Annual Report

FOUNDATION
omen’s Bar Association Foundation
2014-2015
Annual Report
serving the legal and related
needs of women and girls in the
DC metropolitan community
Mission
Leveraging the generosity of lawyers and friends to support
nonprofits that serve the legal and related needs of women and girls
in the DC Metropolitan community.
From Our President
In our 34th year, the Women’s Bar Association Foundation provided
grants to seven amazing organizations and recognized them at our
sixth annual Grant Awards Ceremony. We awarded a Founders
Fellowship grant, which provides a stipend to support the work of a
law student from one of the six area law schools at a local nonprofit
organization that serves the legal and related needs of women and
girls in our community.
With the hard work of our volunteer Board of Directors, we have
increased our fundraising capacity. Our 12th Annual Wine Tasting and
Silent Auction raised over $28,000. We had 60 new donors contribute
to the Foundation over the course of the year. We also participated in
Do More 24 again and doubled the amount raised from last year.
We are excited to share that we received a generous bequest of $10,000 from Suzanne Richards. Ms.
Richards was president of the Women’s Bar Association in the 1977-1978 bar year and remained a
very active member in the organization for many years afterwards.
When you give to the WBA Foundation, you leverage your contribution with those of others to
make a real impact on the lives of women and girls in our community. We are especially proud to
be the first grantor to support Amara Legal Center (“Amara”). Amara is the only organization in
the DC metro area dedicated to providing free state-level legal services to U.S. citizens who are
survivors of sex trafficking. Our grant will fund the DC Civil Legal Representation project, which
aims to provide specialized legal services for individuals harmed through commercial sex. The
WBA Foundation’s grant will be used to provide free, trauma-informed legal representation to 60
clients in DC in the form of civil protection orders, child custody, landlord/tenant, public benefits,
name changes, and living will/power of attorney cases. This grant will also allow Amara to train up
to 25 pro bono attorneys on the relevant law and how to provide trauma-informed care. After these
attorneys finish their training, they will go on to represent approximately 10 clients a month.
Despite the good work we have accomplished with your generous support, there is still a great
need in our community. Thirty-two organizations requested a total of $264,583 in grants from the
WBA Foundation during the 2014-2015 grantmaking cycle, only a fraction of which we were able
to satisfy. We are diligently working to expand our fundraising efforts in order to make an even
greater impact. We are grateful to our many donors who continuously help us to close this gap.
This Annual Report provides an overview of our activities for the past year, and demonstrates how we
use the collective contributions of our donors to create a greater influence than any individual would
have on her or his own. Our report also highlights the impressive programs of our grantees, who are
working every day to improve the lives of women and girls in the DC metropolitan community.
Nancy A. Long
2014-2015 President
Grantmaking
Program & Grantee
Awards Ceremony
The WBA Foundation’s grant process begins
in the fall, with the release of a Request
for Proposals. Thirty-two organizations
submitted a Letter of Intent (LOI), requesting
a total of over $264,583 in support. Eleven
organizations were invited to submit a
full grant application. Full proposals were
reviewed and researched by the WBA
Foundation Grants Committee, which made
recommendations to the full Board of Directors. A total of
$50,000 in grants to seven organizations were approved. Each year, our
grantees are required to submit a year-end report of their activities conducted under the grant.
In April, we hosted the sixth annual Grant Awards Ceremony at the offices of Sterne,
Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C. This event served to unite our grantees, supporters, and
other members of the community in celebration of our seven grantees: Amara Legal Center,
Bread for the City, Break the Cycle, DC Volunteer Lawyers Project, Domestic Violence Legal
Empowerment & Appeals Project, Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, and Legal
Counsel for the Elderly. A representative from each grantee provided brief remarks during the
event and networked with attendees to provide additional information about their programs
and services. Our keynote speaker was Neil Irvin, Executive Director, Men Can Stop Rape.
This outreach organization seeks to mobilize men to use their strength for creating cultures
free from violence, especially men’s violence against women. The organization focuses on
mentoring male youth and provides education programs, public messaging, and leadership
training to agencies, schools, and organizations. Mr. Irvin discussed how many of the grantees
focus on supporting women who have been victims of domestic and sexual violence and how
important it is to reach out early to young men to stop this cycle.
