Cindy M. Lott

Cindy M. Lott is a Clinical Professor at the Paul H. O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, and faculty member at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Her expertise spans nonprofit leadership, governance, management, ethics, legal compliance, regulation, and policy.

Her educational background includes:

• J.D. from Yale Law School (1993)
• B.A. from Indiana University (1989)

Professor Lott's research focuses on the U.S. charitable sector's regulatory framework, with emphasis on state/federal regulation, governance, and policy. She develops national convenings on charitable regulation and analyzes regulatory compliance trends, bridging legal scholarship with nonprofit management practice through frequent national conference engagements.

Her notable awards include:

• Stead Policy Fellow at Indiana University's Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
• Fellow at the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy, Urban Institute
• Inaugural Policy Fellow at Independent Sector

Professor Lott actively consults on nonprofit policy and serves on key committees including Independent Sector's Public Policy Committee and the American Bar Association's exempt organizations subcommittee. Her professional trajectory spans significant roles such as Executive Director of Columbia Law School's National State Attorneys General Program and Chief Counsel for the 2004 Democratic National Convention, demonstrating deep integration of legal practice and nonprofit sector leadership.