The Chanler Group’s commitment to the public interest extends beyond our areas of legal practice. As one of the leading progressive law firms in the country, The Chanler Group donates significant amounts of its resources to various public interest organizations. The Chanler Group will continue to donate 1% of its False Claim Act revenues to Taxpayers Against Fraud Education Fund, a nonprofit, public interest organization dedicated to combating fraud against the government, and protecting public resources through public-private partnerships. Additionally, The Chanler Group will donate a percentage of firm profits to applicants of its Grant Making Program and, if grants are not fulfilled, the remaining funds will be donated to non-profit charitable organizations.
In 2013, The Chanler Group has allocated monies to the following charitable organizations:
- Alliance for the Great Lakes (Chicago) – Since 1970, the Alliance for the Great Lakes has protected the lakes using a multi-faceted approach that includes forging progressive Great Lakes policies, promoting Great Lakes education, and working to improve thousands of miles of Great Lakes shoreline. The organization works with scientists, policymakers, businesses, community groups, and locals to protect the lakes from threats such as invasive species, drinking water contamination, and outdated modes of energy production.
- The Center for Constitutional Rights – From its founding in 1966 by attorneys who represented civil rights movements in the South, the CCR is dedicated to advancing and protecting the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The CCR fundamentally believes that law is a positive force for social change and is committed to using litigation to advance the law in a positive direction, guaranteeing the rights of those with the fewest protections and least access to legal resources, training the next generation of constitutional and human rights attorneys, and strengthening the broader movement for constitutional and human rights.
- The Horizons Student Enrichment Program (New Canaan) – The Horizons Student Enrichment Program has provided thousands of public school children from low-income families with a first-rate independent school education, fostering and fulfilling artistic, athletic, and academic dreams. The success of the New Canaan program has led to 23 Horizons programs, now operating all over the United States.
- The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law – The Lawyers’ Committee is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization that was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to enlist the private bar’s leadership and resources in combating racial discrimination and the resulting inequality of opportunity. The principle goal of this organization is to secure equal justice for all through the rule of law, especially focusing on the inequalities confronting African Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities.
- The Nature Conservancy – The Nature Conservancy uses a science-based approach to pursue non-confrontational and pragmatic solutions to conservation challenges. Since its founding in 1951, the organization has protected more than 119 million acres of land and 5,000 miles of rivers around the world with the help of a staff of more than 500 scientists.
- The National Women’s Law Center – The National Women’s Law Center expands the possibilities for women and their families at work, in school, and in every other aspect of their lives. The Center addresses major concerns of women and girls, such as family economic security, education, employment opportunities, and health, and gives special attention to the needs of low-income women.
- Project Open Hand (San Francisco) – The San Francisco-based charity provides “meals with love” to individuals suffering from serious illnesses and senior citizens. The organization strives to provide the freshest and most nutritious meals to improve the health and quality of life of the people it serves.
- The Rain Forest Action Network – In over sixty countries around the world, the Rainforest Action Network works with environmental and human rights groups to protect the rainforests and those living in and around the forests. Through public education, grassroots organizing, and non-violent direct action, RAN strives to achieve its goal of creating a sustainable world within our lifetime to ensure a safe and secure future for our children.
- San Francisco Baykeeper (San Francisco) – The San Francisco Baykeeper organization uses a combination of science and advocacy to protect the San Francisco Bay from pollution. Baykeeper fights to strengthen and improve clean water laws and hold polluters accountable for their actions, thereby ensuring the health and future of the San Francisco Bay.
- Save the Bay (San Francisco) – Since 1961, Save the Bay has worked to protect the San Francisco Bay from pollution and inappropriate shoreline development while also restoring habitat, and forging strong policies to secure 100,000 acres of wetlands that are crucial for the health and future of the Bay.
- The Sierra Club – Since 1960, the Sierra Club Foundation has provided financial support for environmental projects that are dedicated to public education, litigation, and training. The Foundation’s core value, that every person has the right to a safe and healthy environment, is reflected through projects that promote clean air, clean water, open space, wild lands, and a healthy and diverse ecosystem.
- The World Wildlife Fund – The World Wildlife Fund strives to conserve nature by protecting natural areas and wild populations of plants and animals, promoting sustainable approaches to the use of renewable natural resources, and endorsing more efficient use of resources and energy and the maximum reduction of pollution. The WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by close to five million people around the globe.
Importantly, The Chanler Group has also made significant donations to two leading universities in the United States with the funds specifically earmarked to advance new programs that are aimed at “innovative” student ideas that will advance the public interest. Through its charitable donations, The Chanler Group seeks to promote a variety of worthy causes, with particular emphasis on the ongoing protection of the natural world and the education and legal representation of under-served individuals, and looks forward to continuing its contributions toward this important cause.
