Elizabeth (Betsy) Grossman advises nonprofit clients, with a particular focus on organizations that conduct or fund social change work. She has significant experience advising large private grantmaking foundations, nationally- and internationally-known operating charities and advocacy organizations, and politically-active entities. Betsy has deep expertise in tax-exempt organization tax law and nonprofit corporate governance issues. She also advises on grantmaking, lobbying, government ethics, voter registration, campaign finance, ballot measure, charitable solicitation, contract, and other areas of law. In addition, Betsy has represented many tax-exempt organizations before the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department in audits and myriad other IRS issues.

Prior to joining Trister Ross, Betsy served for eight years as in-house General Counsel for a large network of environmental and consumer advocacy groups, where she managed all legal issues for many section 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), 527 and PAC organizations, as well as for-profit businesses and investment entities. Prior to that, she represented private foundations, charities, and advocacy organizations at Caplin & Drysdale. She has also worked in organizational development and functional roles at nonprofits and served as law clerk to a federal appellate judge.

Education:
Harvard Law School, J.D., 2008
Co-President, Harvard Journal on Legislation
Oberlin College, B.A., 2002

Bar Admissions:
District of Columbia
Massachusetts (inactive)

Prior Professional Experience:
General Counsel, The Public Interest Network
Associate, Caplin & Drysdale, Chtd.
Law Clerk to the Hon. Peter W. Hall, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Activities
Member & Corporate Secretary, Board of Directors, Mighty Earth, Inc.
Member, American Bar Association, Tax Section, Exempt Organizations Committee

Selected Publications
Elizabeth A. Grossman, Political Activities by Section 501(c)(4) and 501(c)(6) Organizations in Political Activity, Lobbying Laws, and Gift Rules Guide, West Publishing (Trevor Potter, Matthew Sanderson, eds.)

Douglas N. Varley & Elizabeth A. Grossman, Voter Registration, Education & Ballot Campaigns: A Funders’ Guide To Legal Issues, Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation (2011)