North Carolina Justice Center

2 0 0 9 A N N U A L R E P O R T

NORTH CAROLINA JUST ICE CENTER • OPPORTUNITY AND PROSPERITY FOR ALL • 224 S. DAWSON STREET • P.O. BOX 28068 • RALEIGH, NC 27611 • WWW.NCJUSTICE.ORG

Opportunity and Prosperity for All

CONTENTS 2

Mission and Overview 2

Letter from the Board of Directors 4

Letter from the Executive Director 5

The State Budget 6

Education 8

Health Care 10

Consumer Protections and Housing 12

Support for Working Families 13

Immigrants’ Rights 14

Communications 16

Support for Our Work 18

2009 Defenders of Justice Awards 20

2 0 0 9 A N N U A L R E P O R T 1

2

1 Public Policy Advocacy - Our advocates work

with policymakers to secure laws and policies

that improve the lives of low- and moderate-

income families and to oppose policies that

would take the state backward.

5 Communications - Our writers and media

experts generate commentaries and publications

designed to shape public opinion.

2 Research - Our experts analyze policies and

challenges that impact low-income North

Carolinians, identify strategies for improvement,

and publish their findings in an array of well-

respected reports and issue briefs.

4 Litigation - Our attorneys take on high-

impact cases designed to protect and expand

the rights of low-income groups and

individuals, including immigrants.

3 Community Outreach - Our educators build

relationships with groups and individuals at the

community level and pursue a two-way process

of education and empowerment.

THE JUSTICE CENTER is the state’s leadingresearch and advocacy organization dedicatedto transforming North Carolina’s prosperity intoopportunity for all.

Our mission is to eliminate poverty in NorthCarolina by ensuring that every household in thestate has access to the resources, services and

fair treatment it needs in order to enjoyeconomic security.

The Center was founded in 1996 through themerger of two former Legal Servicesorganizations. Today, our staff is nearly 50people strong and includes communityeducators, communications specialists,

researchers, attorneys, policy advocates, andother dedicated professionals.

Our unique approach to advocacy has helpedthe Justice Center to be extraordinarilysuccessful in changing policies in North Carolinato improve the lives of working families. We usefive interconnected strategies in our work:

Housing that is safe andaffordable

Consumer protectionsthat shield hard-earnedassets from abusivepractices

Jobs that are safe, pay aliving wage, and providehealth coverage and otherbenefits

A fair and stable revenuesystem that adequatelyfunds public investmentswhile fairly distributing taxresponsibility

Fair treatment foreveryone in North Carolina– regardless of race,ethnicity, or country oforigin

Public education thatopens a world ofopportunity to every child

Health care that isaccessible and affordable

Public investments inservices and programs thatexpand and enhanceopportunities for economicsecurity

To makeopportunity and prosperity for all

a reality, we work toward:

NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER l L e t t e r f r o m t h e B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s4

North Carolina Justice Center BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Co-chairs: Jean Cary

Raquel Lynch

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II

Asa L. Bell, Jr.

Dhamian A. Blue

Anita Brown-Graham

Christopher T. Graebe

Richard Hooker, Jr.

Fiorella Horna-Guerra

Kenneth Jerald Jones

Gene Nichol

Dr. Gregory Moss, Sr.

Orage Quarles, III

Rev. J. George Reed

Geraldine Sumter

There was nothing easy about 2009. Throughout North Carolina, workers lost their jobs,families lost their homes, and many of us lost some of our sense of security as the nationstruggled through the worst recession in a generation.

A financial crisis that puts the global economy on the brink of collapse can easily push NorthCarolina’s low-income families over the edge. In such dire situations, it is the safety net ofpublic programs that protects families from ruin.

But in these tight budget times, many legislators sought to shred that safety net in the name ofcutting costs. That is when we all realize how important the work of the North Carolina JusticeCenter is. Without the Justice Center’s advocacy – at the General Assembly, in ourcommunities, at the courthouse and in the media – many North Carolina families would bewithout the services and programs upon which they depend, and many more workers would beunemployed. We are honored to be affiliated with an organization that, in 2009, worked withdozens of partner groups to prevent budget cuts that would have devastated people withdisabilities, helped homeowners avoid foreclosure, ensured children were not denied their rightto an adequate education, and rallied thousands of people in support of health-care reform.