Founders Fellowship
The Emma Gillett and Ellen Spencer Mussey Founders Fellowship,
established by the WBA Foundation in 2006, was named to
honor the two pioneering women who founded the Women’s Bar
Association of the District of Columbia in 1917. The Fellowship
is awarded annually to support an area law student working for the
summer with a local legal service provider on projects that address
the legal needs of women and girls in our community. Proceeds from
our Wine Tasting & Silent Auction have funded this fellowship for
the past nine years.
The 2014 WBA Foundation Founders Fellowship, in the amount
of $7,500, was awarded to Howard University law student Maria J. Maldonado. The Fellowship
allowed Ms. Maldonado to gain invaluable legal experience working as a Summer Legal Intern at
the Neighborhood Legal Services Program. The Neighborhood Legal Services Program, a prior
WBA Foundation grant recipient, provides free civil legal services to low-income residents of the
District of Columbia.
2014-2015 Grantees
Amara Legal CenterThe Amara team fights tirelessly to provide
quality legal representation, connect survivors with vital social services,
and raise public awareness of the legal issues facing survivors of sex
trafficking. The Amara Legal Center was founded in September of 2013
and it is the only organization dedicated to solely serving U.S. citizen survivors specifically in the
DC metro area. Our grant will allow Amara to provide free, trauma-informed legal representation to
60 clients in DC in the form of civil protection orders, child custody, landlord/tenant, public
benefits, name changes, and living will/power of attorney cases. Amara also aims to train up to 25
pro bono attorneys on the relevant law and how to provide trauma-informed care. @AmaraLegal
Bread For The CityBread for the City began as a volunteer-run, free health
clinic in 1974. Over the years, their programs grew to include the addition of a legal
clinic, social services program, and, most recently, an advocacy program. Bread for the
City’s mission is to provide comprehensive services to vulnerable residents of
Washington, DC, including food, clothing, medical care, and legal and social services,
in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. Our grant will assist the operation of Bread for
the City’s Domestic Violence Community Legal Services Project, which serves low
income minority women in their fight to obtain protection from domestic violence. @BreadfortheCity
Break The CycleBreak the Cycle believes everyone has the right to safe
and healthy relationships, and its mission is to engage, educate, and empower
youth to build lives and communities free from domestic violence. Break the
Cycle is the leading, national nonprofit organization addressing teen dating
violence. Our grant will support the improved delivery and expansion of its
legal services program. Break the Cycle provides representation in campus administrative
proceedings, as well as family, employment, and housing matters; accompanies survivors to meet
with police and/or prosecutors to report abuse and assists in criminal prosecution; and makes
appropriate referrals for social services. @BreaktheCycleDV
DC Volunteer Lawyers ProjectThe DC Volunteer Lawyers Project is a
nonprofit organization whose mission is to address the critical shortage of legal assistance
for low-income people in Washington, DC, especially in cases involving domestic
violence. Our grant will support the Domestic Violence Program in increasing the number
of domestic violence survivors represented by volunteer attorneys in protection order
petition proceedings and related custody, divorce, and child support matters. @DCVLP
Domestic Violence Legal Empowerment & Appeals Project
V LEAP’s mission is to provide a stronger voice for justice by fighting to overturn
D
unjust trial court outcomes; advancing legal protections for victims of domestic
violence and their children though expert appellate advocacy, training lawyers,
psychologists and judges on best practices; and spearheading domestic violence
litigation in the Supreme Court. Our grant supports its DC project, DC LEAP. @DV_LEAP
Legal Aid Society of the District Of Columbia For more
than 80 years, Legal Aid’s mission has been to make justice real—in individual
and systematic ways—for persons living in poverty in DC. Our grant will
support the Domestic Violence Underserved Communities Representation
Project. The project will provide extended representation, advice, counsel,
and brief assistance to clients in at least 50 cases. @LegalAidDC
Legal Counsel for the ElderlyThe Legal Counsel for the Elderly aims
to improve the quality of life for elderly District residents, and its primary goal is
to serve and empower thousands of low-income seniors each year in those areas
of law involving “basic human needs”: income, housing, long-term care, personal
autonomy, and consumer protection. Our grant will support the implementation of
the organization’s first Schedule H pro bono clinics. These clinics will assist older,
low income DC residents, the vast majority of whom are women, in completing the
Schedule H form in order to receive the tax credit which they use to avoid eviction, cover property
tax payments, pay off debts, purchase food, obtain prescription drugs, and more. @LCEinDC
Fundraising Activities
Wine Tasting & Auction Benefiting
Founders Fellowship
The WBA Foundation hosted its 12th Annual Wine
Tasting and Silent Auction in October 2014. The event,
“Wines for the Holiday Season,” was hosted at Sterne,
Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C. The tasting featured an
exceptional lineup of wines that are perfect partners for
holiday food. Representatives from The Curious Grape, a
woman-owned business in Arlington, VA, guided guests
through the tastings.
