Zac Kester

As the CEO and Managing Attorney of Charitable Allies, Zac Kester advocates and pursues justice for nonprofit organizations daily. With nearly 15 years of experience, Zac has come alongside nonprofit leaders through challenges of all shapes and sizes, from starting up to handling mergers and reorganizations. Zac provides a unique perspective as both an attorney and a nonprofit founder, striking a balance between mitigating risk and prioritizing mission. He leads the Charitable Allies team with a focus on innovation and excellence as they serve their nearly 1,500 nonprofit clients.

In his spare time, Zac has served on several nonprofit boards, including Ascent 121 and kNot Today. He lives in Zionsville with his wife Amanda, where they are active volunteers at their church. The Kesters are passionate about adopting and fostering children and have adopted two daughters who are wonderful older sisters to their two sons.

Causes I Care About:

  • Adoption and Foster Care
  • Human Trafficking
  • Global Poverty
  • Free Speech
  • Religious Rights

Credentials/Awards:

  • CFRM; Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
  • LL.M., Taxation and Tax Exempt Organizations, Indiana University Maurer School of Law
  • Juris Doctor, Indiana University Maurer School of Law
  • 2018 Leadership in Law Award from the Indiana Lawyer
  • Exempt Organizations Council Member, Program Committee
  • Indiana Advisory Committee member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
  • Practitioner-in-Residence, Indiana University Maurer School of Law
  • Committee member: Indiana Governor’s Adoption Study Committee
  • Bachelor of Arts – Political Theory & Constitutional Democracy and Social Relations; Michigan State University, James Madison College
  • Admitted to practice law in Indiana, Texas, Arizona and Washington DC

Testimonials

I am beyond pleased with the services and counsel of Charitable Allies. Zac and his team helped our organization and made what could have been a difficult process seamless. Thank you!

Rima S.

I have been using Charitable Allies services for over four years with the last 2.5 utilizing their work on retainer as we grow our human resources, board development & professionalization, and evaluate risks to our organization and the types of insurance we need to mitigate those risks. Their team is professional, can move at a fast pace when needed, and their attorneys are surprisingly creative in finding the paths to meet the needs of our mission when we hit time or budget crunches. I recommend Zac and his team for your legal needs or even to help you evaluate your organization and board to find the risks you didn’t know were there. I have peace of mind knowing my organization is ready to face whatever comes next!

Tina W.