Betsy Buchalter Adler

Advisory Council

Betsy Buchalter Adler practiced philanthropy law for 30 years as a member of the law firm of Adler & Colvin, based in San Francisco, California. Before retiring from Adler & Colvin at the end of 2012, her practice emphasized grantmaking charities (including family, company, and community foundations), nonprofit governance issues, and international philanthropy. She has chaired the Exempt Organizations Com­mittees of the Tax Sections of the American Bar Asso­ciation and the California State Bar. Ms. Adler served on the IRS Advisory Committee for Tax-Exempt and Governmental Entities from 2005 through 2008. She is the co-author of The Rules of the Road: A Guide to the Law of Charities in the U.S. (Council on Foundations, 2nd ed. 2012, also published in Chinese translation under the auspices of China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs) and has published several articles on aspects of philanthropy and law.

In addition to her activities with ICNL, Ms. Adler serves as a trustee and program officer of the Claire Giannini Fund, an independent foundation focusing on programs serving young people under 18, and as a member of the board of the Community Foundation for Monterey County. She also serves on the board of the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California. She served for four years as a Trustee of the UC Santa Cruz Foundation. Ms. Adler received her B.A. in 1971 from the University of California (Santa Cruz) and received her J.D. in 1982 from Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California (Berkeley).