EO Radio Show
EO Radio Show
Farella Braun + Martel
Welcome to EO Radio Show, Your Nonprofit Legal Resource, brought to you by the Exempt Organizations Group at Farella Braun + Martel. My name is Cynthia Rowland. I'm a business and tax partner at Farella with more than 30 years of experience advising clients on non-profit and charity law. I help philanthropists, including private individuals as well as for-profit and nonprofit organizations, who wish to make the world a better place. Through this podcast, our lawyers and guests will discuss a range of legal and business issues impacting the nonprofit world because we understand you work hard every day to make your community a better place to live and work. We hope you will appreciate discussions of basic legal principles, as well as in-depth technical discussions of the legal and regulatory landscape. Topical presentations and guests on EO Radio Show will focus on helping you reach a solid understanding of what it takes to organize, operate and lead an effective charitable organization that presents itself as a professional and trustworthy partner. Starting with a key legal concept, each show will focus on an essential piece of the framework in which charities operate, and will explain how the right understanding leads to a well-functioning organization. We will also help you understand the legal world in which charities operate and will provide detailed links and connections to additional resources on the topic of the day. We want you to think of EO Radio Show as a modern-day audio treatise on charity legal issues and the practical application of legal principles of effective operation of a charity. EO Radio Show is for all professionals, whether you are leading, funding, advising, or operating a public charity or private foundation that aspires to be a force for good in your space. You work hard every day to make your communities and the world a better place.
163: Legal Considerations for Nonprofit Volunteer Programs - Part 2
Welcome to EO Radio Show – Your Nonprofit Legal Resource. I'm Cynthia Rowland, and episode 163 is the second of two episodes with Allyson Deraps, our new key team member in Farella's exempt organizations practice. In today's episode, we're going to continue our conversation with Allyson about practical tools and day-to-day program design, including documentation, screening, training, supervision, and other takeaways for nonprofit leaders who manage a large volunteer corps. In part 1, episode 162, Allyson shared her background with The Burning Man organization. We discussed the volunteer model, including issues related to classification, liability, and insurance for nonprofit organizations with extensive volunteer programs. Show Notes: Allyson Deraps, Special Counsel, Farella Braun + Martel EO Radio Show #162: Legal Considerations for Nonprofit Volunteer Programs - Part 1 Spilman v. The Salvation Army, 117 Cal. App. 5th 913 (2026) (adopts a two-part test for distinguishing nonprofit volunteers from employees under California law: (1) the person freely agreed to serve for a personal or charitable benefit rather than compensation, and (2) the arrangement is not a subterfuge to evade wage laws) Volunteer Protection Act of 1997, 42 U.S.C. § 14501 Department of Labor Fact Sheet #14A: Non-Profit Organizations and the Fair Labor Standards Act DOL Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act DOL Opinion Letter FLSA2007-3NA (addresses stipends paid to volunteer firefighters and articulates the "nominal fee" standard) Cal. Labor Code § 3352 (excludes from the workers' compensation definition of "employee" any person performing voluntary service for a public agency or private nonprofit who receives no remuneration other than meals, transportation, lodging, or reimbursement for incidental expenses) Cal. Labor Code § 3363.6 (permits a private nonprofit's board of directors to declare in writing, before any injury, that designated unpaid volunteers are deemed employees for workers' compensation purposes) Cal. Business & Professions Code § 18975 (requires youth service organizations to provide mandated reporter training, background checks, and child-abuse prevention policies for "regular volunteers," defined as adults who have direct contact with children for more than 16 hours per month or 32 hours per year) If you have suggestions for topics you would like us to discuss, please email us at [email protected]. Additional episodes are available at EORadioShowByFarella.com. DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be, nor should it be interpreted as, legal advice or opinion.
