Holly Schadler concentrates her practice on representing tax-exempt organizations, including private foundations, public charities, 501(c)(4) organizations and PACs, in connection with tax; federal, state and local campaign finance; governmental ethics; lobbying and corporate matters as well as advising on the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Her clients include many of the nation’s largest advocacy and grantmaking organizations. She defends clients facing audits, examinations and complaints by the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Election Commission and other government bodies. Holly successfully litigated the Sierra Club’s landmark case through the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit regarding treatment of royalty income from mailing lists and affinity credit cards and unrelated business income tax.

While some groups seek her counsel after finding themselves the target of an investigation, many organizations rely on Holly’s day-to-day advice as their outside general counsel. Her prior experience working for tax-exempt organizations as a CEO, political director and lobbyist has proven particularly useful in representing organizations in every aspect of their work. For complex organizations with affiliated 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4) and political organizations, she provides the guidance and training necessary for legal compliance. Her legal guide, The Connection, (published by the Alliance for Justice), now in its fifth edition, addresses the complexities of managing networks of tax-exempt and political groups.

Holly speaks frequently on nonprofit issues, and has written numerous articles on tax-exempt organization topics.

Practice Areas
Campaign Finance & Election Law
Corporate Formation and Governance
Lobbying Law & Government Ethics
Tax-Exempt Organizations

Professional Experience
Sierra Club, Associate Political Director
Connecticut Preservation Action, Executive Director

Education
George Washington University, J.D. with honors
Vassar College, B.A. with honors
University of Chicago

Bar Admissions
District of Columbia

Professional Activities
Adjunct Professor, American University, Washington College of Law, The Law of Advocacy and Elections.

Publications & Speaking
The Effect of Citizens United on Tax and Campaign Laws Governing Tax-Exempt Organizations, 65 Exempt Org. Tax Rev. 229 (March 2010) (with Laurence E. Gold)
Legal Consultant, State Law Resources website, Alliance for Justice
The Connection: Strategies for Creating and Operating 501(c)(3)s, 501(c)(4)s and Political Organizations, Alliance for Justice, Fifth Edition, 2024
Non-Profit Organizations, Public Policy and the Political Process: A Guide to the Internal Revenue Code and Federal Election Campaign Act, The Tides Center
No Free Lunch? The House and Senate Gift Rules and Nonprofit Organizations, Exempt Organizations Tax Review
Investing in Change: A Funders Guide to Supporting Advocacy, Alliance for Justice
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002: How Will It Affect Nonprofits?, 36 Exempt Org. Tax Rev. 171 (2002) (with Michael B. Trister)
Royalties as Compensation for Services: Structuring Licensing Agreements Under the Sierra Club Case, Association Law & Policy