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Initiatives Benefiting Profession & Public

The St. Louis Bar Foundation Board of Directors has developed several important and exciting initiatives designed to stimulate growth of the endowment and better serve the St. Louis metropolitan legal profession, the justice system and the community.

The St. Louis Bar Foundation invites and encourages your participation. Options for donors include:

• establishing a Restricted Fund or Legacy fund.
• making Memorial and Honorary contributions, including a voluntary contribution to the Foundation with the annual dues of The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
• by including the Foundation in a will, trust, insurance policy or other planned gift, or
• by becoming a Fellow of the St. Louis Bar Association
  

Whatever your level of support, the St. Louis Bar Foundation sincerely appreciates your gift and pledges careful stewardship to maximize its use.

RESTRICTED FUNDS

The Foundation Board of Directors recently adopted a policy making it possible for individuals, law firms and friends to establish "named" or Restricted Funds within the Foundation. A Restricted Fund is a creative and flexible way for donors to perpetuate a name or idea, while designating the fund’s purpose. Once established, a fund may continue to receive contributions including estate gifts.

The Jeanette and Sonny Lasky Award Fund

The Jeanette and Sonny Lasky Award Fund created by Mr. and Mrs. Marshall "Sonny" Lasky, benefits the Medal of Valor Ceremony in St. Louis. The Medal of Valor is the highest award bestowed annually upon police officers in recognition of bravery exceeding the normal demands of police involvement and upon citizens in recognition of heroic acts performed out of concern for the safety of a police officer or in the prevention of a crime. This program is co-sponsored by the St. Louis Crusade Against Crime and The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis. Since its inception in 1969, the Medal of Valor has been presented to 179 police officers and citizens.

Beginning in 1996, the Jeanette and Sonny Lasky Award Fund provides support toward the success of the Medal of Valor Ceremony. Contributions to this fund serve to make more meaningful the recognition of Medal of Valor recipients.

Hon. James J. Ruddy Fund

Also in this category is the Honorable James J. Ruddy Fund which provides scholarship assistance to St. Louis area residents pursuing a law degree.

Court Document Preservation Fund

Established to support the joint project of the Missouri State Archives, St. Louis Circuit Court, and St. Louis Bar Foundation to preserve the St. Louis Circuit Court records and make them accessible to the public. Phase I encompasses records from 1802 through 1875.

Women in the Legal Profession Scholarship Fund

Established in 2000 to provide support for law students serving in summer internships at qualified programs addressing legal issues that predominantly affect women such as domestic violence, gender fairness, child custody, etc.

LEGACY FUNDS

Legacy Funds are established to honor individuals who have provided for the Foundation in their estate plans through a will, trust or other planned gift of $2,000 minimum. Donors who arrange and notify the Foundation of their plans will be designated Distinguished Fellows of the St. Louis Bar Foundation and recognized at the next annual Fellows Award Dinner.

David W. Strauss Fund

The first Legacy Fund was established by Mr. David W. Strauss in 1996 with his generous provision of $100,000 in trust to "provide funding for programs considered most worthy by the Board of Directors of the St. Louis Bar Foundation including, but not limited to, law related education." Mr. Strauss was installed as a Distinguished Fellow of the St. Louis Bar Foundation.

MEMORIAL GIFTS

A memorial gift provides a personal way in which to remember an individual. In addition to acknowledging a lifetime of service to the legal profession, the gift provides the means by which the individual’s ideals are perpetuated for our community’s benefit. The family, of course, is notified of the donor’s graciousness.

HONORARY GIFTS

Honorary gifts to the St. Louis Bar Foundation pay tribute to unique individuals and assure a continuance of the honoree’s influence upon the legal profession and our community. Recognition, appreciation and special occasions mark gifts made in this category.

WILL AND CODICIL PROGRAM

Lawyers have the opportunity to leave a legacy by thoughtfully specifying the Foundation as a direct beneficiary in their estate. Through this type of preplanning, the legal community and the citizens of St. Louis will benefit future generations. Please contact the Foundation’s Executive Director for a copy of the foundation’s Gifts, Devises or Bequest form and a Codicil form.

CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUST

The St. Louis Bar Foundation Board of Directors approved a new vehicle for planned giving this year, a Charitable Remainder Trust. With a Charitable Remainder Trust, you can make a tax-deductible gift to the Bar Foundation while retaining an income stream from those assets. Giving appreciated property is especially attractive because donors can get a deduction for the full value of the property without recognizing the gain. For more information on Charitable Remainder Trusts or other planned giving strategies to leverage your contributions to the St. Louis Bar foundation, contact Executive Director Ken Klein at 314-421-4134.

FELLOWS OF THE ST. LOUIS BAR FOUNDATION

The Fellows program was established in 1985 as a means to provide an endowment and a consistent, stable funding base allowing the Foundation to become a viable entity of permanence. The following categories are available:

Distinguished Fellow

Distinguished Fellows are those who contribute or pledge to contribute $1,000 payable in full or pledged in payments of $250 over four years and a minimum of $25 annually thereafter. Seventy-five percent of all receipts from the Distinguished Fellows are endowed and only the interest therefrom may be utilized for Foundation general fund purpose as determined by the Board of Directors. Twenty-five percent of Distinguished Fellow receipts and pledges goes directly to the Foundation general fund. Distinguished Fellows are recognized by having their names prominently inscribed in the Bar Association and Bar Foundation headquarters entrance, honored at a special reception and receive an appropriate certificate of designation.

Patron Fellow

Patron Fellows are those who contribute or pledge $500 payable in full or pledged in payments of $125 over four years and minimum of $25 annually thereafter.

Sustaining Fellow

Sustaining Fellows are those who contribute or pledge $300 in full or $100 per year for three years and minimum of $25 annually thereafter.

Annual Fellow

Annual Fellows are those who contribute or pledge $100 in full and minimum of $25 annually thereafter.

Contributing Fellow

Contributing Fellows are those who contribute $25 per year.

One hundred percent of all receipts from the Patron Fellows, Sustaining Fellows, Annual Fellows and Contributing Fellows is utilized for Foundation general fund purposes as determined by the Board of Directors. They are recognized by having their names published, honored at a special reception and receive an appropriate certificate of designation.