Ingham County Bar Association

Foundation

The Ingham County Bar Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in Michigan in 2002 as a vehicle for lawyers and other interested citizens to make charitable contributions for the tangible, meaningful benefit of the community.

Mission

The mission of the Ingham County Bar Foundation is to:

Promote access to justice
Expand the availability of legal services to the public at large
Support local charitable organizations
Promote continuing legal education
Foster the honor and integrity of the profession of law

Foundation Membership

Any person may become a member of the Ingham County Bar Foundation by making a donation of at least $25 per year. Lifetime membership is achieved by donating $1,000 or more, either by way of one lump sum or cumulatively over the course of time. Members are entitled to voting rights and may choose to serve the Foundation through committee work.

How to Give

Donations of any amount, at any time, are accepted by the Foundation and are fully tax deductible.

Memorials are a lasting gift of support in memory of a friend, loved one, or colleague. Memorial contributions can be identified for a specific project, endowment, or made as an unrestricted gift.

Planned Gifts made through a Will or Trust allow you, your family, or your client to make a donation as part of an estate plan. The Foundation may accept gifts in any form, including personal property, securities, life insurance, remainder trusts, etc.

Please consult with your accountant or tax advisor regarding the benefits of making a gift based upon your particular circumstances.

Online Pledge
Click to submit your pledge online

Click to download a
pledge card 94KB

Who Benefits?

On December 1, 2008, the Foundation awarded five grants totaling $7,250 to five organizations in our community. The Foundation board exceeded its normal funding guidelines in order to grant additional funds to make the ICBF’s presence more notable in the community and provide a greater impact to worthy recipients. Each organization used its grant to fund specific programs:

EVE, Inc. (End Violent Encounters, Inc.), received $1,000 to continue funding for its Domestic Violence Support Unit (DVSU) services available to victims of domestic violence who reside in rural Ingham County. The DVSU provides access to personal protection order assistance, advocacy and referral services for victims and their children. The DVSU is a collaboration of Eve, Inc., and the Ingham County Sheriff's office. The Foundation's funds will supplement funding from the Mason Area United Way and allow for an expansion of DVSU services for domestic violence victims.

Ingham County Bar Association received $1,250 to purchase equipment, hardware, and software to provide educational and substantive legal programming on its website. Members will be able to access re-broadcasting of meetings, lectures, seminars, bench/bar conferences, and more online at www.inghambar.org/resources. Attorneys whose schedules do not permit attendance at meetings can watch and/or download the program and materials 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Legal Services of South Central Michigan received $2,500 to continue to provide the public with relevant, current information to assist them in making choices on legal issues impacting their lives through readily available legal education, information, and referral services at its Access to Justice Center in a centralized location at Veteran's Memorial Courthouse in downtown Lansing. The Center strives to prevent and resolve legal disputes by providing reference to other comprehensive community services such as mediation, social services, health care, housing, abuse shelters, mental health, education, and more.
St. Vincent Catholic Charities received $1,500 to attend the 2009 American Immigration Lawyers Association Annual Conference, the premier educational event and the largest interaction of the immigration law community. The Immigration Law Clinic exists to represent vulnerable foreign nationals in their immigration matters before the Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Immigration Courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals. The clinic will utilize the information obtained through this national conference to continue to offer comprehensive and just legal services to clients throughout Michigan.

30^th Circuit Court - Family Division, Family Dependency Treatment Court (FDTC) received $1,000 to meet basic needs and provide rewards for participants (and families) involved in the FDTC. The FDTC is a partnership of the Court, Department of Human Services, the Prosecutor's Office, attorneys, and many area substance abuse treatment and testing agencies. The FDTC is focused on providing intense and timely service to parents whose substance abuse is placing their children at risk of neglect and/or abuse. Through the program, children are provided a safer and more secure relationship with their parent(s).

Other recipients of donations or grants from the Ingham County Bar Foundation in previous years include:

The Greater Lansing Food Bank
Thomas M. Cooley Law School 5K Race for Education
City of Lansing Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Holiday Observance for Students
H.O.P.E. Scholarship Program with the Lansing Police Department and Lansing Public Schools
Elder Law of Michigan
Highfields, Inc.
Lansing State Journal - Newspapers in Education Program
Ingham County Child Benefit Fund
Dwight Rich Middle School's Emotionally & Mentally Impaired Educational Program
Sister Cities - Voting Rights Act Commemorative Program
Sister Cities - Brown v Board of Education Commemorative Program
Ingham County Bar Association - Bench/Bar Conference
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Ingham County
ACORN Institute
Thomas M. Cooley Law School - Service to Soldiers Program
Ingham County Bar Association - Law Day Essay Contest

Grant Applications

New projects that meet the mission and goals of the Ingham County Bar Foundation are considered each year.

The Foundation will accept applications for 2009 funding grants on May 1, 2009, with the deadline for applications of July 31, 2009.

Please click here for a copy of the Foundation's Grant Guidelines & Application.

Questions regarding the grant application process should be directed to Kristen Kemp, Executive Director, at 517-483-6414 or kkemp@inghambar.org . Please allow up to three business days for replies.

Board of Directors of the Ingham County Bar Foundation:

Lawrence P. Nolan, President
Boardmem15@aol.com

George Zulakis, Vice President
gzulakis@bzpc.com

Nan E. Casey, Treasurer
ncasey@osklaw.com

David M. Lick, Secretary
dmlick@loomislaw.com

Shauna L. Dunnings
shaunad@ingham.org

Susan L. LeDuc
sldapa@yahoo.com

James F. Graves
jimgraves@sinasdramis.com

Max R. Hoffman, Jr.
hoffmanm@butzel.com

Peter S. Sheldon
psheldon@dickinsonwright.com

Kristin M. Smith
smithkm@michigan.gov

Webb A. Smith
wsmith@fosterswift.com