, LLP
Dallas, TX

Joyce Hellums

Austin, TX

Tomer Inbar

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
New York, NY

Joanna Jefferson

The University of Texas School of Law
Austin, TX

Andrea L. March

Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid
Austin, TX

Danika H. Mendrygal

Mendrygal Law, PLLC
Dallas, TX

Darren B. Moore

Bourland, Wall & Wenzel, P.C.
Fort Worth, TX

Norman E. Nabhan

Graystone Consulting
Houston, TX

Jeffrey E. Sher

Fizer Beck
Houston, TX

Nicola Fuentes Toubia

Fuentes Toubia, PLLC
Houston, TX

Kay Walther

Blazek & Vetterling
Houston, TX

Maura L. Whelan

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
New York, NY

Credit Info

Austin

MCLE Credit

Texas – 4.00 hrs
Legal Specialization(s): Estate Planning and Probate Law, Tax Law

You may claim your credit online in Your Briefcase, and UT Law CLE will report credit on your behalf to the State Bar of Texas. A Certificate of Attendance will be provided in Your Briefcase for your records. The system reports Texas CLE credit every Tuesday. If you are claiming credit in the last week of your birth month, self-report your CLE credit directly to the State Bar of Texas at texasbar.com, using the course number provided on your certificate of attendance.

California – 4.00 hrs

You must claim your credit online in Your Briefcase, and will then be provided a Certificate of Attendance for your records. UT Law CLE is required to provide the State Bar with electronic attendance records for any MCLE participatory activity within 60 days of completion of the activity. The California licensee is responsible for reporting their compliance/credit hours earned to the State Bar at the end of their reporting period directly to the State Bar of California at calbar.ca.gov UT Law CLE will maintain Attendance Records for four years.

New York – Available Via Reciprocity – 4.50 hrs

As The University of Texas School of Law is a Oklahoma Bar Association presumptively approved MCLE provider (#169), and Oklahoma is a New York Approved Jurisdiction on List A, our courses are approved for MCLE credit based on a 50-minute credit hour, and in accordance with the Program Rules and the Regulations and Guidelines of the New York State Continuing Legal Education Board. More information and details can be found at Section 6 of the Regulations and Guidelines (PDF).

You must claim and certify your credit online in your UTCLE "Briefcase", and will then be provided a Certificate of Attendance for your records. Self-report your CLE credit directly to the New York State Bar Association. UT Law CLE will maintain Attendance Records for four years.

Oklahoma – 5.00 hrs

You must claim and certify your credit online in Your Briefcase, then you will then be provided a Certificate of Attendance for your records. UT Law CLE will report credit on your behalf to the Oklahoma Bar Association within 30 days after the conference.

Pennsylvania – 4.00 hrs

UT Law CLE is an approved provider of Pennsylvania credit, sponsor #236. You must claim your credit online in Your Briefcase, and will then be provided a Certificate of Attendance for your records. Attorney attendance will be reported to Pennsylvania within 2 weeks after credit is claimed . Attorneys are not able to report this credit on their own, and UT Law CLE pays all associated fees for the credit hours. Contact us at accreditation@utcle.org if you have additional questions.

Other States – 4.00 hrs

Note on Self-Reporting Your Credits in Another State

If you wish to satisfy MCLE or other professional education requirements in another state for a program offered by the University of Texas School of Law, please check with the state bar or other licensing authority in that state to ensure it will qualify for self-reporting your credits.

You must claim and certify your credit online in Your Briefcase, you will then be provided a Certificate of Attendance for your records and to provided to other licensing authorities as needed.

MCLE credit is presented based on a 60-minute credit hour.

Other Credit

National Accounting CPE – 4.80 hrs

The University of Texas School of Law is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.

Delivery Method: Group-Live

To comply with NASBA Standards, attendees claiming CPE credit must sign in to verify attendance for each segment. Attendance sign-in sheets will be available at the registration desk. You will need your CPA license number to sign in. A CPE Certificate of Completion will be provided once you claim and certify your credits in your UTCLE.org Briefcase at the conclusion of the conference.