Just as it is hard to overstate the importance of the Justice Center’s work, it is also impossibleto stress too strongly the need for your financial support. Foundation and individual giving aredown for virtually every non-profit in the country, and the Justice Center is certainly not immuneto this side-effect of the recession. The gifts of individuals concerned with the welfare of theirneighbors and their state have never been more necessary.

Please contribute to the North Carolina Justice Center in 2010. Your donations will help thecenter’s staff protect North Carolina’s most vulnerable residents and continue the fight foropportunity and prosperity for all.

Sincerely,

Jean Cary Raquel LynchCo-Chair, Board of Directors Co-Chair, Board of Directors

L e t t e r f r o m t h e E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r l 2 0 0 9 A N N U A L R E P O R T 5

Despite many years of experience with the Justice Center as a partner and as its executive director, I am still amazed sometimes at the impact this organization has on the lives of families throughout NorthCarolina.

As you read this 2009 annual report, you will see how our talented and diverse staff worked to protectvulnerable North Carolinians while expanding opportunity for the state’s working families. All of these successeswere possible only because of the credibility and reputation for integrity that the Justice Center has establishedover the past 14 years. We built up that clout by getting the research right, knowing the law, and stayingcommitted to our mission to eliminate poverty in North Carolina – year after year after year.

In 2010, we will build upon our efforts and victories of the past. Thanks to our long-standing and aggressiveadvocacy for the creation of a school funding system that better serves low-income and minority students, thestate legislature has made sure to include us in the process of reworking that system. We will also be heavilyinvolved with the effort to reform and modernize the state’s revenue system – again, an endeavor for which wehave long advocated and which many legislators would not consider undertaking without the input of ourexperts. Our lobbying efforts in the early part of the decade helped to drive payday lenders out of the state. Thiscoming year, we hope to get a new ruling in our lawsuit to recoup for consumers the illegally high fees charged bypayday lenders, a case which has already established new precedents that protect North Carolina consumers.

These long-term efforts are what make the Justice Center so effective. The relationships and expertise our staffhave built enable us to secure the changes necessary to improve the lives of low- and moderate-income NorthCarolinians.

Your financial contribution is also necessary. It is during tough economic times that the need for a powerful voiceto champion the rights and interests of working families and vulnerable individuals is greatest. They need us,and we need your support.

With warm regards,

Melinda Lawrence, Executive Director

6

The State Budget

In 2009, the economy fell intodeep recession, unemploymentsoared, and hundreds ofthousands of North Carolinafamilies struggled to keep theirhomes and feed their children. It isat times like these, when the needis greatest, that the work of theNorth Carolina Justice Center hasthe greatest impact.

Here are some examples of thesuccesses we had in 2009.

Because of the recession, North Carolina suffered anhistoric drop in tax revenues, resulting in a $4.6 billionbudget shortfall – a whopping 20% of state spending.Many state leaders declared they would not evenconsider raising new revenue and instead proposeddrastic cuts to schools, health and wellness programs,and services for the elderly and the disabled.

At the Justice Center, we focused the considerable skillsof our staff on protecting the vital services many NorthCarolinians depend on to stay in their homes, provide fortheir families and maintain a decent quality of life. Ourorganizers brought together leaders from non-profitadvocacy groups and service providers to form theTogether NC coalition, which worked aggressively toconvince lawmakers to take a balanced approach to thefiscal crisis (See Spotlight). Our researchers with theBudget & Tax Center analyzed revenue proposals, andlegislative leaders called on them for explanations of howthose proposals would impact the state’s most vulnerablecitizens. Our communications specialists developedcommon messages for all Together NC members to use,pushed that message with the media and creatednewspaper advertisements to influence lawmakers. Ourlegislative advocates worked with state leaders to craft aproposal that would raise new revenue and protect thestate’s most vulnerable citizens.

In the end, state legislators took a responsible approachto the fiscal crisis, closing about half of the budget gapwith new funds and federal stimulus money, thuspreventing the most devastating cuts that were underconsideration. The Justice Center’s advocacy efforts alsohelped protect the planned increase in the state EarnedIncome Tax Credit, which goes up to 5% of the federalcredit this tax season and puts money in the pockets ofmore than 820,000 North Carolina workers.

NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER l T h e S t a t e B u d g e t

At the beginning of 2009, the Justice Center,in partnership with the Covenant with NorthCarolina’s Children, organized Together NC, abroad-based coalition that called on stateleaders to maintain and build on the publicinvestments that support the fabric of NorthCarolina’s communities. As the yearprogressed and lawmakers threatened tobalance the budget by gutting education,health care, and other core investments,more than 100 organizations joined TogetherNC, creating a powerful voice thatsignificantly influenced the budget process.