The annual Wine Tasting is the WBA Foundation’s largest
individual fundraising event. This year it raised just over
$28,000 and was attended by almost 200 people.
Annual Dinner
Each year, the WBA Foundation joins with the Women’s Bar Association of the
District of Columbia to host a joint Annual Dinner. This event is one of the largest
gatherings in the DC legal community. Judith Scott, General Counsel, Service
Employees International Union, a key player in the labor law sector for over 40
years, was recognized as the WBA’s 2015 Woman Lawyer of the Year. Keynote
remarks were given by Kathy Ruemmler, Partner, Latham & Watkins and former
White House Counsel.
The presidents of the Women’s Bar Association and the WBA Foundation presented
overviews of the successes experienced by each organization during the past year.
The Foundation debuted a video highlighting our 2015 grantees. Also available
online, the video features personal commentaries from grantees about the impact
the WBA Foundation’s donors have on each grantee’s ability to deliver services
to women and girls in our community. The WBA Foundation is grateful for the
generosity of organizations and individuals who sponsored our Annual Dinner.
Thank You To Our Donors
It is through the support of committed donors that the WBA Foundation can
carry on its important work. The WBA Foundation funds grants and the Founders
Fellowship with donations it receives from supporters. The WBA Foundation
extends its gratitude to the following donors for their generosity.
$2,500 and Up
Estate of Suzanne Richards
Linda Lipsett and Jules Bernstein
$1,000 – $2,499
Amy L. Bess
Carolyn P. Stennett
Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP
Wells Fargo Advisors
Jennifer Duane
Nancy A. Long
$500 - $999
Hon. Dianne M. Brenneman
Stephanie DeLong
Susan M.C. Kovarovics
Ellen Jakovic
Marcel Lisi
Lorie Masters
Scott Memmott
Monica G. Parham
Diana Savit
Daniel & Teresa Schwartz
Maureen Thornton Syracuse
Andrea Tecce
Pamela Whittaker
Huron Consulting Group
$100 - $499
Rhoda Barish
Janet Barsy
Brigidia Benitez
Janet Blizard
Chandra Branham
Kelly Brinkley
Marjorie Burnett
Cecelia Cannizzaro
Nancy Duff Campbell
Tracy Durkin
Elaine Fitch
Kathleen Gunning
Emma Hand
Janine Harris
Ray Jacobsen
Debra Jezouit
Irena Karpinski
Charlotte Kuenen
Lorna MacLeod
Lorelie Masters
Martha McQuade
M. Elizabeth Medaglia
Lynne Milne
Celeste Murphy
Sonia Murphy
Daria Neal
Nancy Ortmeyer Kuhn
Ellen Ostrow
Michele Parfit
Consuela Pinto
Laura Possessky
Jeremy Schulman
Nan Shuker
Gail Westover
Andrea Williams
The McCammon Group, Ltd.
Anonymous Gift
Up to $99
Cheryl Aaron
Esther Alpert
Bridget Bailey Lipscomb
Kerri Castellini
Joyce Cowan
Jill Dash
John Dickman
Andrea Downing
Sue Ducat
Debrah Farnell
Jennifer Frank
Lenore Garon
Sarah Germain-Kunk
Stephen Glover
Hazel Groman
Rachel Hardwick
Nausheen Hassan
Cynthia Hemphill
Rosie Hidalgo
Lisa Horowitz
Barbara Jarratt
Kirra L. Jarratt
Anne Keeney
Susan Kimmel
Jenny Knopinski
Rachel Kronowitz
Anna Kwidzinski
Susan Low
Melonie McCall
Susan O’Connell
Gary Pines
Paula Potoczak
Angela Quigley
Suzanne Reifman
Katherine Schuerman
Sheri Shilling
Deborah Stern
James Sullivan
Michelle Turner Roberts
Rebecca Weir
Barbara Woodall
Melissa Woods
Contributors listed in this list participated between June 1, 2014 and May 31, 2015. We have
made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this listing. If we have made an error, please accept
our apology. You may call us at 202-639-8880 so that we can correct our records.