Reporting: CPAs are responsible for reporting CPE credits earned to their state's accountancy board, and must retain appropriate documentation of their participation in learning activities. Visit your state’s reporting website for more information or www.nasba.org.

TX Accounting CPE – 4.80 hrs

The University of Texas School of Law (Provider #250) live conferences are presumptively approved by The Texas State Board of Public Accountancy for Texas Accounting CPE credit based on a 50-minute credit hour. Approved for general CPE credit only.

At the conference, you are welcome to sign in on the Accounting CPE Record of Attendance form at the registration desk, but we are now reporting all credit online. You will receive a Texas Accounting Certificate of Completion in Your Briefcase. Self-report your CPE credit directly to TSBPA. UT Law CLE will maintain Attendance Records for four years.

Contact us at accreditation@utcle.org if you have additional questions.

Key Dates

Austin – Jan 21, 2026 – Four Seasons Hotel

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Austin

Individual
Last day for $275.00 Early Bird pricing: Oct 3, 2025
Last day for $325.00 Regular pricing: Jan 7, 2026
$375.00 for registrations received after this time

Group (5 registrants minimum)
Last day for $250.00 Early Bird pricing: Oct 3, 2025
Last day for $295.00 Regular pricing: Jan 7, 2026
$340.00 for registrations received after this time

Group (10 registrants minimum)
Last day for $220.00 Early Bird pricing: Oct 3, 2025
Last day for $260.00 Regular pricing: Jan 7, 2026
$300.00 for registrations received after this time

Cancellation Policy
Last day for full refund cancellation: Jan 14, 2026
$50 processing fee applied after this date
Last day for cancellation: Jan 16, 2026

Venue

Four Seasons Hotel

98 San Jacinto Boulevard
Austin, TX 78701-4082
512-478-4500 (reservations)
Map

Accommodations

The Four Seasons Hotel room block has been exhausted.

Please see list below for nearby hotels.

Austin Marriott Downtown
The LINE Austin
JW Marriott Austin
Fairmont Austin
Hampton Inn & Suites Austin-Downtown/Convention Center
Hyatt Place Downtown

Parking Information

Daily self-parking: $22
Daily valet parking: $25
Overnight valet parking: $60

Additional Information

The conference will take place in the Four Seasons Ballroom located on the lake level of the hotel.

Our Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors! Click each logo below to learn more.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
www.morganlewis.com/services/tax-exempt-organizations

Since its founding in 1873, Morgan Lewis has represented philanthropists and the nonprofit organizations they create through every major development in the tax law. Our tax-exempt organizations team represents institutions of all kinds—corporate, family and institutional foundations, colleges and universities, hospitals, trade associations, religious organizations, governmental entities, cultural organizations, advocacy groups, and many others—in achieving their objectives.
Frost Wealth Management

Frost Wealth Management
www.frostbank.com/pages/personal-investments.aspx

Frost is the banking, investments and insurance subsidiary of Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. (NYSE: CFR). One of the 50 largest U.S. banks by asset size, Frost provides a full range of banking, investments and insurance services to businesses and individuals in the Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Permian Basin, Rio Grande Valley and San Antonio regions. Founded in 1868, Frost has helped Texans with their financial needs during three centuries.

Frost has a team of professionals who work together towards a common goal: to help you achieve financial security. Today the Frost Wealth Advisors are responsible for more than more than $64 billion in assets at September 30, 2024. of individuals, families, businesses and non-profit institutions. You can count on us for investment management, trust administration, estate and financial planning, real estate, oil and gas management, retirement plan management, tax planning and wealth management. Frost has built a legacy of involvement with the communities it serves, especially with the organizations that provide for the betterment of the community. In fact, we have a dedicated group of specialists in our Public Finance Division who understand the specialized financing, treasury, investment and insurance needs of Texas governmental and non-profit institutions including educational, religious and healthcare organizations.
Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP

Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP
www.pbwt.com/

Patterson Belknap is one of a handful of law firms in the United States with the practice dedicated to tax-exempt organizations. Based in New York City, the Firm’s practice has both a national and global reach. Patterson Belknap represents nonprofit clients in all aspects of their operations, governance, tax, financial and other legal needs. Lawyers in every practice area of the firm have substantial experience advising exempt organizations, including with respect IP, privacy and data security, real estate, major giving, litigation, and ERISA.

