Elizabeth Schmidt

I am a senior research fellow, specializing in nonprofits, social enterprise, and strategies for social change at UMass Amherst. I am also President of Rules of the Road for Nonprofit Leaders, a firm that educates nonprofit leaders about the legal rules that govern their operations and, when understood correctly, can help them achieve their missions. In the past, I taught law at William and Mary and Vermont Law Schools. I also taught business, public policy, public administration, engineering, and education students at U Mass Amherst, George Mason University and Marlboro College. I have consulted with nonprofit and social enterprises, and I began two successful revenue generating programs within major U.S. nonprofit organizations. I have authored four editions of Nonprofit Law: The Life Cycle of a Charitable Organization, and I've written several articles about nonprofits and social enterprises. My most recent book is Rules of the Law for Nonprofit Leaders: Using the Law to Achieve Your Mission.