All of Oklahoma’s 77 counties and many of its citizens have benefitted from OBF grants. Your OBF has awarded more than eleven million dollars to charitable grant programs that fall within the law-related mission of the OBF. Both the OBF and the OBA select lawyer candidates from across the state to serve on the 26 member board.
Here is How the Decisions Are Made
Grants fall into two types – the regular OBF Grant Program for law-related charitable programs and projects and the OBF Court Grant Program designed to benefit Oklahoma district and appellate courts for technology expenditures not funded through existing sources. Funding for grants is derived from donations from lawyers and other concerned supporters of the law who are Fellow members and the Community Fellows Program for organizations and groups. Additional funding comes from statewide cy pres awards, IOLTA interest and interest earned on investments. Periodically the OBF receives charitable donations from other foundations, testamentary bequests from estates or simply donations from individuals who recognize the law-related good deeds achieved through the OBF.
Each year, the President designates certain committee and task force assignments to ensure the mission of the OBF is being observed. A discussion of current Task Force Committees for 2014 follows and the standing OBF Committees will be the subject of an upcoming posting. The newly formed OBF Video Story Task Force, the IOLTA Task Force, the External Relations Task Force and the Long Range Planning Task Force comprise our 2014 OBF Task Forces.
The OBF Video Story Task Force is co-chaired by Jennifer Castillo and Roy Tucker. The Task Force is charged with producing a video that will depict OBF grantees and their success stories, as well as interweaving the OBF story with those we fund. The ultimate objective is to educate Oklahoma lawyers and the public about what the OBF represents and how everyone can become involved.
The newly formed IOLTA Task Force is co-chaired by Gabe Bass and Alan Souter. Their task is to monitor competing IOLTA rates and recommend ways to increase IOLTA bank rates to become more favorable to the OBF and the work we accomplish as a result of this funding. The Task Force will visit with banks across the state and prepare a report with recommendations to the Board of Trustees.
The External Relations Task Force is chaired by former OBA President Stephen Beam and the mission is to explore enhancement of OBF relationships with the OBA, the law schools, the courts, and the banking community to the enhancement and better perception to the public of the OBF, the lawyers and the legal community as a whole. The Task Force provides a written report of recommendation to the Board of Trustees which includes updates to action plans and implementation of those plans.
The Long Range Planning Task Force chaired by Judge Millie Otey recommends a three to five year strategic plan which will guide the OBF in its mission to provide law-related charitable funding and to educate the public about the law. The Task Force explores the foreseeable future of the OBF and lays out yearly plans which the OBF intends to encompass as it works towards attainment of the strategic plan. The ultimate objective is to document future guidelines for the Board of Trustees.
All of the current OBF Task Forces have one special purpose – which is to make the Oklahoma Bar Foundation the best it can be. With your assistance as an OBF Fellow and the assistance of groups and organization you belong to as Community Fellows, the OBF dream of changing Oklahoma lives will be achieved. Join OBF Fellows