Together NC held simultaneous rallies inRaleigh and Asheville to influence the NCHouse’s budget process that attracted morethan 600 people. The coalition also held 10town-hall meetings around the statefeaturing staff from the Budget & Tax Centerproviding updates on the state’s fiscalsituation. We videotaped attendees tellingtheir stories about how proposed cuts wouldimpact their lives, and legislators receivedcopies of the most compelling stories.

Together NC also got the public involved inthe budget debate. Through several phone-banking sessions, volunteers talked to more

than 2,500 North Carolinians about the needfor a balanced approach to solving the state'sfiscal crisis. A little more than one-third of thepeople contacted agreed to be patchedthrough to their legislators’ offices to makepersonal appeals.

All of these efforts had a significant impacton the budget process. Listening to theirconstituents, House leaders backed off theirstance against raising new revenues andinstead took a balanced approach to creatingthe budget. To provide support for theirdecision, Together NC placed advertisements,written and designed by Justice Center staff,in several small and mid-sized newspapersaround the state thanking lawmakers.

The final budget, while not perfect, isdramatically better than the proposals somelegislative leaders were pushing, and much oftheir change of heart can be credited to theefforts of Together NC.

SPOTLIGHT: Together NC

2 0 0 9 A N N U A L R E P O R T 7

NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER8

North Carolina law requires schools to assist studentsat risk of academic failure by creating andimplementing Personal Education Plans (PEPs), whichoutline specific interventions to help these studentscatch up and to boost their academic performance.However, the parents with whom we work told us thatPEPs were not being developed for their children or,when developed, were not being implemented. TheJustice Center worked with other education advocatesto create and push for a new law that expands and

clarifies the rights of at-risk students. The JusticeCenter will continue to monitor the use—or lackthereof—of PEPs throughout North Carolina andadvocate for students who have been denied thisimportant tool for academic success.

We convinced legislators not to cut special funds thatprovide money to help educate disadvantagedstudents, students with disabilities, and students inlow-wealth communities. In addition, our history of

strong advocacy for public education secured us a rolein the creation of new school funding formulas for thestate. The legislative committee considering how torevamp the formulas, which currently fail to allocateadequate money to struggling schools, has named theJustice Center as one of the organizations to beconsulted during the process. Because changes to thefunding formulas may significantly impact strugglingschools, the outreach staff of our Education and LawProject spent much of 2009 informing parents and

Education

9

community groups about the current school fundingformulas and the committee’s work. We now havehundreds of people we can call on to influence thisreform process when the time comes.

Staff of the Education and Law Project also conductedmore than 30 trainings in 2009, hitting 15 countiesand reaching more than 300 parents and communitymembers. The trainings covered many educationtopics, including school funding, dropout prevention,

E d u c a t i o n l 2 0 0 9 A N N U A L R E P O R T

student discipline, alternative learning programs,and protections for students with disabilities. Mostimportantly, these efforts empowered participantsto be activists in their communities by giving theminformation about students’ education rights andadvocacy techniques.

The Justice Center also has joined the effort toprevent the resegregration of Wake Countyschools. We are a member of the Great Schools inWake coalition, which opposes the efforts of thenewly elected school-board majority to end thecounty’s policies promoting socioeconomicdiversity in schools. We provided legal researchand communications support to the coalition, andwe will continue to fight to protect Wake’s diversitypolicies.

When North Carolina’s nationally recognized MoreAt Four Program was in jeopardy, our researchteam produced a report explaining how this pre-kindergarten education effort, which targets at-riskfour-year olds, had improved the academicoutcomes of children who participated. Theinformation helped to persuade lawmakers toscrap plans to cut More At Four, and as the statefaces another difficult budget year, we will be atthe legislature working to protect funding for thisimportant program.

The Justice Center’s NC Health AccessCoalition makes powerful use of new media,particularly blogs. In 2009, HAC staff posted34 short videos on national health reform toNC Policy Watch’s popular blog. Some ofthose videos included personal stories andinterviews with small-business owners, andfive videos exceeded 500 views, putting themin the top 50 percent of most-watched videoson YouTube.