Sep 2
31 min
162: Legal Considerations for Nonprofit Volunteer Programs - Part 1
Welcome to EO Radio Show – Your Nonprofit Legal Resource. I'm Cynthia Rowland, and episode 162 is the first of two episodes with Allyson Deraps, our new key team member in Farella's exempt organizations practice. In part one, Allyson will talk about her background and her experience with the Burning Man organization and the nonprofit volunteer model, including issues related to classification, liability, and insurance. In part two, episode 163, we'll focus more on practical tools and day-to-day program design, including documentation, screening, training, supervision, and other takeaways for nonprofit leaders with volunteer programs. Show Notes: Allyson Deraps, Special Counsel, Farella Braun + Martel Spilman v. The Salvation Army, 117 Cal. App. 5th 913 (2026) (adopts a two-part test for distinguishing nonprofit volunteers from employees under California law: (1) the person freely agreed to serve for a personal or charitable benefit rather than compensation, and (2) the arrangement is not a subterfuge to evade wage laws) Volunteer Protection Act of 1997, 42 U.S.C. § 14501 Department of Labor Fact Sheet #14A: Non-Profit Organizations and the Fair Labor Standards Act DOL Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act DOL Opinion Letter FLSA2007-3NA (addresses stipends paid to volunteer firefighters and articulates the "nominal fee" standard) Cal. Labor Code § 3352 (excludes from the workers' compensation definition of "employee" any person performing voluntary service for a public agency or private nonprofit who receives no remuneration other than meals, transportation, lodging, or reimbursement for incidental expenses) Cal. Labor Code § 3363.6 (permits a private nonprofit's board of directors to declare in writing, before any injury, that designated unpaid volunteers are deemed employees for workers' compensation purposes) Cal. Business & Professions Code § 18975 (requires youth service organizations to provide mandated reporter training, background checks, and child-abuse prevention policies for "regular volunteers," defined as adults who have direct contact with children for more than 16 hours per month or 32 hours per year) If you have suggestions for topics you would like us to discuss, please email us at [email protected]. Additional episodes are available at EORadioShowByFarella.com. DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be, nor should it be interpreted as, legal advice or opinion.
Aug 25
37 min
161: REFRESH Five Tax Traps for Business Lawyers Advising Nonprofit Organizations
Welcome to EO Radio Show – Your Nonprofit Legal Resource. I'm Cynthia Rowland, and this is Episode 161 of the EO Radio Show. This episode is the second refresh of episode 19, titled "Five Tax Traps for Business Lawyers Advising Nonprofit Organizations." The original episode was released in October 2022 and was first refreshed in June 2025. Since then, the legal landscape has shifted enough to warrant another update.  The traps themselves have not changed. Rather, recent developments provide new illustrations of why these issues remain important. The original episode continues to serve as an excellent reminder of the issue-spotting skills that are essential to the competent representation of charitable organizations.  Show Notes: EO Radio Show #84: Nonprofit Book Review: ABA Guidebook for Directors of Nonprofit Corporations EO Radio Show #107: Nonprofit Basics: Unrelated Business Income Tax: Basic Rules for Charities – Part 1 EO Radio Show #108: Nonprofit Basics: Unrelated Business Income Tax: Modifications and Exceptions – Part 2 EO Radio Show #109: Nonprofit Basics: Unrelated Business Income Tax: Debt Financed Income – Part 3 EO Radio Show YouTube Playlist: Nonprofit Basics IRS Form 990 and Schedules A through R: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-990 IRS Form 990 EZ: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-990-ez IRS Form 990-N https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/annual-electronic-filing-requirement-for-small-exempt-organizations-form-990-n-e-postcard Description of Statutory Employees https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/exempt-organizations-who-is-a-statutory-employee EO Radio Show #6: Nonprofit Basics: Election Year Issues for Private Foundations and Public Charities Part 1: Candidate Campaign Intervention EO Radio Show #7: Nonprofit Basics: Election Year Issues for Private Foundations and Public Charities Part 2: Legislative Lobbying Activities by Public Charities EO Radio Show #8: Nonprofit Basics: Election Year Issues for Private Foundations and Public Charities Part 3: Private Foundation Approaches to Policy Advocacy Allowed by the Internal Revenue Code If you have suggestions for topics you would like us to discuss, please email us at [email protected]. Additional episodes can be found at EORadioShowByFarella.com. DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be, nor should it be interpreted as, legal advice or opinion.
