Angela Fogt, Faegre Drinker

Angela Fogt, partner at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, counsels nonprofit organizations on their inception and operation, helping clients form tax-exempt organizations and advising on governance issues, charitable gifts and endowments, corporate philanthropy, and domestic and international grant-making.

In corporate philanthropy, Fogt helps companies and their affiliated charities structure community outreach and charitable grant-making programs. She advises more than 30 company-affiliated charities on matters including formation, tax-exemption, grant-making, domestic and international employee assistance, scholarships and compliance with private foundation excise tax rules. She also assists companies and charities in complying with state-specific laws relating to cause-related marketing.

Fogt regularly works with private foundation and public charity grant-makers on issues related to governance, grant-making, program-related investments and strategic collaborations. She serves as primary outside counsel for Vail Valley Foundation.

Her expertise in diversity, equity and inclusion matters has positioned her as a thought leader in the field. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, Fogt has provided guidance to nonprofit organizations pursuing race-conscious programming. She noted that while the decision applied only to higher education institutions, its legal rationale is being used to challenge race-conscious programs in other contexts, including nonprofits and grantmaking programs.

Fogt received her J.D. with high distinction from the University of Iowa College of Law, where she was a member of the Order of the Coif, and her B.A. in political science from Iowa State University. She is admitted to practice in Minnesota and Iowa.

Her community involvement includes serving on the Junior League of Minneapolis Board of Directors and participating in Twin Cities United Way’s Centennial Endowment Leadership Committee. She received Faegre Drinker’s Pro Bono Honor Roll recognition and was named to the Minnesota State Bar Association’s North Star Lawyers program.

Fogt has been recognized as a Minnesota Super Lawyers Rising Star in nonprofit organizations from 2015-2024 and received Faegre Drinker’s Pro Bono Award in 2024.