The Florida Bar Foundation

Florida Bar Foundation Fact Sheet

June 2010

Mission: To provide greater access to justice through grants that:

• Expand and improve representation and advocacy on behalf of low-income persons in civil legal matters
• Improve the fair and effective administration of justice
• Promote service to the public by members of the legal profession by making public service an integral component of the law school experience.

Established: 1956 as 501(c)(3) public charity to foster law-related public interest programs.

Total Grants Awarded in 2009: $32.4 million

Total Grants Awarded since 1982: $ $366.5 million

Fundraising and management/general expenditures as a percentage of total expenses for 2008-09: 8.8 percent

General Support of Legal Aid in Florida: Funds 32.6 percent ($29.38 million) of legal services funding in Florida at 31 organizations serving all 67 Florida counties. Grants support work of 400 full-time and 40 part-time legal aid attorneys and grantees' pro bono programs involving over 12,300 volunteers.

Legal Aid Cases Handled: 100,367 cases in 2009.

Children’s Legal Services: $2.9 million in Children’s Legal Services grants in 2009 to 23 grantees.  100% of donations to Lawyers’ Challenge for Children on Florida Bar Fee statement go out in CLS grants.

Fostering Public Service Careers: Supports an average of 40 students annually as 11-week Summer Fellows at Foundation legal aid grantees.  Students from all ten Florida accredited law schools and out-of-state law schools such as George Washington University and the University of Pennsylvania.

Improving Florida’s Justice System: Funds Innocence Project of Florida, which has exonerated more than 22 innocent people using DNA evidence, FSU Center for the Advancement of Human Rights to develop Strategic Plan to Combat Human Trafficking for the State of Florida, instructional video for pro se bankruptcy filers, Florida Law-Related Education Association and Supreme Court Justice Lewis's Justice Teaching program. Also funds voluntary bar associations and Young Lawyer community service projects and numerous other projects.

Fundraising: Nearly 2,000 Florida lawyers and members of the general public have made a pledge of $1,000 to become lifetime members of The Florida Bar Foundation and support its core mission ($200/year or $100/year for young lawyers, judges, government and nonprofit employees). Offers charitable gift annuities other forms of planned giving.

Cy Pres: Recipient of cy pres awards from state and federal cases.