Pivot - 8,000 Law School Graduates & the Bar Exam on Hold
What to do if you graduated from law school in California only to learn the state’s summer bar exam is suspended due to the coronavirus? What to do with a growing demand for low-cost legal services within the state? You pivot.
Within 13 days the Legal Services Funders Network, developed and launched its first collaborative funding project: a Post Graduate Law Fellows Program.
June 24, 2020 blog post on Exponent Philanthropy by Claire Solot. How We Catalyzed a Fellows Program to Meet Legal Services Needs During COVID-19.
What to do if you graduated from law school in California only to learn the state’s summer bar exam is suspended due to the coronavirus? What to do with a growing demand for low-cost legal services within the state? You pivot.
Enter the Legal Services Funders Network, a network of funders in the Bay area of California who fund civil legal services organizations as a strategy to eliminate poverty. Within just 13 days the network developed and launched its first collaborative funding project: a Post Graduate Law Fellows Program.
Through the program recent law school graduates provide 15-20 hours of work weekly for 7 months within Legal Service Organizations in the Bay area. Cases these organizations take on revolve around unemployment issues, employees working in high risk environments or conditions, eviction, clients dealing with fraud, those seeking benefits or access to healthcare, and those dealing with discrimination.
The program is a win-win in that it expands the number of clients served by the legal service organizations and the new graduates receive a first-hand look at issues impacting those most in need. The fellows receive a stipend have time to prepare for the next California Bar Exam.
As of June 1 the program placed 30 fellows (graduates from four area law schools). Each sponsorship is $18,000 with $15,000 dedicated to the stipend with $3,000 for the legal service organization.
For more, read the June 24, 2020 blog post on Exponent Philanthropy written by Claire Solot. How We Catalyzed a Fellows Program to Meet Legal Services Needs During COVID-19.
Pivot - Raising up Nonprofits Operating in Communities of Color
What is a side benefit of COVID-19? A recognition of systemic inequalities among communities of color particularly as it relates to access to food, healthcare, and health outcomes. What is the pivot? Raising up nonprofit organizations in these communities that until now have gone largely unnoticed by philanthropy.
For more, click here for a June 18, 2020 article on FWD>DFW, a forum that connects companies, causes, and communities to the short- and long-term economic advancement of North Texas.
Image by Omar Flores @omarg247.
What is a side benefit of COVID-19? A recognition of systemic inequalities among communities of color particularly as it relates to access to food, healthcare, and health outcomes. What is the pivot? Raising up nonprofit organizations in these communities that until now have gone largely unnoticed by philanthropy.
Enter North Texas Cares, a funder collaborative among North Texas foundations and United Ways to provide emergency dollars to agencies addressing issues surrounding COVID-19.
Organizers of North Texas Cares noted the coronavirus’ disproportionate impact on communities of color and took a bit of an out of the box approach to its funding. Agencies eligible to apply include those offering direct services in response to COVID-19 along with organizations addressing racism as it relates to the pandemic and those addressing racial disparities in communities of color regarding food insecurity, access to care, and health disparities.
Through efforts of Dr. Frowsa Booker-Drew, Kimberly O’Neil, and others websites have been formed including ServeDFW and Serve South Dallas to promote the work of agencies within these neighborhoods that otherwise might fly under the philanthropic radar.
And the movement doesn't stop with the short-term needs surrounding the coronavirus. Enter Power In Action, a new platform and space for individuals and groups to come together, share dialog, share experiences, and lift up existing networks of people of color led businesses and nonprofits working within these neighborhoods.
This post recognizes a pivot within the North Texas philanthropic community and its nascent steps to acknowledging and giving a voice to the long-time systemic inequities that loom large in our own backyards.
For more, click here for a June 18, 2020 article on FWD>DFW, a forum that connects companies, causes, and communities to the short- and long-term economic advancement of North Texas.
Image by Omar Flores @omarg247.
A Resource for Lean Funders Responding to COVID-19
Are you wondering how fellow funders are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic? Exponent Philanthropy is hosting weekly live discussions each Friday at 1:00 CT designed to connect lean funders around their responses to the pandemic and to provoke ideas for your own giving.
One phrase we hear daily in relation to COVID-19 is “we are all in this together.” Exponent Philanthropy is building upon that phrase through hosting live discussions with funders every Friday at 1:00 CT. These weekly calls began March 20th and are designed to connect lean funders around their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and to provoke ideas around your own response. The discussions are open to all funders, whether an Exponent Philanthropy member or not.
In addition, Exponent Philanthropy is compiling and updating relevant resources from the field as it relates to the pandemic.
Access Exponent Philanthropy’s resource page.
Register for Exponent Philanthropy’s Friday afternoon live discussions.