2014 Wine Tasting and Silent Auction
Sponsors & Contributors
Reserve Level
TD Bank
Magnum Level
First Financial Group
Guardian Retirement Solutions
Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.
Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
Champagne Level
Cornerstone Research
Jennifer Duane
Kathleen Gunning
Jackson & Campbell, P.C.
Kirstein & Young, PLLC
MVB Mortgage
Nancy A. Long
Savit & Szymkowicz, LLP
Wine Level
The Honorable Dianne M. Brenneman
DLA Piper LLP
Ellen Jakovic and David Lipson
Gilbert LLP/ Rachel Kronowitz
Gore Brothers Reporting & Videoconferencing
Ann Bushmiller
Donnice Butler
Dawn Crumel
Tracy Durkin
Michael Farmer
Hazel Groman
Megan Hall
Marion Hecht
Debbie Hines
Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch, P.C.
Mira Marshall
Mytrang Nguyen
Navigant Consulting
Sparkling Water Level
Alan Ifrah
Kirra L. Jarratt
Joanne Jordan
Susan M.C. Kovarovics
Lynne Milne
Ilene Price
Monica G. Parham
Bruce Pascal
LeeAnn Peterson
Jeri Somers
Maria Soto
Laura Stefani
Carolyn P. Stennett
Maureen Thornton Syracuse
Professional Women in
Advocacy Conference
Tower Legal Solutions/Michael
Farmer
Vornado
Auction Item Donors
Amy L. Bess
Arudia
Betsy Fisher, LLC
Cabot Creamery
Cooperative
Capital Reporting
Company/Jill and Wayne
Cohen
Clutterbusters!
Clyde’s Restaurant Group
Consuela Pinto and Jay
Brown
Creighton Farms
Diana Savit
Folger Theatre
Four Seasons Hotel
Washington
FOX Architects
Gail Westover
Golf DC
Gore Brothers Reporting
& Videoconferencing
Hillwood Estate Museum
& Gardens
James Sandman
Joan Strand
Joanne W. Young
Kalorama Cookie
Company
Karen Devitt
Kathleen Gunning
Kelly Brinkley
Kirra Jarratt
Lauren Rothman
Lynley Ogilvie Landscape
Design
Mary Ellen Abrecht
Maureen Thornton
Syracuse
Mervis Diamonds
Nancy A. Long
Nemacolin Woodlands
Resort & Spa
Norma Hutchenson
O Salon
Oratium
Paul Schweitzer
Paulette Chapman
ProjectXercise
Quiet Time Quilts
Ristorante iRicchi
Salon Revive
Serten Advisors, LLC
Shakespeare Theatre
Company
Sugarloaf Mountain
Vineyard
Susan M.C. Kovarovics
Teddy & the Bully Bar
The Curious Grape
The Ritz-Carlton,
Washington, DC
Tracy Durkin
Train Like a Pro
Vital Organizing
We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this listing. If we have made an error, please
accept our apology. You may call us at 202-639-8880 so that we can correct our records.
2014-2015
Board of Directors
President
Nancy A. Long
American Association of University
Professors
Vice President
Amy L. Bess
Vedder Price P.C.
Treasurer
Carolyn P. Stennett
Victaulic
Assistant Treasurer
Gaffar Chowdhury
First Financial Group
Secretary
Kathleen V. Gunning
Government Counsel
Board Members
Kirra L. Jarratt
DC Bar Foundation
Monica G. Parham
Crowell & Moring LLP
Maureen Thornton Syracuse
Andrea Tecce
Navigant
Rebecca Weir
Legal Services Corporation
Renée Weir
Serten Advisors, LLC
Gail Westover
Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP
WBA Board Liaison (ex-officio)
Susan M.C. Kovarovics
Bryan Cave LLP
Women’s Bar Association Foundation
2020 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 446
Washington, DC 20006
202-639-8880 | wbadcfoundation.org
[email protected]
www.facebook.com/WBAFoundation
@wbaf