As an important swing state, North Carolina garneredattention from dozens of national organizations on bothsides of the health reform debate. Despite the heightenednoise level, the voice of the Justice Center’s Health AccessCoalition (HAC) rose above the din as an establishedsource of reputable analysis on the impact health reformwould have on North Carolinians. HAC used itsconsiderable media presence and grassroots contacts todrive news coverage. We set up news conferences, servedas commentators on health reform developments, andconnected reporters with people who could tell theirstories of suffering under the current health care system.

In addition, we organized rallies in Asheville, Raleigh,Charlotte and Greenville. The rally in Raleigh attractednearly 1,000 attendees and was covered both by localmedia and larger outlets such as England’s Guardiannewspaper. Staff also organized nine major communitymeetings across North Carolina on health care reform,several of which drew considerable attendance and werecovered in the local media.

As a respected source of information, HAC staff appearedfrequently with members of the state legislature andCongress. We presented with U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield inRocky Mount and U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge in Lillington, andwe helped to organize a Durham town-hall meeting withU.S. Rep. David Price. In addition, we did presentations withstate legislators in Fayetteville, Greensboro, Greenville,Henderson, Warrenton, Ahoskie, Windsor and Raleigh.Partnering with NC Policy Watch, HAC also attracted mediaattention by hosting two “Crucial Conversation” luncheons– one with U.S. Rep. Brad Miller and another withinsurance industry whistleblower Wendell Potter.

Our research team produced a report on the levels oftreatment patients receive in different North Carolinacities. We found that communities have widely differenttreatment rates that could only be explained by thepreferences and decisions of physicians. The studyencouraged lawmakers to study these variations andeducate physicians in order to reduce health-care costs.

Health Care

SPOTLIGHT: Blue Cross Blue Shield’s effo

HAC also produced more than 220 blog postson national health reform, several of whichbecame national stories. For example, HACstaff discovered that Blue Cross and BlueShield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) planned tolaunch a series of internet ads to discredithealth reform proposals. We publicized theplans, and mainstream media and manynational blogs picked up the story, promptingBCBSNC to cancel the ads.

HAC also blogged about BCBSNC’s anti-health reform robocalls and mailers. Thosemailers to consumers included a postcardthey could send to Senator Kay Hagan askingher to oppose “government-run insurance.”Staff’s posts pointing out that BCBSNC, anon-profit that raises its premiums annually,was using its customers’ money to try to stophealth reform, caught the attention of peoplearound the country. National progressiveblogs picked up the story about the mailers,

and throughout North Carolina BCBSNCcustomers started fighting back. They alteredthe pre-paid mailer to urge Senator Hagan tosupport reform, and some of them sent uspictures of the improved mailers so we couldpost them online. The effort empoweredmembers of the public and focused attentionon BCBSNC’s questionable practices.

H e a l t h C a r e l 2 0 0 9 A N N U A L R E P O R T 11

rts against health reform

NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER l C o n s u m e r a n d H o u s i n g12

Consumer Protections & Housing

This year, Justice Center advocates successfullysecured a bill to protect North Carolina consumersfrom debt buyers who act unethically and oftenillegally. Such debt buyers pay pennies on the dollarfor the right to old debt – in some cases debt thathas been paid off or which is no longer validbecause the statute of limitations has passed. Theyoften target low-income families who can’t afford alawyer to fight a claim, even if it is bogus. The newlaw, the Consumer Economic Protection Act of2009, imposes numerous requirements on debtbuyers, such as having valid documentation of thedebt, and increases the penalties for the mostegregious practices.

We also supported a bill to help families who losttheir homes to foreclosure but were required tocontinue paying on their mortgages. These“deficiency judgments” can put a crippling financialburden on a family who is already struggling. A newlaw championed by the Justice Center abolishedcertain deficiency judgments, freeing families torebuild their lives and finances.

The Justice Center also secured legislation thatcreates statewide standards for rental housing,limits and regulates the fees landlords charge for

evictions, increases penalties for improper handlingof tenants’ security deposits, and requires localgovernments to first order landlords to make repairsinstead of removing tenants when housing codeviolations are found. Another law clarified and madeNorth Carolina’s fair housing laws consistent withfederal law in regards to the right to reasonableaccommodations and modifications for people withdisabilities, and yet a third new law will prohibit localgovernments from using their land-use andpermitting authority to discriminate against housingdevelopments just because they include affordableunits for low-income families.

In addition, we stood up for housing rights in thecourts. We are challenging foreclosures and workingto establish the legal precedent that giving aconsumer a loan he clearly cannot afford is aviolation of North Carolina’s unfair trade practicesstatute.

