Peggy Browning Fund

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

“A draft form 990 was provided to the president and executive director for review. A copy of the 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,at a minimum,include 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 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 -328,235.”

“The peggy browning fund's board of directors is responsible for overseeing the financial statement audit and 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, networking and other programs, pbf provides unique opportunities for law students to work for economic and social justice. Description of organizations'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 from across the country with ten-week paid summer fellowships (plus one paid school-year fellowship), working for social justice organizations, including government organizations such as the nlrb, non-governmental organizations such as worker centers, unions, 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 grown to the point that, through a highly competitive process, 70 law students, drawn from over 500 applicants from more than 130 participating law schools, were placed in fellowships during the summer of 2013 (plus one 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 2013 we expanded the number of regional workshops, to reach additional students who weren't able to participate in our other programs. The organization's success derives not only from the leadership of our founder and president, joseph lurie, but from the talents and commitment of our governing and advisory boards, our executive director and staff, and our numerous volunteers. 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 over 500 students applied in 2013 for the 70 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 under-staffed mentor organizations across the country. Annual conference in an effort to augment the impact of the fund, in 1999 we added an annual national law students workers' rights conference. In 2013 this conference brought 153 law students together with the nation's top labor lawyers, to engage in interactive workshops to discuss a variety of timely issues affecting workers rights'. Here they spent two days attending seminars, networking and learning. (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). Impact our fellowship program and our national law students workers' rights conference 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 agencies with the talent,energy and enthusiasm of dedicated law students embarking on their careers; expanding the ability of agencies to meet their clients' needs; and providing a network available to students interested in pursuing a career in public interest labor law. Fellows handled assignments including (but not limited to): researching complex”

“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, clients' 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 the u.s. Department of labor in philadelphia, fellows participate in cases affecting the entire region (one of only eight in the country). As one attorney commented in evaluating a student,"the responses to discovery that she worked on with one of our attorneys were so useful and well-crafted that they were shared with others in our office who were wrestling with similar issues." 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 commented favorably on the relevance and focus of the workshops, the very practical information presented, and the valuable contacts they made during the conference. Typical comments every year : "superb. Great opportunities to connect with practitioners. Cutting-edge topics. Highly relevant. Left me inspired!" "the workshops were extremely informative and the speakers were very engaging." "i learned something new in each workshop and added greatly to my previously limited exposure to labor law." "a really great networking opportunity." "i was particularly motivated and inspired by the keynote speaker." "very educational." "definitely one of my top favorite experiences in law school!" "i met wonderful people here and absolutely learned a great deal on how and why we should work for workers." "a very informative experience ... Opened up my eyes to what practicing in the field could be like." "being there has given me renewed energy to follow my professional goals." "to have the opportunity to speak with some of the most dedicated attorneys in the country was a huge honor." as in previous years, pbf's work was greatly aided by in-kind contributions and by the support of 294 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 p”