Underscoring its commitment to supporting the public interest activities of the Boston Bar Association (BBA), the Boston Bar Foundation (BBF) announced nearly $41,000 in grants from special funds of the BBF.
“The grants we announce today highlight our strong and enduring relationship with the BBA, and the importance of supporting BBA activities that leverage the volunteer talent of lawyers in serving the community and providing pro bono legal services as well as expanding opportunities for Boston's youth,” said BBF president John Donovan, a partner at Ropes & Gray. “The impact of these grants on under served populations and young people in our community will be significant. They help fund summer jobs for five Boston youth and advance educational programs that the BBF has been pleased to help sponsor.”
Following a recommendation by the BBF Special Funds Committee, and a vote by the BBF Board of Trustees, these are the special funds grants that have been approved:
The M. Ellen Carpenter Fund will support fellowships for two students in the BBA Summer Jobs Program. The students will intern at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of Massachusetts and at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services.
The grant will also support staff time and resources and supplies for the orientation and weekly educational enrichment programs for students throughout the summer.
The Austin Jones Fund will support three fellowships for students from Boston Latin School to participate in the BBA Summer Jobs Program. Austin Jones was an alum of Boston Latin, and the students will work in public interest settings for the summer.
The Francis S. Moran, Jr. Fund will support the BBA Law Day in the Schools Program, in which volunteer lawyers introduce elementary, middle school and high school students to important legal issues.
The Federal Tax Institute Fund will be used to further tax-related education to members of the bar by providing a stipend fund to pay transportation costs for government speakers who are featured at BBA programs.
The Smith Family Fund will provide a grant to the Volunteer Lawyers Project.
The BBA special funds are frequently established for a particular purpose to honor or memorialize an individual. To learn more about these funds, visit http://www.bostonbarfoundation.org/Support/special_funds.html.