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NCBF August 2022 Newsletter
SUCCESSFUL 45th ANNUAL MEETING
With more than 40 participants representing in excess of two dozen bar foundations from across the nation and the U.S. Virgin Islands, another successful hybrid Annual Meeting was held at the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Foundation (KCMBF) in Kansas City, Missouri, August 4-6!
The Annual Meeting highlights included:
- A wonderful Welcoming Reception, hosted by the KCMBF at its beautiful offices with the Kansas City iconic downtown area as a backdrop. The hospitality, arrangements, and support throughout the entire event provided by the KCMBF, with the cooperation of the metropolitan bar association, clearly demonstrated NCBF’s smart decision to hold its annual meetings at members’ offices rather than large city hotel complexes.
- Outstanding presentations on important issues, including:
- Sharon Ivy gave an overview of Equity and Access to Justice with specific actions to achieve these objectives.
- Three federal court judges, Hon. Shaniek Maynard, Southern District of Florida; Hon. Michael Newman, Southern District of Ohio; and Hon. Teresa James, District of Kansas; discussed opportunities for bar foundations to support civics education in collaboration with federal courts and the necessity for diversity in representation on the bench and in the legal profession.
- An intensive two-hour interactive discussion on the high priority issue of Bar Foundation and Bar Association Relationships was led by experienced NCBF members, Bob Glaves, Chicago Bar Foundation; Velda Hofacker, Ohio
State Bar Foundation; and Lori Keating, Ohio State Bar Foundation; with active involvement by onsite and online attendees.
- Well received greetings from KCMBA President Bill Martucci, KCMBF President Lauren Perkins Allen, and Kansas City, MO, Mayor Quinton Lucas, with the Mayor’s remarks extending to inspiring comments regarding our nation’s citizens and future.
- The always enjoyable Friday Night Group Dinner where the food is delicious, and the conversation is enlightening. Lots of KC barbecue and all the fixings were eaten while personal interactions were had with new colleagues and old friends.
- Constant networking opportunities for the attendees to learn, share, and steal ideas, programs, activities, and tips for bar foundation volunteer leaders and professional staff to initiate and improve the benefits and services that bar foundations give to their communities and their citizens in law related philanthropic endeavors.
A Big, Big Thanks to the KCMBF and its highly regarded Executive Director, Sharra Wagner,
the expert speakers, to the hybrid meeting technology wizards (Sergei and Wyatt), to the NCBF Program Committee, to all the onsite and online participants, and to everyone else involved in making the 45th Annual Meeting another memorable event!
Click to View More Annual Meeting Photos at NCBF.org
NCBF AWARD RECIPIENTS
During the NCBF Annual Meeting, the LexisNexis/NCBF Partnerships in Success Award and the Excellence Award were presented to worthy recipients.
The NCBF/Lexis-Nexis Partnership for Success Award was presented to the Allegheny County Bar Foundation (Pittsburgh, PA.), for its Pro Bono Pardons Program, which is literally changing the lives of hundreds of Pennsylvanians with low incomes whose non-violent criminal records have prevented them from gaining access to jobs, housing, and public benefits and have kept them and their families in a cycle of poverty. By helping to obtain a pardon for these individuals, the Pro Bono Pardons Program is opening up innumerable opportunities for these individuals. Lorrie Albert, Associate Executive Director for the Allegheny County Bar Foundation, and Barbara Griffin, the designer of this program, were in Kansas City with us to receive the award. Ms. Griffin spoke at length about the program and gave us all invaluable insight into how the program works, the difficulties they’ve encountered as well as the successes they’ve achieved. Ms. Griffin also said she would be happy to share any of the details for this program with any Bar Foundation that would like to replicate it. The NCBF congratulates the Allegheny County Bar Foundation on this spectacular program.
The Excellence Award selection was Andrea Stone, who recently retired as the Texas Bar Foundation Executive Director. Andrea’s bar organization career began with the Texas State Bar before moving to the Texas Bar Foundation and becoming its Executive Director about two decades ago. Her leadership and expertise moved the bar foundation to its current position as the largest charitably funded bar foundation in the nation.
