New Foundation leader aims to build on success of event
By Tom Kirvan
Legal News
After several years of chairing key fund-raising efforts for the Oakland County Bar Foundation, Chuck Moore now has a new role with the nonprofit organization.
President.
As head of the OCBF, of course, Moore has only seen his fund-raising responsibilities heightened since succeeding Birmingham attorney Eric Pelton as president last summer. The expanded role “comes with the turf,” he acknowledged.
“The need for raising more revenue each year increases with the demand for more funding requests,” said Moore, managing director of the Alvarez & Marsal operation in Metro Detroit. “It is our goal to continue the growth of the fund-raising capabilities of the Foundation and to ensure that we are positioned to meet greater grant requests.”
The principal tool used is the OCBF’s popular “Signature Event,” a springtime social highlight that is scheduled for the evening of Friday, May 6 at Oakland Hills Country Club. The spring gala is an annual sell-out, and last year raised more than $310,000 for the Foundation, according to Moore. Co-chairing the fund-raising committee this year are OCBF trustees Kaveh Kashef, an attorney with Clark Hill, and David Plunkett, an attorney with Williams Williams Rattner & Plunkett.
Proceeds from the 17th annual event, which features a strolling dinner and the opportunity to mingle with friends in the atmosphere of one of the premier country clubs in the nation, help fund such organizations as Lakeshore Legal Aid, The RESTORE Foundation, HAVEN, the University of Detroit Mercy Mobile Law Office, the Oakland County Law Library, and Beaumont Hospital Legal Aid for Children among others.
“In the last five years, we have raised nearly $1.4 million through the Signature Event sponsorships,” Moore said. “The generosity of the legal and business community has been outstanding, and speaking for everyone associated with the Foundation, we are incredibly grateful for that support.”
Moore, who lives in Birmingham with his wife, Teri, and their four children, is well versed in the art of fund-raising, volunteering on behalf of various Catholic charities as well as HAVEN, the crisis support agency that assists domestic violence victims. He said the OCBF Board has spent “a great deal of time over the last few months” defining “who we are” and “who we want to be” in a branding exercise meant to strengthen its long-term viability.
“While a big part of our growth over the last few years is through sponsorships from non-attorney and non-law firm businesses, we want to stay true to our roots and make sure that our messaging takes into account the unique role the Foundation plays in facilitating and enhancing access to justice for underserved people and communities,” Moore explained.
Those interested in purchasing tickets (priced at $175 per person) to the May 6 event can contact Terri Gilbert, executive director at the Oakland County Bar Association, for more information, (248) 334-3400. Sponsorship opportunities also are still available by visiting the OCBA website at www.ocba. org.
Relatedly, the OCBF has continued to reach out to the “Millennial” generation as it seeks to broaden its base of membership and to encourage individual involvement.
“Studies have indicated that the Millennial generation is very giving of their time, and we want to capitalize on their willingness to become involved in volunteer projects and programs,” said Moore.
Last month, the OCBF welcomed 36 new “Fellows” to its ranks during a “welcome” reception at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham. A Fellow is designated by a pledge of $1,000 to support the charitable works of the OCBF, while a Charter Fellow has committed to a pledge of $5,000, according to Moore. There are nearly 270 Charter Fellows in the program, while close to 380 members of the local legal community are designated as Fellows, OCBF officials indicated.
To boost its bottom line further, the OCBF several years ago began work to develop a legacy program of planned giving to the Foundation. Patrick McCauley, who has served two terms as president of the OCBF, has “led the charge,” according to Moore.
“Patrick has been the prime mover in establishing the legacy program so that we can make a strong and long-lasting impact in which the Foundation becomes a designated beneficiary in estate planning,” explained Moore. “It is our goal to get our endowment up to $1 million as a base upon which we build in the years ahead.”
Moore, who is a CPA, graduated from Michigan State University, where he earned both his bachelor and master degrees. In 2008, he was honored by Crain’s Detroit Business with inclusion in its “40 Under 40” class. Two years earlier, Moore was named one of 12 “People to Watch – Business Professionals Making Their Mark” by Turnarounds & Workouts magazine.
Before joining Alvarez & Marsal, a global management consulting firm, Moore spent 14 years with Conway MacKenzie, a Birmingham-based consulting company that specializes in turnaround and restructuring services. While there he helped with restructuring efforts for the City of Detroit and Greektown Casino-Hotel. He also served as an operational adviser to Detroit Public Schools and provided expert testimony in the Stockton, Calif. bankruptcy case.
Yet, despite his demanding work schedule, Moore said he feels “energized” by his responsibilities with the Bar Foundation, particularly as it aims to surpass last year’s fund-raising total.
“I love my time working with the OCBF,” said Moore. “The work is so rewarding in terms of the help we are able to provide to many worthwhile causes. It’s especially gratifying to have seen the growth of the Signature Event, knowing that the more funds we raise each year enables us to make an even greater impact in the community.”
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