Patterson Belknap’s tax-exempt organizations practice is recognized by industry publications such as The Legal 500. The Firm’s varied clients include museums, fine arts and performing arts organizations, public-private partnerships in global health, colleges and universities, social welfare organizations, advocacy groups, environmental organizations, trade associations, and private foundations, including institutional grantmakers, family foundations and corporate foundations.
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
www.stblaw.com/

Simpson Thacher’s Exempt Organizations attorneys are experienced advisors to clients across the tax exempt and philanthropic sectors. With deep knowledge of complex issues faced by tax exempt organizations, their boards and their donors, our team of dedicated professionals acts as a trusted partner to clients navigating an evolving legal, tax and regulatory environment.
Arnold & Porter

Arnold & Porter
www.arnoldporter.com/en

At Arnold & Porter, we are client-driven and industry-focused. With over 1,000 lawyers across 15 offices worldwide, we provide sophisticated regulatory, litigation, and transactional capabilities across multiple industries to nearly half of the Fortune 100, as well as many other clients.

Our Tax-Exempt Organizations team employs a comprehensive knowledge of market practices to develop innovative structures and vehicles that help clients maximize their charitable, policy, and social impact. Clients turn to us on issues involving collaborations and consortiums, complex multiparty transactions, corporate and venture philanthropy, governance, impact investing, intellectual property licensing, internal investigations, international affiliations, major gifts, and regulatory compliance, among many others. Leveraging our firm’s full breadth of experience, we provide sector-based insights and advice tailored to each client’s unique needs.
Adler & Colvin

Adler & Colvin
www.adlercolvin.com

Adler & Colvin is a firm of twenty-five lawyers devoted exclusively to advising nonprofit organizations and their donors, as well as those who work with them. We focus primarily on federal tax law and state corporate governance issues that arise for our clients. Our firm represents some of the most recognized and respected nonprofits and philanthropic organizations in the country. Our clients include large private foundations and small grassroots organizations, community foundations, operating charities, donor advised fund sponsors, and non-charitable tax-exempt organizations as well. As we are exclusively dedicated to serving the nonprofit sector, we have developed a breadth and depth of practice that includes areas such as charitable gift planning, complex corporate governance, social entrepreneurship, international charitable operations, mission-related and program-related investing, and nonprofit political and legislative lobbying activity. We have been serving the nonprofit sector since 1981.
Blazek & Vetterling

Blazek & Vetterling
www.bvcpa.com

Blazek & Vetterling brings together a collective specialization in nonprofit organizations that we believe is unique. With approximately 80 people working with over 700 tax-exempt organizations, we believe that we bring more focused experience to our nonprofit, governmental, and employee benefit plan clients than any other firm. We are a nationally recognized leader in the nonprofit arena, offering audit, tax, and consulting services to a wide range of organizations. In addition to providing professional accounting services to nonprofit organizations, we teach locally and nationally, write, and serve on boards of directors. Our philosophy of service is to understand the unique issues that nonprofit organizations face and to approach them in a professional, business-oriented manner.
Bourland, Wall & Wenzel, P.C.

Bourland, Wall & Wenzel, P.C.
www.bwwlaw.com

Bourland, Wall & Wenzel, P.C. (“BWW”) has been providing high-quality legal services since its founding more than 40 years ago. Throughout that time period, representation of nonprofit organizations, including trade and professional associations, has been a key component of the firm’s practice. BWW is located in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. This location has allowed our firm to work on sophisticated legal projects in a “large city” environment while also giving us the unique ability to represent and work closely with entrepreneurs—both on their for-profit projects as well as in their nonprofit endeavors.

