Peggy Browning Fund

“The board of directors elects executive officers of the organization.”

“A draft form 990 was provided to the president, executive director, and treasurer for review. A copy of the form 990 was provided to the board of directors and they were given an opportunity to comment before it was filed.”

“To ensure the peggy browning fund operates in a manner consistent with charitable purposes and does not engage in activities that could jeopardize its tax-exempt status, periodic reviews of the conflict of interest policy are conducted. The periodic reviews include, at a minimum, the following subjects: a. Whether compensation arrangements and benefits are reasonable, based on competent survey information, and the result of arm's length bargaining. B. Whether partnerships, joint ventures, and arrangements with management organizations conform to the organization's written policies, are properly recorded, reflect reasonable investment or payments for goods and services, further charitable purposes, and do not result in inurement, impermissible private benefit, or in an excess benefit transaction.”

“15a. The board's compensation committee annually reviews the compensation of the executive director and the director of development, taking into account comparable positions in similar-sized organizations. The compensation committee's recommendations for increases are reviewed by the board of directors and communicated to the executive director. 15b. The executive director and the board's compensation committee, in consultation with the board of directors, review the compensation of employees annually and document in memo any payroll increases.”

“The peggy browning fund makes its governing documents, conflict of interest policy and financial statements available to the public upon request.”

“Donated services -930,272.”

“The peggy browning fund's board of directors is responsible for overseeing the financial statement audit and the selection of the independent accountant who performs the audit.”

“Description of organization's mission statement: the peggy browning fund (pbf) educates and inspires the next generation of advocates for workplace justice. Through fellowships, workers' rights conferences, regional workshops, networking, alumni activities and other programs, pbf provides unique opportunities for law students to work for economic and social justice. Description of organization's vision statement: the peggy browning fund is a preeminent training ground and recruiting source of legal advocates for social and economic justice for workers. It carries the message to law students that workers' rights are civil rights and that the movement for workplace democracy and justice is both a noble calling and a viable career. Pbf promotes students' awareness of the evolving challenges that face workers and encourages activism around legal strategies that address them. The workplace justice movement looks to the peggy browning fund as a highly selective and prestigious source of legal talent. Pbf's diverse programs and national alumni network enable the next generation of committed lawyers to find and afford meaningful careers on behalf of working people.”

“The peggy browning fund - form 990, part iii, lines 4a & 4b: overview of program services the peggy browning fund (pbf) was formed in 1997 to honor the memory of margaret a. (peggy) browning, a renowned philadelphia labor lawyer who served on the national labor relations board (nlrb) from 1994 to 1997. Pbf educates law students about the rights and needs of workers. We encourage the next generation of lawyers to advocate for social and economic justice both in the workplace and in other arenas. Pbf's core program provides law students from law schools across the country with ten-week paid summer fellowships (plus two paid school-year fellowships). These peggy browning fellows work with a wide variety of social justice organizations, including unions, non-profit organizations, such as worker centers, and union-side law firms (the law firms pay the cost for their own fellows). Pbf placed our first 10 students in 1998. Today we have 150 participating law schools. Through a highly competitive process, 110 law students, drawn from over 500 applicants, were placed in fellowships during the summer of 2024 (plus two during the school year) with unions and social justice organizations across the country. Additionally, we have continued our annual national law students workers rights' conference. In 2024 we conducted 8 regional advocating for workplace justice workshops; all were conducted in-person with an option to stream. This enabled us to reach additional students who weren't able to participate in our other programs. A total of 200+ students participated in 2024. The organization's success derives not only from the leadership of our board president, rich brean, but from the talents and commitment of our governing and advisory boards, our executive director and staff, and our numerous volunteers. Our founder, joseph lurie, formally resigned his position as president in august 2022. The position of president was dissolved and leadership is currently shared between the chairman of the board, richard brean, and the executive director, rachel del rossi. Mr. Brean and ms. Del rossi are well supported by our governance board, advisory board, network of volunteers, and staff. We have invested in our board leadership by forming an executive committee made up of board officers and committee chairs. This group meets monthly to provide oversight and guidance to the organization. Fellowship program the students selected are called fellows and their summer placements are in mentor organizations. Pbf today is held in such high regard that well over 500 students applied in 2024 for the 110 coveted summer fellowships. It's considered a significant honor to be selected as a pbf fellow - a source of pride for students and respect from the broad legal community. Pbf has developed into the nation's preeminent nonprofit organization for providing funded summer fellowships for law students to work for social and economic justice. In doing so, we fulfill our mission of educating a new generation of lawyers about workers rights, encouraging them to embrace this field while also providing vital services to understaffed mentor organizations across the country. Annual conference in an effort to augment our impact, in 1999 we added an annual national law students workers' rights conference. The 2023 conference, in which 170+ students participated, was one of our largest groups ever. Sessions were spread over two days, and included two plenary sessions and our usual listing of substantive workshops. Students and facilitators alike gave us very positive feedback. (for a current list of participating law schools, summer fellowship placements, information about our fellowship program and annual conference, and news about other events, see www.peggybrowningfund.org.) regional workshops the dual purpose of pbf's regional workshops is to interest law school students in applying for peggy browning fellowships and to encourage them to pursue careers in a broad range o”

