To view this email online with graphics, click here

Palm Beach Fellows Steering Committee advances Foundation's mission

The Florida Bar Foundation would like to congratulate the Palm Beach Fellows Steering Committee for a successful autumn Fellows Campaign. More than 40 new Fellows are anticipated as lifetime members of The Florida Bar Foundation once the campaign wraps up. This translates to $40,000 raised to provide increased access to justice for Florida’s poor.

Kudos to all involved and a special “Thank you” goes out to the campaign leaders – Chair Jay White (pictured at right) and Co-chairs Jane Kreusler-Walsh and Theodore Kypreos. Additional recognition goes to Jane who personally brought in more than 25 percent of the campaign’s new donors!

Foundation welcomes two new employees

The Florida Bar Foundation recently welcomed two new employees to its Development Department.

Prior to her work as the Foundation's annual giving manager, Alicia Hodge (pictured right) served as the director of development and marketing for the Guadalupe Center of Immokalee. Hodge will oversee donor development, the Foundation's Fellows Program and annual gifts to the Foundation.

Michelle Fonseca (pictured left) serves as the Foundation's development coordinator and will support the Foundation's annual giving efforts and work closely with Hodge and the Foundation's Development Director Tim Bachmeyer. Fonseca previously served as administrative and member services associate for the Florida Philanthropic Network.

 

Foundation accepting applicants for board seats

The Florida Bar Foundation is seeking applicants for six seats on its board of directors for terms starting July 2011 under the Florida Supreme Court approved governance Plan.

The Plan calls for 18 members of the Bar Foundation board to be selected in equal portions by the Florida Supreme Court, The Florida Bar Board of Governors and the board of directors of the Bar Foundation.

Since 1981, the Foundation has been the administrator of the Florida Supreme Court’s IOTA Program. The Foundation board awards all grants, oversees the Foundation’s fundraising program, sets investment policies, Foundation policies generally, and adopts the annual operating budget.

Read more about board of director requirements and download an application form.

 

2011 Medal of Honor nominations open

The Florida Bar Foundation is accepting nominations for its Medal of Honor award, the Foundation's highest honor. If you know someone who is deserving of the award, please submit your nomination form to the Foundation by February 4, 2011.

Find out more about the Medal of Honor award and download the nomination form.
View a list of  past recipients.

There's still time to give!

Keshawn's academic outlook seemed bleak until the first-grader's case was picked up by the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County's Education Advocacy Law Project, one of 22 Foundation-funded Children's Legal Services projects at legal aid organizations around the state.

Keshawn's legal aid attorney took the necessary steps to ensure that the 6-year-old received the educational services the law required, and he is now thriving in school.

Please help support The Florida Bar Foundation's End-of-Year Children's Legal Services Campaign and help ensure that the legal rights of children like Keshawn are protected.

To learn how legal aid helped Keshawn, and to support The Florida Bar Foundation's End-of-Year Campaign for Children's Legal Services, visit www.floridabarfoundation.org/children.
 

Speaking of Justice is online!

The Florida Bar Foundation's quarterly print newsletter, Speaking of Justice, is now available online. Read about the Foundation's support for the Barry University School of Law's Juvenile Life Without Parole Defense Resource Center, how the Foundation helped to advance technology for legal aid programs and how you can help support the special legal needs of children.

and last but not least... Happy Holidays!

Season's Greetings from The Florida Bar Foundation, its grantees and the communities they serve! Thank you for helping give the gift of justice to Floridians in need.

We thought you would like to know that members of the Foundation staff have joined you in giving to provide greater access to justice for the poor by becoming Foundation Fellows. We look forward to your continued support in the coming new year!