Andrea’s participation and involvement in NCBF led her to exemplary service as a committee member, a board of directors member, and officer positions, including a stellar tenure as president. Her NCBF leadership culminated with having the Texas Bar Foundation host the 2020 mid-year meeting in Austin, the last of those events for NCBF and generally recognized as the best NCBF mid-year meeting ever!
NCBF OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS
NCBF is pleased to announce the election of several well qualified members to serve as the officers for 2022-23 and as new members of the board of directors for three year terms.
Newly elected officers
- President Dan Burns, Past President of the Foundation for the New Haven County Bar (CT)
- President-elect Beth McElroy, Advisor to the Board of the Birmingham Bar Foundation (AL)
- Treasurer Hinda Carbon, Executive Director of the U.S. Virgin Islands Bar Foundation
- Secretary Lori Keating, Executive Director of the Ohio State Bar Foundation
Newly elected directors
- Director Jennifer Castillo, Past President of the Oklahoma Bar Foundation
- Director Velda Hofacker, Past President of the Ohio State Bar Foundation
- Director Sang Yup Lee, Director of Development for the Chicago Bar Foundation
- Director Jessica Reeves, Director of Events & Administration for the Illinois Bar Foundation
- Director DeLaine Ward, Executive Director for the Austin Bar Foundation and Austin Bar Association (TX)
- Director Patricia Winthrop, Volunteer for the Arizona Bar Foundation
Congratulations to these members of the NCBF Leadership Team! Stay tuned for photos and information regarding the new board of directors members in the September Foundation Forum.
2022-23 NCBF MEMBERSHIP RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN
The NCBF Board of Directors has approved an improved robust membership recruitment and retention campaign for the new fiscal year that begins on September 1, 2022.
There will be NO CHANGE in the annual dues amounts for bar foundation memberships or for individual memberships.
The Membership Dues Renewal notices will be sent to current NCBF members later this month.
Click to Renew Your NCBF Membership Today for 2022-23
MEMBER CONNECT
The newly re-designed Member Connect program has had two requests that were sent to members in July.
Member Connect presents the opportunity for NCBF members to network with one another by requesting input to improve and enhance existing bar foundation activities or initiate new services. It enables all NCBF members to learn, share and “steal” beneficial endeavors from their NCBF colleagues.
The questions are listed below, and as with all Member Connect communications, the responses received to these items are placed on the NCBF website in the Member Connect section of the Resource Library in the Members-Only portal on the site.
Recent Member Connect requests
- The Vermont Bar Foundation is working on its strategic plan and would like to see what other bar foundations have put together if you would like to share your foundation’s strategic plan.
- José Herrera of the Vermont Bar Foundation asks whether your bar foundation has done any projects with high school students to teach them about the importance of the Constitution and the law.
Click to View Member Connect Responses
AMERICAN BAR ENDOWMENT OPPORTUNITY GRANTS
NCBF wishes to inform you of American Bar Endowment Opportunity grants, for which the grant cycle is now open. In recent years, these grants have been awarded to NCBF members, including the DC Bar Foundation, the Louisiana Bar Foundation, and the Arizona Bar Foundation.
The American Bar Endowment’s Opportunity Grant Program supports new and innovative law-related projects and programs that serve the public’s immediate and critical legal needs with boots-on-the-ground programming. The ABE Opportunity Grant Program funding focus areas include:
- Enhancing access to justice, especially for vulnerable and underserved populations using innovations to legal services delivery, capacity-building, or pro bono service.
- Improvement of the justice system, including ensuring equal justice and elimination of bias.
- Increasing public understanding of legal rights and responsibilities so people can recognize legal problems and know how to address them.
Submission of a Letter of Intent (LOI) is mandatory and provides useful feedback about eligibility. LOIs are due by Friday, September 23, 2022, and full proposals are due by Friday, October 7, 2022. The ABE will announce grant awards in February 2023.
Visit ABE Opportunity Grants to learn more, including eligibility and how to apply. You can also view a list of past recipients.
NCBF MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
The August NCBF Member Spotlight shines on the Massachusetts Bar Foundation and its work to improve the administration of justice, to promote an understanding of the law, and to ensure equal access to the legal system.
