Marla K. Conley, Esq.

Marla Conley is a founding partner of Conley Law Group LLC where she focuses her practice on serving nonprofit organizations and their donors.

Marla provides general counsel and strategic planning services for a wide range of nonprofit organizations, from obtaining and maintaining tax-exempt status to major corporate restructures and affiliations. She advises clients regarding corporate structure; governance; taxation; fundraising; endowment and charitable trust management; grants; and charitable spending. Marla represents clients before the IRS, the Attorney General, and the Pennsylvania Orphans’ Court.

Ms. Conley is well-versed in the federal tax and state charitable laws applicable to private foundations, charitable trusts, and other grantmakers, such as individual donors and sponsoring organizations of donor advised funds.

Marla is also experienced in new and old charitable gifts, including general fundraising matters, corporate sponsorships, cause-related marketing, planned giving, and vetting and accepting complex illiquid assets such as collectibles, real estate, or interests in a closely held business. She regularly assists clients with grant and donation agreements as well as managing and investing, and removing old restrictions on, charitable funds, trusts, and endowments.

Prior to founding Conley Law Group LLC, she co-chaired the Nonprofit Practice Group at a large, full-service law firm based in Philadelphia. Marla has also worked in direct service provision and affordable housing development in cities including Baltimore MD, and Newark NJ, as well as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Maryland, the American Bar Association's Center on Children and the Law, and the Delaware Office of the Child Advocate. She currently serves as co-chair of the Property Committee for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania.

Ms. Conley speaks frequently on nonprofit governance and fundraising issues. She is always interested in hearing about new models for collaborative charitable funding or program evaluation.

Education

• University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D. (magna cum laude)
• Princeton University, A.B., Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs

Bar Admissions

• Pennsylvania