Lastly, we succeeded in protecting two importantprograms from funding cuts: the Housing Trust Fund,which finances the construction and rehabilitation ofaffordable housing, and the Home ProtectionProgram, which helps laid-off workers keep theirhomes while they retrain or look for work.

13

North Carolina is laying the groundwork for morepublic transportation, and the Justice Center isworking to ensure the needs of working families arecentral to the planning process. A coalition ofenvironmental and social justice groups, organizedby the Justice Center, successfully pushed forlegislative provisions that ensure there will beaffordable housing near transit stops and that low-wealth communities have access to the new trainsand buses.

In this year when so many working families werestruggling, the Justice Center worked at both thefederal and state levels to make unemploymentinsurance more available. We secured technical

changes to state law that ensure North Carolinareceives more than $200 million from the federalgovernment for modernizing its unemploymentinsurance system. In addition, we assisted insecuring passage of the federal extension ofunemployment insurance, which increased thenumber of weeks laid-off workers were eligible forbenefits. Justice Center staff persuaded GovernorPerdue to send a letter of support to Congress, andwe contacted relevant members of Congress insupport of this legislation.

This year, the Justice Center received an increasednumber of reports of “wage theft”—the failure ofemployers to pay wages as required by law or

Support for Working Families

contract. The Justice Center filed a number oflawsuits on behalf of workers who were victims ofthis practice, such as the case of a movingcompany that didn’t pay workers for all of theirtime and made improper deductions frompaychecks. These litigation efforts will continue in2010.

In 2009, the Justice Center launched the NC SecondChance Alliance, a coalition to support policies thatreduce barriers facing ex-offenders. Thanks in partto the alliance’s efforts, the legislature created aStudy Commission on Prisoner Re-entry, which willlook at how the state can “address barriers facing ex-offenders in accessing jobs, housing, education,training and services” and reduce recidivism. Wealso worked with the attorney general’s staff and thegovernor’s office to create a task force of faith-basedorganizations, non-profits, businesses andgovernment agencies to develop a plan to combatrecidivism and reintegrate ex-offenders intocommunities. And we were instrumental in gettingstate officials to bring to North Carolina the Council ofState Government’s Justice Reinvestment Project,which will assist the state in finding ways to reducecorrections spending and recidivism.

S u p p o r t fo r Wo r k i n g Fa m i l i e s l 2 0 0 9 A N N U A L R E P O R T

NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER l I m m i g r a n t s ’ R i g h t s14

Protecting the rights of immigrants is the missionof the Justice Center’s Immigrants LegalAssistance Project and Eastern CarolinaImmigrants’ Rights Project. In 2009, we preventedmore than 20 deportations and obtained legalstatus for more than 240 people. We alsoeducated nearly 1400 immigrant farmworkersabout their legal rights during outreach visits totheir camps.

Because society marginalizes many immigrants,they are often targets of abuse and scams. Wefiled numerous lawsuits in response to suchabuse, including a class action case withpotentially 400 plaintiffs against two notaries whopracticed immigration law without licenses. Wealso helped immigrants who were improperlyturned away from public programs and services,and we worked with the state Department ofHealth and Human Services to secure policy

changes to ensure that qualified immigrants –children and pregnant women – have access tothe Special Supplemental Nutrition Program forWomen, Infants, and Children (better known asWIC).

We continue to address the needs of manyimmigrants across North Carolina who reportbeing harassed and detained under the 287(g)program, which allows local law enforcement

Immigrants’ Rights

2 0 0 9 A N N U A L R E P O R T 15

agencies to enforce immigration law. This year, weparticipated in and planned various events around thestate to call attention to the reality of racial profiling,discriminatory traffic checkpoints and diminishedcommunity safety that have resulted from 287(g).

NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER l C o m m u n i c a t i o n s16

Communications Thanks to our communications team, the JusticeCenter and its staff appeared in some 200 distinctmedia outlets all over North Carolina and a fewoutside the state in 2009. We placed about 380stories in the media – and that doesn’t includeregularly scheduled media appearances such asChris Fitzsimon’s daily commentary and weeklyshow on WRAL radio, Elaine Mejia’s weeklycommentary on State Government Radio, or Chris’sand Elaine’s appearances on WRAL-TV’s NC Spin.During the height of the state budget debate, theJustice Center averaged nearly five stories in themedia every day.

