DEI Update for Nonprofits: Staying Mission-Focused Amidst Uncertainty

DEI Update for Nonprofits: Staying Mission-Focused Amidst Uncertainty
Tuesday, April 21 | 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM | Webinar

Presented by: Morgen Cheshire, Founder and Managing Attorney, Beth Dougherty, Attorney & Director of Legal Education Initiatives, and Diane J. (DJ) Stoeberl, Attorney, Cheshire Law Group

Offered in Partnership with: Cheshire Law Group and PAnonprofitlaw.com
 

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Monday, April 20, 11:59 PM

In his February 2026 State of the Union address, President Trump declared DEI dead (stating “We ended DEI in America”); however, the legal issues are very much alive. It’s a challenging time for nonprofits as they grapple with how to carry out their missions and honor donor intent in the wake of Executive Orders, recent court decisions, litigation settlements, messaging from the U.S. Attorney General, and the freezing of federal funding for projects and initiatives not aligned with this Administration’s priorities. State Attorneys General have something to say, too, so it’s no wonder that nonprofit organizations are confused and concerned about the legality of their DEI initiatives and how to navigate these current and unique challenges.

Attend this session, led by attorneys specializing in nonprofit law, to learn how to help your nonprofit understand what’s really at stake and what it can and cannot do in terms of DEI.

Specifically, we’ll cover:

• The current state of federal law governing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives
• How to assess risk for your organization in the current legal landscape
• Risk mitigation strategies amidst continued uncertainty
• Steps your organization can take to protect itself in the face of potential public policy changes that may conflict with your organization’s mission and values

*PLEASE NOTE:

• This is an informational session, and no legal advice will be given to attendees. Attendees seeking legal advice should engage legal counsel. Attendees’ attendance does not establish an attorney-client relationship with the presenters or their law firm, even if attendees ask questions and receive responses from the presenters.
• This session will be recorded. A link to the recording will be shared with all registrants and may also be shared with others who inquire about this content after the live session has ended. Attendees will be able to ask questions anonymously during the webinar via Zoom’s Q&A feature. Any questions shared with PANO staff and the presenters, either in advance during the registration process or during the live webinar, will be kept confidential.

Single Login Cost:
FREE per person for PANO Members | $20 per person for Not-Yet Members

Terms of Participation
Your purchase entitles you to a single login. Please do not share the login information with others, as it may interfere with your ability to join. If multiple individuals from your organization would like to view the webinar, please purchase separate tickets for each person or consider a group screening ticket (below).

Group Screening Cost (4-10 individuals):
FREE per group for PANO Members | $64 per group for Not-Yet Members

Terms of Participation
If you have 4-10 individuals interested in viewing the webinar, please have one person register selecting the group ticket. You can then enter the names and email addresses of up to 9 other individuals to add to your group ticket.

This option makes the most sense when you have 4-10 individuals interested in viewing the webinar. For fewer than 4 attendees, a single login ticket for each person is the most cost-effective option. For more than 10 attendees, please email Christina at christina@pano.org to discuss options.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Monday, April 20, 11:59 PM

Materials & Login/Call-In Instructions:
Materials (PowerPoint and other handouts), along with login instructions will be emailed to attendees the morning of the webinar. PANO uses Zoom as our webinar platform; you can familiarize yourself with Zoom and/or join a test meeting prior to this session.

Can’t attend? All registrants will receive a recording of the webinar following the live session! Additionally, the recording will be uploaded to PANO’s Online Store for purchase (FREE for PANO Members | $20 for Not-Yet Members) within a week of the live event.

About the Facilitators

This session is presented by Morgen Cheshire, Beth Dougherty, and Diane J. (DJ) Stoeberl, attorneys with Cheshire Law Group, a Pennsylvania law firm exclusively serving the day-to-day and strategic legal needs of nonprofit organizations and the publisher of PAnonprofitlaw.com, a new legal resource offering downloadable legal tools and templates that help support the legal needs of Pennsylvania nonprofit organizations.