BWW has 29 lawyers spread over a number of different practice areas. We consider ourselves a full-service firm, with limited exceptions where we partner with others. As part of our practice areas, we have lawyers skilled in business planning (including general contract law and leasing and rental issues), tax planning, employment law, intellectual property law, litigation, and the law of tax-exempt organizations. While located in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, we have major clients all over the State of Texas and Southwestern United States (as well as clients that go beyond those primary boundaries). Our clients’ businesses, however, have a much greater reach, as they operate nationally and internationally, resulting in us working on projects well beyond the State of Texas. From the standpoint of exempt organizations, we represent very small local organizations, from booster clubs to library associations, to state-wide and regional charitable organizations, to national organizations and organizations that work internationally.
Ernst & Young LLP

Ernst & Young LLP
www.ey.com

Your business will only succeed if you build it on a strong foundation and grow it in a sustainable way. At EY, we believe that managing your tax obligations responsibly and proactively can make a critical difference. Our global teams of talented people bring you technical knowledge, business experience and consistency, all built on our unwavering commitment to quality service—wherever you are and whatever tax services you need.

We create highly networked teams that can advise on planning, compliance and reporting and help you maintain constructive tax authority relationships—wherever you operate. Our technical networks across the globe can work with you to reduce inefficiencies, mitigate risk and improve opportunity. Our 50,000 tax professionals, in more than 150 countries, are committed to giving you the quality, consistency and customization you need to support your tax function.
Fizer, Beck, Webster, Bentley, & Scroggins, PC

Fizer, Beck, Webster, Bentley, & Scroggins, PC
www.fizerbeck.com

FizerBeck has a highly-regarded and extensive nonprofit and tax exempt organizations practice, in which we assist clients in creating private foundations and public charities, render tax advice on the operation of tax exempt organizations and plan all forms of present and deferred charitable gifts. In this area, we are frequently called upon to obtain private letter rulings from the IRS, and represent tax exempt organizations before the IRS. In this practice area, we advise directors and trustees as to their rights, powers and duties, and in general, work with nonprofit and tax exempt organizations in all phases of their operations and administrative compliance. Clients range from individuals seeking to establish their own charitable organization to established national charities seeking fundraising, fiduciary and/or other legal advice.
Holland & Knight LLP

Holland & Knight LLP
www.hklaw.com

Holland & Knight has a deeply engrained culture of collaboration, client service, efficiency and diversity, as well as integration across multiple practice groups and industries. Few other law firms have our combination of experience, knowledge and capabilities with nonprofit organizations.

As active industry contributors and thought leaders, our Nonprofit and Tax-Exempt practice takes pride in keeping our clients abreast of significant legal and industry developments impacting nonprofits, often before they happen. We are committed to learning about our nonprofit clients' operations, objectives and challenges. This combined focus on both the big picture and client specifics helps us provide tailored guidance to enhance our clients' decision-making to achieve desired outcomes and results. With H&K as a strategic partner, nonprofits are able to focus on what they do best, furthering their mission.
Morgan Stanley Graystone Consulting

Morgan Stanley Graystone Consulting
www.morganstanley.com/graystone

An independent business unit of Morgan Stanley, Graystone Consulting has more than 40 years of experience advising institutional clients as a fiduciary. Our boutique business structure, depth of experience and vast resources have helped us grow into one of the most respected investment consulting firms in the U.S. Whether you are looking to reduce expenses, enhance returns or align your mission with your investments, Graystone is your strategic partner. Our research on “Best of Class” 3rd party asset management firms is one of the broadest in the industry, designed to help nonprofits and foundations meet their investment goals. Graystone consults on over 800 Foundations & Endowment clients with a combined $29B in AUM.
GS DAF

GS DAF
www.goldmansachs.com

Nonprofit Organizations Essentials

Overview

Event Schedule

Wednesday Afternoon, Jan. 21, 2026

Conference Faculty

Planning Committee

Credit Info

MCLE Credit

Other Credit

Key Dates

Venue

Four Seasons Hotel

Accommodations

Parking Information

Additional Information

Our Sponsors

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Frost Wealth Management

Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Arnold & Porter

Adler & Colvin

Blazek & Vetterling

Bourland, Wall & Wenzel, P.C.

Ernst & Young LLP

Fizer, Beck, Webster, Bentley, & Scroggins, PC

Holland & Knight LLP

Morgan Stanley Graystone Consulting

GS DAF

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