Grants That Make a Difference
Profiles in this archive may become incorrect over time.
"Grants that Make a Difference" highlights grants given to Southeastern organizations that have helped make a difference in people's lives. Getting the grant is only the beginning of the story. At least once a month, "Grants That Make a Difference" will profile these important grants and what their recipients are doing with them.
Recipient Name:
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Southeastern Council of Foundations and the
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State Bar of Georgia
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Project Name: Lawyers and Philanthropy
The Organizations and their Project:
The State Bar of Georgia exists
"to foster among the members of the Bar of this State the principles of duty and service to the
public; to improve the administration of justice; and to advance the science of law." All
persons authorized to practice law in this state are required to be members. In addition, the
State Bar of Georgia maintains programs that mutually benefit its members and the general public.
The Southeastern Council of Foundations,
a voluntary membership association of grantmaking foundations and programs in 12 southeastern
states, promotes excellence throughout the field of philanthropy and the creation of new
philanthropic resources to benefit the region.
The State Bar of Georgia's
A Business Commitment (ABC) Committee, established to increase support of nonprofits by
linking volunteer business lawyers with non-profit organizations, partnered with the Increasing
Philanthropy Committee of the Southeastern Council of Foundations to form a Lawyers and
Philanthropy Committee.
The Lawyers and Philanthropy Committee envisioned a strategy to develop a Continuing Legal
Education curriculum on philanthropic options. The goal of this strategy is to stimulate the
growth of philanthropy by providing lawyers who are not typically engaged in estate planning
with information about a broad range of philanthropic options they can discuss with their
clients. The Committee designed and successfully pilot tested a curriculum at the State Bar of
Georgia and then organized a "Working Teams" Training Class in the fall of 2002 for
participants from 11 other southeastern states. These participants will serve as catalysts for
the development and implementation of this program in their respective states.
The Lawyers and Philanthropy Committee requested and received a $25,000 New Ventures in
Philanthropy grant to provide the technical assistance for the implementation of the curriculum
in the southeast and the development of an evaluation component to assess its impact.
Funding Partner(s): New Ventures in Philanthropy
New Ventures is a multi-year initiative of the Forum of Regional Grantmakers, launched by a
collaborative of funders in 1998 to advance innovative ways to promote philanthropy. New
Ventures receives guidance from a National Advisory Committee composed of representatives from
private and community foundations and from the business sector. In its initial years, New
Ventures provided funding for regional coalitions around the country that were experimenting
with new ways to encourage giving. Its focus is now shifting to acquisition of knowledge about
what works in promotion of philanthropy, dissemination of key information, tools and practices
to the philanthropic community, and other activities that support the growth of philanthropy.
Funding for New Ventures has been provided by a number of grantmakers from all other the
country, including the Atlantic Philanthropies, the Ford Foundation, the Lilly Endowment, the
W. K. Kellogg Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Ewing Marion Kauffman
Foundation, the Committee to Encourage Corporate Philanthropy, and many others.
Community Impact:
According to Guy Lescault, ABC Project Director and a member of the ABA Business Law Pro Bono
Committee, "One of the most effective ways to encourage more individuals to create permanent
charitable endowments - such as private foundations or funds at community foundations - is to
encourage professional advisors like attorneys to discuss philanthropic options with their
clients." The Lawyers and Philanthropy curriculum is sufficiently flexible to be used by state
bar associations and foundation representatives across the U.S. The institutionalization of
this curriculum and its impact in the southeast may provide encouragement and opportunity for
replication in other regions.
Recipient Contact Information:
A Business Commitment (ABC)
Georgia Legal Services
1100 Spring Street, NE #200A
Atlanta, GA 30309
Phone: 404-206-5347
Email: glescault@glsp.org
Contact: Guy Lescault,
ABC Project Director
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Southeastern Council of Foundations
50 Hurt Plaza, Suite 350
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: 404-524-0991 x229
Email: imani@secf.org
URL: www.secf.org
Contact: Imani Burnett,
Vice-President
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Grantmaker Contact Information:
Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers
1111 19th St, NW, Suite 650
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-467-1120
URL:
www.givingforum.org
Contact: Jessica Bearman,
Project Manager, New Ventures in Philanthropy
The selection of organizations for the "Grants that Make a Difference" is based on criteria such as programmatic interests, geographic focus, and size of funding programs to ensure the broadest possible representation of the region's nonprofit sector.
If you'd like to see support for your organization featured in "Grants that Make a Difference," e-mail a detailed description of the grant, including the name and contact information of the funder and of your organization, the amount given, and how the grant made a difference. For your convenience, we have provided a template to follow. We welcome press releases in addition to, or as a substitute for, the information in the template.
Email the description or press release to atweb@fcncenter.org, with "Grants that Make a Difference" in the subject line.
Recipient Name:
Project Name:
Organization Mission and how it relates to the project:
Beneficiaries or Community Impact:
Funding Partner(s): (Grantmaker Names)
Grant Amount:
Recipient Contact: Name, Address, Phone, Fax, E-mail, URL
Grantmaker Contact: Name, Address, Phone, Fax, E-mail, URL
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