The Justice Center and NC Policy Watch, anindependent project of the Justice Center, havetaken the lead in the effort to educate the people ofNorth Carolina about the need for publicinvestments – and policymakers, reporters and thestate’s political networks have taken notice. PolicyWatch’s blog, Progressive Pulse, gets up to 13,000hits in a month. Traffic to Policy Watch’s website wasup dramatically in 2009, with more than 78,000unique users and 1,300,000 page views. The sitefeatures daily pieces on policy issues and weeklyanalysis countering the rhetoric of the right, as wellas columns from our progressive partnerorganizations.

We launched two new printed publications targetedat lawmakers in 2009 – the Legislative Bulletin,produced by Justice Center staff, and the WeeklyBriefing, produced by Policy Watch. Bothpublications educate members of the statelegislature about important policy issues currentlybefore them.

Regular email publications from the Justice Centerincluded NC Justice News, an e-newsletter on thelatest developments in all of the many issues wework on; The Week Ahead, which promotesupcoming newsworthy events from numerousprogressive policy groups; and From the Ground Up,our e-newsletter on education policy. In addition,each quarter we printed 45,000 copies ofCommunity News, which highlighted the JusticeCenter’s policy work and the activities of communityactivists from other organizations working on behalfof low-income North Carolinians. The News &Observer of Raleigh inserted 42,000 copies ofCommunity News right into its papers distributed inparts of Durham, Raleigh, Smithfield, Selma, Kenly,Chapel Hill and Carrboro. The rest of the copieswent to local libraries, cafes, and legal aid officesthroughout the state, or with staff members whodistributed them at meetings and events.

2 0 0 9 A N N U A L R E P O R T 17

Like families, businesses and non-profits acrossthe nation, the Justice Center tightened its belt in2009, trimming expenses wherever possible. Wehave continued our responsible management ofyour gifts by decreasing our non-programmaticcosts from 15% in 2007 to 13% this past year.For example, we reassessed our plans to move toa larger space in order to accommodate ourgrowing staff and instead decided to stay put andwork with what we had. We also created a newwebsite, which not only works better than the oldone but actually slashed our monthly costs.

As a result, a greater percentage of every dollardonated supports our advocacy, outreach, andresearch activities. We maintained our staffing

levels, and during a year that was so difficult formany of North Carolina families, our capacity towork on behalf of those families was as strong as ever.

The continued commitment and generosity of our donors and funders has enabled us to pushforward with our efforts to help low- andmoderate-income families in North Carolina. With the support of state and nationalfoundations, as well as hundreds of individualdonors, we were able to meet our operatingbudget of $4.44 million. Thank you for lookingout for the working families of North Carolina andenabling us to continue this important work.

NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER l S u p p o r t f o r O u r W o r k18

Support for Our Work

North Carolina Justice Center 2009 Foundation Partners

A.J. Fletcher Foundation

Adrian Dominican - Ministry Trust Fund

Annie E. Casey Foundation

Center for Economic & PolicyResearch

Center on Budget & PolicyPriorities

Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

Community Catalyst, Inc.

Economic Policy Institute

Education Foundation ofAmerica

Equal Justice Works

Ford Foundation

John Rex Endowment

John S. & James L. KnightFoundation

Mary Reynolds BabcockFoundation

National Association ofConsumer Advocates

North Carolina State Bar IOLTA program

Public Welfare Foundation

Robert Wood JohnsonFoundation

Share Our Strength

Sisters of Mercy of NorthCarolina Foundation Inc.

State Fiscal Analysis Initiative

The Warner Foundation

Powell Fellowship, University ofVirginia School of Law

Working Poor Families Project,managed by Brandon Roberts+ Associates on behalf of thefunding foundations

Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation

North CarolinaFoundations 74%

NationalFoundations 21%

Other2%

Individual Contributions3%

Sources of support represent 2009 pre-auditedpercentages.

2 0 0 9 A N N U A L R E P O R T 19

2009 North Carolina Justice Center Honor Roll

GENERAL OPERATINGSUPPORT

John M. AbermanAlba C. AbregoAllen AdamsMarla AdamsAla Guil Council of Church

Women UnitedPatrice E. AlexanderBetsy AlexanderJorge L. AlvarezPatricia AmendShel AndersonBirmingham Jewish

FoundationBrenda Hernandez AndradeMary AndradesMary Umberg AndrewsMarcos ArdonWilliam AustinCleta BakerNathan BearmanLaura BenedictWilfredo BermudezJulia BickWilliam and Annette

