Doing More with Less: Why Your Year-End Support Matters More Than Ever

As the year draws to a close, so too does the annual influx of donation requests from nonprofits across our region. Each envelope or email received represents an organization striving to meet urgent needs. If you are like me, your mailbox is fuller than ever with requests from those who provide essential human services and others who fight the diseases and social challenges that shape our daily headlines. When these requests come in, I am reminded of this year’s uncertainty; however, they also bring a renewed sense of hope as I see our community supporting one another in new and inspiring ways.

Like our community partners, the King County Bar Association knows the pressures we all face are real and growing. Before the pandemic, KCBA membership dues covered a much larger share of the pro bono work our community relies on. Five years later, the landscape has changed. Operating an association or nonprofit in King County is more challenging than ever. Rising event and operational costs, increased wages, expanded administrative needs, and essential investments in modern technology and office infrastructure have all strained KCBA’s ability to subsidize pro bono programs at the level it once did.

This is where the King County Bar Foundation comes to the rescue. Established in 1979, the KCBF is an IRS-designated 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to support the

Association’s pro bono legal service programs and to provide minority student scholarships at the University of Washington and Seattle University law schools through voluntary donations and grant funding. Today, the Foundation’s role in sustaining these critical services has never been more essential. The need for legal help is rising sharply: Families are navigating unstable housing, survivors of domestic violence are seeking protection, kinship caregivers are stepping in for vulnerable children, and clients across every program area are facing challenges intensified by reduced giving, volatile markets, and an unpredictable labor landscape.

To make matters more challenging, KCBA is not the only organization that needs to rely more on philanthropic dollars. Many community partners that once received substantial federal grants now see those funds shrinking or disappearing. As they turn to state and local funding sources, the entire community of service providers is applying for the same limited grant funding that has helped support KCBA over the years.

Yet despite these financial constraints, we must still find a way to help our neighbors in need. Our programs are serving more and more people each year. Above is a snapshot of what we accomplished this year compared to last year, thanks to our volunteers, our partners, and donors like you.

KCBA Pro Bono Programs: By the Numbers

The numbers in the table above tell a powerful story: Demand is rising across every program area, and KCBA is stepping up and serving more clients, engaging more volunteers, and providing more hours of pro bono assistance than ever before.

Why Your Support Matters Now

KCBA is doing more than ever, but with less financial flexibility than before. Foundation donations are no longer supplemental; they are essential.

Your year-end gift ensures our justice system remains accessible in practice, not just in theory. It provides tenants with housing stability, survivors of domestic violence with protection, kinship caregivers with crucial guidance, individuals with a second chance through record vacating, and communities across King County with free, high-quality legal services. Your generosity truly keeps justice within reach for those who need it most.

Supporting the King County Bar Foundation is simple and impactful, and if every member gives a little, we can provide so much more. To make a donation now, scan the QR code on this page. Or if this is not the perfect time, you can give through the KCBA dues check-off, at events like Breakfast with Champions or the MLK Jr. Luncheon, or by joining the Giving Circle. Long-term options include endowment gifts or adding KCBF to your estate plans through the Legacy Group. No matter how you choose to give, you are helping sustain KCBA’s vital pro bono services and advancement of diversity in the legal profession here in King County.

So this year, as you sort through the many requests arriving in your inbox and mailbox, we hope you will consider the profound impact your gift to the King County Bar Foundation has on thousands of individuals and families across our region. With your support, we can continue providing life-changing legal help while meeting the rising need with compassion, skill, and resolve. 

Kathleen Jensen is KCBA’s executive director, and she can be reached by email at kathleenj@kcba.org or phone at 206-267-7053.