By Tom Kirvan
Legal News
Patrick McCauley, now in his second stint as president of the Oakland County Bar Foundation, knows the value of a good metaphor when attempting to raise funds for the nonprofit organization that is dedicated to supporting legal aid work and other worthwhile charitable causes in the legal community.
“One of the goals during this term of my presidency is to continue the growth of the Foundation’s fund-raising capabilities and to, in essence, plant a tree even though I may never enjoy its shade,” McCauley said.
McCauley’s remarks apply particularly to his efforts to help establish a “legacy program of planned giving for the Foundation,” although of more immediate interest is the work involved in drumming up financial support for the 13th Annual Signature Event at posh Oakland Hills Country Club on Friday, April 20.
The Signature Event, which will run from 7-10 p.m. and features a strolling supper, has been in a record-setting mode of late, according to organizers. Two years ago, the fund-raiser netted more than $160,000 for the Foundation’s programs, while last year it topped $188,000, McCauley indicated, noting that in 2011 the Foundation received grant requests totaling nearly $300,000.
“We are encouraged by the level of sponsorship support we have received to date,” McCauley said during a recent interview as plans take shape for the April 20 event. “We continue to be heartened by the generosity of the legal community and the desire to support the many programs that we help fund each year. It’s especially gratifying in light of the economic situation in this area, which has caused an increase in the number of grant requests that we receive. The needs for legal aid services are great and we are doing our best to help meet those demands.”
McCauley expressed his gratitude to Cooley Law School and Conway MacKenzie, Inc. for agreeing to be Platinum Sponsors in 2012, each contributing $10,000 to the cause. Serving as Gold Sponsors ($5,000 each) are AlixPartners, Bank of Birmingham, Orlans, Computing Source, Kohn Financial Consulting, and Stout, Risius, Ross.
“We also have secured commitments from 25 Silver Sponsors ($2,500 each) and 75 Bronze Sponsors ($1,000 each),” McCauley reported. “We also are confident that the Signature Event will once again be a sellout (with tickets priced at $150 per person).”
McCauley, an attorney with Gasiorek, Morgan, Greco, & McCauley in Farmington Hills, is in a special position to appreciate the growth of the Signature Event and the OCBF in general. He has been a longtime board member of the Bar Foundation, first serving as president in 1999-2000.
“The Oakland County Bar Foundation began as the Oakland County Law Library Foundation,” McCauley noted. “From 1976 to 1988, its sole beneficiary was the Adams-Pratt Oakland County Law Library and nominal funds were raised through annual dinner parties with guest speakers. In 1988, it was renamed the Oakland Bar-Adams Pratt Foundation with an expanded vision of creating a greater impact in Oakland County.”
In 1999, an alliance with the Oakland County Bar Association created the current OCBF organization, setting in motion the means for a greater fund-raising profile and the Signature Event of today.
“In 2010, the Foundation awarded grants totaling $149,367, bringing the total of grants awarded to date since 2002 to $1,045,381,” McCauley said. “With the two organizations working together, the role of the Foundation has expanded considerably, as has its list of grant recipients. From 1992 through last year, the Foundation has awarded grants to a wide variety of causes found to fit within its mission statement.”
Recently, in an effort to take “our fund-raising to another level,” McCauley and other OCBF board members have been exploring the possibility of establishing a legacy program of planned giving for the Foundation.
“The general concept would be to develop a strong and long-lasting program in which the Foundation becomes a designated beneficiary in estate planning,” McCauley said.
McCauley and others have met with officials from Plante Moran Trust, the Planned Giving Roundtable of Southeast Michigan, and the Salvation Army to learn more about the “ins and outs” of creating a legacy program. He is serving on a Foundation Legacy Committee with OCBF trustees David Haron and Elizabeth Luckenbach, Emeritus Trustee Mari Anne Guidobono, OCBA board members Michael Lee and Victoria Valentine, and OCBA Executive Director Lisa Stadig Elliot.
“Through these educational and networking efforts . . . we will develop, over time, a planned-giving program with numerous options for those wishing to leave a legacy with the Foundation, the lawyers’ charity,” McCauley said.
In the meantime, fund-raising efforts continue for this year’s Signature Event, which heralds the real start of spring in Oakland County’s legal community. Proceeds from the dinner will be channeled into a number of legal aid programs and educational projects that OCBF supports, according to McCauley. Among the beneficiaries are the Family Law Assistance Project, the University of Detroit Mercy Mobile Law Office, the Oakland County Law Library, Legal Aid Mini Clinics, the RESTORE Foundation, the Youth Law Conference, People’s Law College, Pro Bono Mentor Match, and Beaumont Hospital Legal Aid for Children.
Those interested in purchasing tickets to the April 20 event can contact Lisa Stadig Elliot at the OCBA for more information, (248) 334-3400. Sponsorship opportunities also are still available by contacting Stadig Elliot or by visiting the OCBA website at www.ocba.org.
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