BinghamDoris BowlesDiana B. BowmanJoan BoyleWilliam P. BrandonSally BucknerJane Bultman DalldorfJoe BurtonPaul D. Carrington

Jean Cary and GeorgeDanser

Deborah J. CassidyRaquel Castillo RiosKyle ChenetChilove CheryLucinda W. ChewChurch Women United in NCClearscapesJenifer ClementLouise Mary CliffordCarolyn CobbHoward M. CohenCommunity United Church of

ChristRuth CookKen and Cynthia CrossenBill Current Sr.Jesus DelgadilloStephen DovenitzIlana Dubester and Gary

PhillipsDonna DukeSteven EdelsteinElizabeth B. EllerbeeVictor FarahNora Lynn FinchWayne ForehandAndrew FosterAdrienne M. FoxEllen W. Gerber and Pearl

BerlinSusan D. GilbertsonRichard GirouxRick Glazier

Augustine GomesMarina R. GonzalezRoger GorhamChris GraebeHarriet and Larry GrandGrassroots Leadership, Inc.Nancy GrebenkemperGary GreenbergTerry and Bernie GrunwaldMary G. HammondNahomi and Jon HarkavyRichard J. HarkraderThomas L. Harmon Jr.Jerome C. Hay and Judith C.

BeckJoy Vermillion HeinsohnCharles HenseyMary HerrElena HerreraHilda A. HighfillCarmen HiottBarbara D. HollingsworthAndrew HoltonRonald HoweAnonymousHumble Pie FoundationRebecca InglefieldDavid H. JollySarah N. JonesDavid A. JonesWilliam JoslinAnnette JurgelskiFreya KamelKeith Karlsson

John R. KellerDavid H. KielEdwin KingA. Larkin KirkmanLaura KlaukeHal and Ellie LambLuke LargessLeague of Women VotersMargaret LeinbachMonica and Tomas LeonPatricia LeviGeorgia J. LewisEvan LewisJoan LipsitzRichard LoganAlbert M. LylesRicardo A. MatiasPa Nderry MbaiAnn McCrackenMaryBe McMillanLotte and Seymour MeyersonSally MiglioreHarriet W. MildeAnonymousCharles L. MiloneCharles MontgomeryPeter and MorrisLarry MorseBob Mosteller and S.

Elizabeth GibsonElizabeth MuellerNoemi L. NamboNC Community SharesNetwork for Good

Slater NewmanGene NicholJan NicholsDonald M. NoniniMarie B. NovelloOpenSource Leadership

Strategies, Inc.Jenni OwenAndrew PerrinSylvia S. PinyanDaniel H. PollittDiane and Mark PozefskyHomer E. Price Jr.Yvonne PughDavid PuryearThomas Arcury and Sara A.

QuandtGeorge ReedMiguel ReynosoWalter E. RichardsonJerimee RichirRachel RiveraNorma RoederPeggy RogersAnonymousPedro SalmeronJohn SandersSandra F. Hoke Fund Nathalie G. SatoEvelyn SchmidtAndrew SchwabaMichael SchwalbeLorisa SeibelAnn SengLena and James Sessoms

John W. ShawLinda ShawAnonymousNancy ShoemakerWilliam SimpsonJane SmithSarah Laidlaw SmithLyle SniderJohn SoltysAllen SpaltKatherine Sparrow and

Donald TysonStanley B. SpragueAnonymousTom Stern and Tema OkunMark SternlichtJim StolzStudent Action with

FarmerworkersNicole SullivanGeraldine SumterSvetkey - van der Horst Fund

of Triangle CommunityFoundation

Mildred SwiftJeff TabinTaku Fund of Triangle

Community FoundationDavid T. Tayloe Jr.Vaneada TerrellMary Beth TobinPamela J. TrentUnitarian Universalist

Fellowship of RaleighCharles Van Der Horst and

Laura SvetkeyCris and Guia VillapandoCynthia Aziz von der EmbseMargaret WainwrightJoan WalshMarvin and Pat WarnerAnonymousLinda B. WeiselAnne and Bill WerdelJudith WestCharles W. West Jr.AnonymousSusan YargerLarry Yarger

GIFTS IN HONORH. Gerald BeaverCatholic Charities of the

Diocese of PiedmontDeanery

Attracta KellySr. Lois MacGillivrayPender McElroyCarlene McNultyBill Rowe

GIFTS IN MEMORYMargie EllisonStanley & Margaret GlazierWillard GreenleafAndrew PughDenison RayTom K. Rogers, Jr.