Aug 10
24 min
160: Gift Acceptance Policies Part 3: IRS Compliance, Donor Recognition & Implementation
Welcome to EO Radio Show – Your Nonprofit Legal Resource. I'm Cynthia Rowland, and episode 160 is the third of three episodes focusing on gift acceptance policies for public charities. In this episode, I will focus on aspects of the gift acceptance policy that address IRS compliance, donor recognition, and implementation. In episode 159, I talked about the spectrum of gifts. A well-crafted gift acceptance policy will cover the various types of assets that the organization wants to pursue. These range from the easiest gifts, gifts of cash, to those that are a little bit more complex, like real estate, and to the most complex things, like cryptocurrency, private company interests, and the like. In the first episode in the series, episode 158, I provided an introduction to why gift acceptance policies matter, what they are, the governing principles, and who makes decisions at each step of the gift intake process. Show Notes: Publication 526 (2025), Charitable Contributions | Internal Revenue Service EO Radio Show #159: Gift Acceptance Policies Part 2: The Gift Spectrum EO Radio Show #158: Gift Acceptance Policies Part 1: What, Why, and Who EO Radio Show #157: A Case Study on Charitable Deduction Acknowledgment Requirements EO Radio Show Nonprofit Governance playlist EO Radio Show UPMIFA episodes: #16: Basics of Impact Investing: A Conversation About Investment Policies and Evaluation Metrics For ESG Investors #35: UPMIFA in the Context of Financial System Instability #73:  Nonprofit Basics: Unpacking Prudent Investments, PRIs, and MRIs #82: Advice for Nonprofit Investment Committees From an Investment Advisor #123: Investing Charity and Foundation Assets in Turbulent Times With Jennifer Nelson If you have suggestions for topics you would like us to discuss, please email us at [email protected]. Additional episodes are available at EORadioShowByFarella.com.  DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be, nor should it be interpreted as, legal advice or opinion.
Jul 13
13 min
159: Gift Acceptance Policies Part 2:  The Gift Spectrum
Welcome to EO Radio Show – Your Nonprofit Legal Resource.  I'm Cynthia Rowland, and episode 159 is the second of three episodes focusing on gift acceptance policies for public charities. In this episode, I'll talk about a spectrum of gifts and the diligence that applies to each. I'll have a little deeper dive into certain kinds of gifts and some planned giving vehicles. In the first episode in the series, episode 158, I provided an introduction to why gift acceptance policies matter, what they are, the governing principles, and who makes decisions at each step of the gift intake process. In the next episode, part three, I'll cover IRS compliance requirements, donor recognition, and the implementation of gifts subject to significant restrictions. Show Notes: Publication 526 (2025), Charitable Contributions | Internal Revenue Service EO Radio Show #157: A Case Study on Charitable Deduction Acknowledgment Requirements EO Radio Show #158: Gift Acceptance Policies Part 1: What, Why, and Who EO Radio Show Nonprofit Governance playlist If you have suggestions for topics you would like us to discuss, please email us at [email protected]. Additional episodes are available at EORadioShowByFarella.com.  DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be, nor should it be interpreted as, legal advice or opinion.
Jul 6
16 min
158: Gift Acceptance Policies Part 1: What, Why, and Who
Welcome to EO Radio Show – Your Nonprofit Legal Resource. I'm Cynthia Rowland, and this is episode 158 of EO Radio Show. This episode is the first in a three-part series focusing on gift acceptance policies for public charities. The first episode will provide an introduction to why gift acceptance policies matter, what they are, the governing principles, and who makes decisions at each step of the gift intake process. In part two, I'll cover the gift spectrum, the asset types from easy to hard that are addressed in a gift acceptance policy. I'll do a deeper dive into real estate diligence, since it's a pretty common, complex asset. In part three, I'll cover compliance, recognition, and implementation. In that episode, I'll discuss the IRS requirements for reporting charitable contributions and other matters commonly addressed in gift acceptance policies. Show Notes: Publication 526 (2025), Charitable Contributions | Internal Revenue Service EO Radio Show episode 157: A Case Study on Charitable Deduction Acknowledgment Requirements EO Radio Show Nonprofit Governance playlist If you have suggestions for topics you would like us to discuss, please email us at [email protected]. Additional episodes are available at EORadioShowByFarella.com.  DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be, nor should it be interpreted as, legal advice or opinion.
Jun 29
14 min
157: A Case Study on Charitable Deduction Acknowledgment Requirements
Welcome to EO Radio Show – Your Nonprofit Legal Resource. I'm Cynthia Rowland, and this is episode 157 of EO Radio Show. On June 10, 2026, the tax court issued an opinion in a case that presents a great opportunity to discuss charitable deduction acknowledgment requirements. For listeners who want to read the opinion, we have a link to the case, Wells v. Commissioner, in the show notes. A case like this is a lot less dry than a recitation of the rules about charitable deduction acknowledgment requirements, and it's easy to empathize with the donor when the full color of real life serves as a backdrop to the legal concepts. Show Notes: Wells v. Commissioner (T.C. Memo. 2026-49) If you have suggestions for topics you would like us to discuss, please email us at [email protected]. Additional episodes are available at EORadioShowByFarella.com.  DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be, nor should it be interpreted as, legal advice or opinion.