“Impact our fellowship program, our national law students workers' rights conferences and our regional workshops have had a deep impact on the lives and careers of students. Specific benefits of the program include: introducing students to the myriad of issues affecting workers' rights; providing interaction with the nation's top practicing professionals; enabling students to gain first-hand knowledge and experience with workers, along with a deeper understanding and greater knowledge concerning social justice issues; providing short-staffed organizations with the talent, energy and enthusiasm of dedicated law students embarking on their careers; expanding the ability of organizations to meet their clients' needs; and providing a network available to students interested in pursuing a career in public interest labor law. Typical assignments for fellows include (but are not limited to): researching complex legal issues; handling intakes; interviewing clients in preparation for hearings; assisting union business agents and organizers with labor and management negotiations; organizing legal demonstrations and elections; writing legal memoranda; drafting legal briefs; summarizing case law in preparation for hearings; revising training manuals on issues such as the rights of employees with disabilities; preparing training regarding employment discrimination laws affecting immigrant workers, and presenting the training to social services providers in multiple cities; helping their mentor organizations advocate for improved worker's rights; reviewing, analyzing, and summarizing collective bargaining contracts. Pbf fellows typically describe their fellowship experience as transformative (both for them personally and for their clients). They report gaining a sweeping perspective of the struggles of workers, and they are grateful for the opportunities presented by their fellowships. While it is hard to quantify impact, and we have never had the resources to conduct formal research studies, feedback from the mentors who supervise our fellows gives some insight. Some note that the fellows' work affected hundreds or thousands of workers. Others commend the very high quality of work produced by the fellows and the wide variety of assignments they are able to handle. A common theme from mentors each year is that the work done by our students benefits all members/clients served by the mentor organization. Another common theme is that, at a time when the mentor organizations are experiencing heavy caseloads and funding cutbacks, the diligence and thoughtful analysis of the pbf fellows greatly enhanced the organizations' ability to handle their cases in an effective and timely manner. Several mentors asked pbf for additional support. Mentors routinely praise the fellows' research skills, writing skills, focus, efficiency, and deep passion for labor law and the labor movement. Mentors consistently comment favorably on what an asset the pbf fellows are to the labor movement both during their fellowships and potentially in the future. Many union leaders have called peggy browning fellows the future of the labor movement. From 1998 through 2023, pbf awarded 1,436 fellowships. The most recent analysis of pbf alumni showed that nearly 42% were working in worker rights labor law organizations (unions, worker centers, union-side law firms, the national labor relations board, the department of labor, and similar organizations); 28% were supporting social justice in various public interest jobs; and approximately 12% were still in law school or had recently graduated. The remainder were in other legal positions or their status was unknown.”

“The peggy browning fund is the only organization with the national reach and reputation for excellence dedicated to placing law students with such a wide range of labor-related social justice organizations, thereby bridging the gap between the needs of today's working families for qualified legal assistance and the future lawyers who can provide it. Our programs present a unique opportunity to educate and motivate the next generation of public interest labor lawyers. In addition, the peggy browning fund has a significant impact on those living in the communities served by its mentor organizations that goes far beyond simply providing fellowships to law students. Our programs have a ripple effect. We educate law students about workers' rights, and we give them increased opportunities, but the impact doesn't stop there. Because of peggy browning fellows, local mentor organizations can broaden their reach and stretch their insufficient resources to handle their large caseloads. Because of peggy browning fellows, workers' lives are changed. A peggy browning fellow's research for any of the unions that participate in our program can affect the lives of every member of that union. A peggy browning fellow at community legal services often handles 30 to 40 client files and handles several varied research and writing assignments. At other mentor organizations, fellows participate in cases affecting entire states or regions. Direct interaction with workers and their families likewise has benefits that ripple far beyond each individual situation. Students frequently report that one of the most rewarding aspects of the fellowship is their interaction with the clients served by the mentor organization. They are able to see the direct impact of their work on the lives of the clients they represent, and their commitment to public interest labor law is strengthened. Thus, the fellowship experience not only helps a student build technical legal skills while learning about workers rights. It also directly helps over-stretched mentor organizations. Most importantly, it has lasting effects on the lives of innumerable workers and their families. Students who attended our national law students workers' rights conference and our regional workshops comment favorably every year on the relevance and focus of the workshops, the very practical information presented, and the valuable contacts they made during these events. As in previous years, pbf's work was greatly aided by in-kind contributions and by the support of 200+ volunteers, most of whom are attorneys actively involved in the labor movement. They served as members of our board of directors, advisory board, conference planning committee, development committee, alumni committee, host committees for various events, mentors in our fellowship program, speakers, panelists and workshop facilitators at our conference and regional workshops, and in many other supportive roles. Our fellowship program was greatly strengthened by unions and union-side law firms that covered the stipends and related costs for the fellows placed with them. We also received in-kind donations of space, audio-technical support, design and printing services, photography, professional services, clerical support, postage and similar items. Such generosity and extensive support from the labor community enabled us to extend the reach of our services significantly and to offer more opportunities to students than ever before.”