Since 2008, Tim Delaney has served as President & CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, which – now the largest network of charitable nonprofits in North America – champions, connects, and informs nonprofits to advance the public good.
An accomplished attorney and policy advocate who previously served as a partner at a multi-state law firm, state Solicitor General, Chief Deputy Attorney General, and founder of a nonprofit promoting ethical leadership across the country, Tim has successfully argued in the U.S. Supreme Court, testified before Congress, and negotiated in the White House. He now applies his diverse leadership experiences to help charitable nonprofits identify emerging trends, engage in critical policy issues, exchange proven practices, and advance their missions through advocacy to achieve greater impact improving lives in local communities.
After graduating from Yale and earning joint degrees in law and public affairs from the University of Texas, Tim began his career in Arizona as a litigator at a large law firm, where he helped prosecute the impeachment and removal of a Governor, protected and advanced civil rights, and led the firm’s government relations practice. Appointed as Arizona’s Solicitor General, and promoted later to be Chief Deputy Attorney General, Tim led the state to win four out of four cases in the U.S. Supreme Court and prosecuted the removal of numerous elected officials for breaching the public trust. Then he founded and led the Center for Leadership, Ethics & Public Service, championing ethical leadership and advancing civic engagement across the country.
Tim has helped nonprofits from a variety of vantage points. He’s served as an adjunct faculty member at ASU teaching graduate courses on “Leadership and Ethics in the Nonprofit Sector,” author of a guidebook on nonprofit advocacy, board chair of Valley Leadership, co-founder and Interim CEO of the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits, national Training Fellow for the nonprofit Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest, member of the national Leadership Council of Nonprofit VOTE, and Steering Committee member for the international Affinity Group of National Associations.
Since 2008, Tim has drawn on his unique experiences in law, government, and nonprofits as he leads the National Council of Nonprofits, which is the only national, sector-wide group that integrates policy analysis and advocacy both vertically (local, state, federal) and horizontally (legislative, executive, judicial) on issues of concern to all subsectors of the 501(c)(3) community, such as charitable giving, nonpartisanship, regulatory oversight, property-tax exemptions, and much more. NCN looks out for the common good of the entire sector – charitable nonprofits, faith-based groups, and private foundations – while focusing primarily on the health and well-being of small and midsized community-based charitable nonprofits (97% of nonprofits have budgets less than $5 million; 92 percent less than $1 million).
Tim writes extensively, publishing analyses, articles and reports about advocacy, current events, nonprofits, and public policy. A sought-after speaker, Tim has delivered more than 400 keynote and other presentations for a diverse range of groups, domestic and international. Additionally, he’s been interviewed by ABC News, CBS, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, CNBC, CNN, C-SPAN, NPR, The New York Times, Nonprofit Quarterly, The NonProfit Times, San Francisco Chronicle, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and many other news outlets.
Numerous organizations have formally recognized Tim’s community and professional contributions, including the National Association of Attorneys General (Marvin Award for leadership and service, and co-recipient of the Best Brief Award for legal writing in the U.S. Supreme Court), LBJ School of Public Affairs (Distinguished Public Service Award – alumnus of the year), ASU School of Public Affairs (Faculty Associate Award for teaching excellence), ASU College of Extended Education (Outstanding Faculty Member Award for “excellence in teaching” at the Nonprofit Management Institute), the City of Phoenix (which dedicated the Delaney Family Playground in recognition of years of public service), and The NonProfit Times (named as a Power & Influence Top 50 nonprofit leader in the country 11 times and the “Influencer of the Year” in 2023).