Jun 22
11 min
156: New Proposed Registration Rules for California Charities
Welcome to EO Radio Show – Your Nonprofit Legal Resource. I'm Cynthia Rowland, and this is episode 156 of EO Radio Show. Today, we are going to talk about proposed changes to the filing process requirements for charities that are required to register with the California Registry of Charities and Fundraisers. These proposed changes apply to both the initial registration and annual renewal forms filed by California charities. One might think that this episode will be of interest only to California-based charities, but that would be wrong. All charitable organizations that solicit donations from California residents should take note. Show Notes: Registry of Charities and Fundraisers Online Filing Service: Notice of Proposed Adoption of Regulations Attorney General Charities Homepage Attorney General Initial Registration CT-1 FAQ Attorney General Registry of Charities and Fundraisers' Existing Registry Search Tool  EO Radio Show #38: Nonprofit Quick Tip: Secretary of State Filings in California and Delaware EO Radio Show #49: Nonprofit Basics: Winding up a California Charity EO Radio Show #51: Nonprofit Basics: How To Withdraw a Foreign Charity From California Registration EO Radio Show #151: Charities Exiting California: Paperwork, Pitfalls, and Patience If you have suggestions for topics you would like us to discuss, please email us at [email protected]. Additional episodes are available at EORadioShowByFarella.com.  DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be, nor should it be interpreted as, legal advice or opinion.
Jun 3
23 min
155: REFRESH Federal Tax Filing Deadlines and Penalties
Welcome to EO Radio Show – Your Nonprofit Legal Resource. In the EO Radio Show episode 155, host Cynthia Rowland refreshes episode 41, which addresses the nonprofit basics topic of filing deadlines for nonprofit organizations. She covers both federal and state filing deadline requirements. Be sure to check the show notes for several resources for both federal and California filing deadlines. If you're in a state other than California and you suspect you have filing requirements in that state, be sure to check out our nonprofit state filings playlist, where we cover all 50 States and the District of Columbia's filing requirements. Show Notes: Nonprofit State Filings playlist Annual filing and forms for tax-exempt organizations  Required filing (Form 990 series)  Form 990 Overview Course See Filing Phase-In for more information about which return to file Form 990-N (e-Postcard), Annual Electronic Filing Requirement for Small Exempt Organizations Form 8868 Application for Extension of Time to File Form 990-series annual information returns (Forms 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF)  Form 990-N, Electronic Notice (e-Postcard) for Tax-Exempt Organizations Not Required to File Form 990 or Form 990-EZ  Form 990-T, Exempt Organization Business Income Tax Return (other than certain trusts)  Form 4720, Return of Certain Excise Taxes Under Chapters 41 and 42 of the Internal Revenue Code FAQs about the annual reporting requirements for tax-exempt organizations  Form 990 resources and tools  Publication 557 PDF Tax Relief in Disaster Situations Disaster Assistance and Emergency Relief for Individuals and Businesses Revenue Procedure 2014-11 explains the four procedures an organization may use to apply for reinstatement If you have suggestions for topics you would like us to discuss, please email us at [email protected]. Additional episodes are available at EORadioShowByFarella.com.  DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be, nor should it be interpreted as, legal advice or opinion.
May 11
10 min
154: 2026 California Employment Law Updates for Nonprofits
Welcome to EO Radio Show – Your Nonprofit Legal Resource. I'm Cynthia Rowland, and in episode 154 of EO Radio Show, I welcome back my partner, Ben Buchwalter, to discuss changes in employment laws affecting California employers. Even though many people are working remotely, some employers have employees who either live in California or spend a significant amount of their work hours there. For these employees, it is crucial to ensure compliance with all applicable California laws. Additionally, we will discuss new federal standards that apply to all employees today. Show Notes: Benjamin Buchwalter bio Farella employment law resources EO Radio Show #113: Nonprofit Employer Return-to-Office Mandates: Best Practices and Litigation Risks EO Radio Show #74: Employment Law Update for Nonprofits With Holly Sutton EO Radio Show #28: California's New Pay Transparency Law If you have suggestions for topics you would like us to discuss, please email us at [email protected]. Additional episodes are available at EORadioShowByFarella.com.  DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be, nor should it be interpreted as, legal advice or opinion.
May 4
23 min
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