FPLG CEO May L. Harris Featured in NonProfit Times on IRS Uncertainty and Nonprofit Compliance

In the February 2026 issue of NonProfit Times, Ms. Harris was featured in an article examining how evolving federal enforcement priorities and IRS capacity constraints are shaping the nonprofit sector’s risk environment.

In the piece, Ms. Harris underscored the complexity nonprofit leaders are navigating right now—particularly the push-pull between changes to charitable giving incentives and heightened rhetoric around enforcement and compliance. As Ms. Harris noted, the sector is operating in a moment where nonprofits may feel pressure from multiple directions at once, including shifting expectations that can move faster than organizations can reasonably adapt.

Key themes from the article

1) Charitable giving incentives may shift, but philanthropy remains resilient.
Ms. Harris acknowledged concerns that high-income donors and corporate philanthropy may show more resistance in 2026, while also offering perspective from past cycles of tax-law change—reminding leaders that prior predictions of major giving declines did not play out as expected.

2) Now is the time to tighten governance and internal controls.
Ms. Harris emphasized the “silver lining” of uncertainty: it should prompt organizations to strengthen fundamentals—documentation, governance processes, recordkeeping, financial controls, and conflict-of-interest practices—and to proactively “clean house” before scrutiny arrives.

3) Build a response plan before you need it.
The article highlights the importance of planning for the possibility of agency scrutiny—developing a clear internal protocol so leaders aren’t making critical decisions in a moment of stress.

4) Pay special attention to international activity and compliance.
Ms. Harris specifically flagged international grantmaking and related Treasury/OFAC compliance as an area requiring disciplined board-level oversight, clear policies, and ongoing monitoring—given the potentially significant consequences of compliance failures.

FPLG’s Perspective

At FPLG, we help nonprofit leaders build compliant, durable organizations that can pursue mission confidently—even in changing regulatory climates. If your organization is revisiting governance structure, documentation, internal controls, or risk management planning in 2026, our team is here to help.

Read the full feature in NonProfit Times, February 2026 edition.