Navigating Nonprofit Dissolutions & Mergers 2026

Martha “Frannie” Reilly is an attorney at McNees Wallace & Nurick who advises nonprofits, schools, and public sector organizations throughout southeastern Pennsylvania from the firm’s Radnor office. Her practice focuses on public finance, corporate and tax matters, nonprofit governance, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies. She advises clients on a range of legal and strategic issues, including bond structuring, tax-exempt status, and municipal securities law. Her work helps mission-driven and public-serving organizations navigate financing, compliance, governance, and long-term planning with a practical, solutions-focused approach. With experience advising nonprofits, schools, and public sector entities, Frannie brings a valuable perspective to conversations about nonprofit sustainability and the development of social enterprise strategies that support both mission and financial strength. She works closely with clients to address evolving legal and operational challenges while helping them build strong foundations for future impact. Frannie is co-chair of the firm’s Public Finance and Government Services Group and chair of its Charitable and Non-Profit and ESG Groups. She is also a member of the Corporate and Tax Group.

Morgen was named the 2024 Outstanding Nonprofit Lawyer of the Year by the American Bar Association and is a systemic thinker, dedicated to serving the legal needs of nonprofit organizations and revolutionizing how nonprofits access legal supports. She is the founder and managing attorney of the Cheshire Law Group, which was awarded the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Solo and Small Firm Section Award in 2024. Cheshire Law Group was launched in July 2011 to bring legal counsel within reach for nonprofit organizations, and in her daily practice, she exclusively serves as outside general counsel for nonprofits, helping them to manage their day-to-day and strategic legal needs effectively and affordably. Morgen is also the founder and managing editor of PAnonprofitlaw.com, a digital legal library launched in 2023 that offers resources that help make sense of legal complexities and accelerate and elevate the work of Pennsylvania’s nonprofit organizations and the professionals who serve them. PAnonprofitlaw.com includes tools that range from ready-to-use templates to informative guides to an annotated version of Pennsylvania’s Nonprofit Corporation Law (a 4th edition is coming in 2026!). Morgen also currently serves on the Public Policy Committee for the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO) and is a member of the Pennsylvania Department of State Corporation Bureau Advisory Committee. Morgen earned her bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College, and her law degree from Temple University School of Law, cum laude, and spent her third year of law school at Columbia School of Law studying art law. She is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania and New York.

Beth Dougherty is the Director of Legal Education Initiatives at Cheshire Law Group in Philadelphia. Beth has advised a wide range of nonprofit organizations on all aspects of their activities, including formation and tax-exempt status, board governance, federal and state laws and regulatory compliance, mergers, affiliations, and fundraising compliance. She has also served on the boards of grassroots nonprofit organizations and worked directly in the nonprofit sector, supporting public education initiatives through the City of Philadelphia’s Community Schools Program and child health as a Project Coordinator at Children First. An active volunteer in her community, Beth has been involved with the East Passyunk Crossing Civic Association since 2008. She is a graduate of Temple University Beasley School of Law, J.D., and New York University, B.A.