Navigating Non Profits: Forming, Financing, Boards, & Legal Compliance

Faculty:

Kent Seton is CEO of the law firm Seton & Associates and co-founder and CEO of the Center for Nonprofit Creation (CNPC), a separate entity that is dedicated to helping passionate citizens nationwide to form, establish and maintain tax-exempt nonprofit organizations.  CNPC is the largest organization of its kind in the United States and sets up an average of 200 nonprofit organizations monthly.

Kent has been a licensed attorney in the state of California for more than seven years and has helped roughly 10,000 organizations form and succeed in the nonprofit market. Recognized widely as an expert in the formation and maintenance of tax-exempt organizations, he speaks at numerous conferences across the country and his full-day seminar on “How to Create and Operate a Nonprofit in California” is approved by the State Bar of California.  He is also approved by the State Bar to provide MCLE continuing education credits to attorneys who want to learn more about this difficult and misunderstood area of the law.

In addition to his dedication to the nonprofit sector, Kent assists businesses with general business law needs. At Seton & Associates, Kent works with individuals from all walks of life from business owners and real estate developers to entertainers and private foundations.

He also serves on the board of directors for several national nonprofit organizations including the Wright Institute of Los Angeles and the Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny. In addition, Kent is a member of the Beverly Hills and Los Angeles County Bar Associations, the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce, the Association of Legal Administrators and the Provisors Networking Group.

Kent earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California (USC) and his juris doctor degree from the Loyola Law School. Born and currently residing in Beverly Hills, Kent is an avid tennis enthusiast and was a National Champion and an All-American Tennis Champion in 1990 and 1993 while attending USC.

For more information on the Center for Non Profit Creation visit www.npcreation.com or www.setonlawgroup.com.

Judy Morris is a Financial Service expert, with a decade in the field at a major Wall Street firm. She has been working with non-profit organizations for more than five years, helping them deal with the often overlooked financial aspects of running their organizations such as cash management strategies, retirement plans, and endowments. It isn’t uncommon for a non-profit to be so busy fulfilling on their mission that they often times leave things such as retirement plans, endowments and cash management strategies status quo or un-reviewed and in many cases out-dated.  With Judy’s expertise in retirement planning, cash management and investments, Judy assists executive directors, human resource managers, and board members with these financial areas that are often neglected or overlooked.
 
Judy's ten years of expertise lies in:
• Financial Planning for Non-Profits
• Financial Goal Analysis
• Retirement Planning services such as 403 (b)'s and 401 (k)'s
• Investment management of endowments, foundations, and cash reserve
• Fiduciary Accounts
• Active asset management
• Personal financial goal analysis and planning for employees of the organization
• Quality investment choices rated highest among their peer groups for
 performance and longevity
• Quality investment research and advice

Michael Cantrill has in excess of 20 years of experience in public accounting, seven of which have been with RBZ serving nonprofit organizations. As the Director of the Nonprofit Practice Group, his clients are primarily concentrated within the nonprofit arena. Mike’s range of nonprofit experience extends to public charities, religious and voluntary health and welfare organizations, membership organizations, private foundations, and affordable housing. Mike has worked extensively with Federal programs and the various and complex compliance and reporting requirements. He is “Yellow-Book” certified and has extensive experience in dealing with organizations that receive Federal funding and require “Single Audits.” Mike has a specialty in advising his clients on how to avoid unrelated business taxable income. He is a recognized expert on Form 990 and teaches many continuing professional education courses in the area of accounting, financial reporting, and tax compliance matters related to nonprofit organizations.
 
Mike’s commitment to serving nonprofit organizations extends beyond RBZ. He has taught nonprofit government accounting at California Association of Nonprofits and California CPA Education Foundation seminars. He also frequently publishes articles on various nonprofit financial and compliance topics and has personally been involved with a number of tax-exempt organizations as a volunteer. Mike currently serves as Treasurer of the national organization of Variety, the Children’s Charity, and regularly speaks to alcoholics and addicts within the Los Angeles County prison system.