Michael E. Batts, CPA

Mike Batts is the president & managing principal of BMWL.  Mike has more than 25 years of experience serving nonprofit organizations in a variety of ways.  He has served on and chaired the boards of nonprofit organizations, both nationally and at the community level. Mike’s past board service includes serving as chairman of the board of ECFA, a national organization that accredits religious nonprofits in the areas of board governance and financial integrity.  He advises nonprofit organizations on matters related to board governance, financial reporting, tax compliance and strategy, corporate structure, international activities, and related issues.  Mike has actively engaged in nonprofit legislative matters at the federal and state levels.  He served on the Legal Framework Workgroup of the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector, a legislative advisory panel formed at the request of the U.S. Senator Charles Grassley, then the Senate Finance Committee Chairman. Mike was recently appointed chairman of the Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations, a national commission convened by ECFA upon the request of Senator Grassley to address accountability and policy issues related to religious and other nonprofit organizations.  Mike has also drafted and lobbied successfully for a number of state statutes for nonprofit tax exemptions.  He is a frequent speaker at national conferences throughout the United States for nonprofit leaders.  Mike has written numerous articles published by multiple media outlets and has been quoted by national and local media as an authority in the nonprofit sector.  He recently authored three books, entitled Board Member Orientation: The Concise and Complete Guide to Nonprofit Board Service, Unrelated Business Income and the Church, and Unrelated Business Income and the 501(c)(3) Public Charity.  Mike is a summa cum laude graduate of Stetson University, and received national and state recognition for his scores on the Florida CPA examination, which were the highest in the state of Florida.  He and his wife, Karen, have four children.