Leslie Boyd

Evelin Brinich

Nancy F. Brown

Daina Delgado

William Franklin

Gibson Gray

Nancy Grebenkemper

David H. Jolly

June M. Kimmel

Henry and Betty Landsberger

March of Dimes

National Multiple Sclerosis

Society

National Association of SocialWorkers-NC Chapter

NC Psychological Association

Peggy Novotny

Alexandra O'Connor

Donald Searing

Carolyn Sexton

Pamela J. Trent

Anonymous

NC Health Access Coalition Members and Supporters

NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER l 2 0 0 9 D e f e n d e r s o f J u s t i c e A w a r d s20

The Justice Center would like to extend a specialthanks to its 2009 Defenders of Justice Awardsceremony co-chairs – Barbara & Jim Goodmon,Orage & Linda Quarles, and Susan & Perry Safran.We would also like to thank our many generoussponsors:

LEGISLATIVEADVOCACY

Sen. FloydMcKissick, Jr.

LEGISLATIVEADVOCACY

Rep. PriceyHarrison

GRASSROOTSEMPOWERMENT

AngazaLaughinghouse

LITIGATION

John AlanJones

LITIGATION

Chris Olson

2009 Defenders of Justice Award Recipients and Sponsors

POLICY RESEARCH & ADVOCACY

AARP

The Josephus Daniels FundPerry & Susan Safran

Individual Sponsors: PLATINUM

Individual Sponsors: SILVERElizabeth Craven & Michael Warner

Jay Butler & GraceEvans

Jean Cary &George Danser

John Graybeal &Laurie Heise

Daniel & KarenGottovi

Chris & SusanGraebe

Richard Hooker

Carl Horton &Debra Tyler-

Horton

Mary BraxtonJoseph &AmbassadorJames Joseph

Cyrus & CarolynKing

Melinda Lawrence& Greg Malhoit

Susan Lupton &Robert Schall

John Parker &Easter Maynard

Travis & AvryPayne

Jane Pinsky andRichardAdelman

Orage & LindaQuarles

Brenda J.Summers

Carol Teal & BillWilson

Paula Wolf

Anonymous

Individual Sponsors: BRONZE

Corporate Sponsors: SILVER

In-kind Sponsor: PLATINUM

In-kind Sponsor: GOLD

BB&T

Becton, Slifkin &Bell, P.A.

NC Association of CommunityDevelopmentCenters

RBC Centura Bank

Romeo Wiggins & Company,L.L.P.

Self Help & Centerfor ResponsibleLending

Triangle AutoRecyclers

Corporate Sponsors: BRONZEIn-kind Sponsor: BRONZE

Chandler’s Florist

Haw River Wineman

Philanthropy Journal

Triangle Brewing Company

Weaver Street Market

Corporate Sponsor: PLATINUM

Corporate Sponsors: GOLD

BOTTOM ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Elaine Mejia, Louisa Warren, Dineira Paulino, Cristin Ruggles.

SECOND ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Tana Liu-Beers, Melinda Lawrence, Hope Marasco, Jan Nichols, Kate

Woomer-Deters. THIRD ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Nicole Dozier, Carol Brooke, Jill Diaz, Senseney

Marshall. FOURTH ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Helena O’Connor, Diane Morris, Clermont Fraser. FIFTH

ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Tom Burton, Dustin Bayard, Elise Elliott, Dani Martinez-Moore. SIXTH ROW,

LEFT TO RIGHT: Adam Searing, Bill Rowe, Anna Fedders. TOP ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Adam Linker, Al

Ripley, Chris Fitzsimon, Meg Gray Wiehe, Phyllis Nunn, Sean Kosofsky, Ajamu Dillahunt, Mary

Coleman, Rob Schofield, Debra Tyler-Horton, Dan Rearick.

(NOT PICTURED: Stephanie Bass, Erin Byrd, Lisa Chun, Jack Holtzman, Steve Jackson, Attracta Kelly,

Carol McNeely, Carlene McNulty, Jessica Rocha, Jeff Shaw, Rochelle Sparko.)

Our Staff

NORTH CAROLINA JUST ICE CENTER

Opportunity and Prosperity for All

224 S. Dawson Street • P.O. Box 28068 • Raleigh, NC 27611919/856-2570 voice • 919/856-2175 fax • www.ncjustice.org • contact@ncjustice.org

© COPYRIGHT 2010

NO PORTION OF THIS DOCUMENT MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION.