LAF Report, July 2002

LEGAL ADVOCACY FUND BOARD REPORT
HIGH POINT JULY 19, 2002

Doris Bernhlohr, LAF Liaison

Beginning last spring the big news for the Legal Advocacy Fund was the pledge by a generous donor to match all gifts to LAF up to $40,000 through May 31, 2002.1 have great news about that fund raising effort. I am happy to report that during this matching period, AAUW members and other supporters raised $130,249 for the Legal Advocacy Fund. Very encouraging also, was the wonderful support of AAUW NC members and friends . Twelve branches and other supporters rose to the occasion and sent donations totally $4,759.50 before the May 31st deadline. Congratulations and my thanks to everyone who participated.

As you begin to plan program activities for next year, I hope that the Legal Advocacy Fund is high on your branch priority list. The LAF fundraising year runs from Jan. 1, 2002 to December 31, 2002. Every branch has a fundraising goal determined by your Feb. 1, 2002 membership count X $5.00. The state goal is $10,000 and we are almost halfway there at this time. I am expecting to hear from the remaining 16 branches before Dec. 31, and hopefully they can push us to our goal. Let's do it!

Branch Presidents:I have prepared a rather large packet of LAF materials for each branch Among the important items included in the packet are the Branch Contribution Report Form and Guidelines, and your branch LAF I.D. number. The materials have been put in the President's file box in a compact plastic sleeve labeled LAF. If you do not have one in your file, it is because you very wisely appointed an LAF chair for your branch. LAF chairs will receive the packet in the mail directly from me in the next few days. At this time I am aware that the following branches have appointed LAF chairs: Asheville, Brevard, Chapel Hill, Greensboro, Raleigh/Wake County. If there are others, please see me immediately at the conclusion of this meeting.

As your state LAF Liaison, I have set the following three goals: to build an LAF Committee to help promote the Legal Advocacy Fund more widely throughout the state, to encourage every branch in the state to make a donation to LAF, and to bring at least one Legal Advocacy Fund Campus Outreach Program to North Carolina this year. There will be more information on the Campus Outreach Program in the next issue of the Tar Heel News. In closing, two important LAF-supported cases have recently been resolved. The cases of Barbara Zylbert v Stanford University and Carol Stepien v Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland have had happy endings. Settlement details have not been released at this time.