Jennifer Oertel

Jennifer Miller Oertel is the Legal Expert-in-Residence for the Council of Michigan Foundations and the Impact Investing Expert in Residence for the New Jersey Impact Investing Hub (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation). She is a member of the law firm of Bodman PLC, where she leads the firm’s Tax-exempt Organizations and Impact Investing Group. With a background in securities law, private equity and mergers & acquisitions, as well as tax-exempt organizations, Jen utilizes her corporate dealmaking and governance skills, coupled with her expertise in legal compliance, to assist exempt organizations as well as impact investors and social enterprises in all aspects of their business. 

Jen is an adjunct faculty member at the Lilly School For Philanthropy at Indiana University, teaching impact investing. Since 2010, Jennifer has served as co-chair of the Nonprofit Corporations Committee (Business Law Section) of the State Bar of Michigan, which holds the responsibility of reviewing and updating the state’s laws governing nonprofit corporations in addition to reviewing legislation that regulates the solicitation of charitable contributions. She is also active in the New Jersey State Bar Association. Jen has served with Council on Foundations as a legal reviewer for National Standards for Accreditation of US Community Foundations, has judged “Crain’s Best Managed Nonprofits” and Serves on the Board of Directors and as Chair of the Audit Committee for Exponent Philanthropy. Among other honors, Jennifer has been elected to “Who’s Who in Impact Investing,” “Best Lawyers in America,” “Crain’s Notable Women in the Law,” “Crain’s Leaders in the Law,” “Superlawyers,” “Top 100 Attorneys in Michigan,” “Top 50 Women Attorneys in Michigan,” and “Business Top Lawyers.”

Jennifer is highly proficient in Spanish, has a background in social work and evaluation, and holds a certificate in nonprofit management from Georgetown University. She has spoken and published both locally and nationally on impact investing and philanthropy and has served as a trustee of several for-impact organizations, winning many awards for her volunteerism, including being appointed as a fellow of the Michigan Bar Association Foundation and the American Bar Association Foundation, a global honorary society of fewer than 1% of existing attorneys, judges, law faculty, and legal scholars whose public and private careers have demonstrated outstanding dedication to the highest principles of the legal profession and to the welfare of their communities. With nearly 3 decades of experience, Jen assisted the National Venture Capital Association in drafting the first-ever templates for private investment, and she was the youngest person to have her research presented at the World Congress on Sociology.