Make a Difference, Invest in Justice

We live in troubling times. Every day, the news is filled with stories about people being evicted from their homes, wrongfully deported, and losing jobs or access to health insurance.  

It can feel overwhelming.  

If you are looking for ways to make a positive difference, the DC Bar Foundation’s 77 Society offers a practical way to invest in justice. Through its grantee partners, the Foundation provides legal assistance annually to nearly 40,000 DC residents with low income. 

Named for the DC Bar Foundation’s inaugural year (1977), members of the 77 Society commit to giving at the $1,000, $2,500, $5,000, or $10,000 level each year, supporting the Foundation’s work to make justice accessible for all District residents. 

We are grateful that members of the 77 Society provide a reliable funding stream, accounting for nearly 90 percent of the gifts from individual donors each year.  

In 2022, the Foundation added legacy tiers to recognize lifetime giving milestones of $25,000, $50,000, and $100,000. The 77 Society legacy tiers are named after historic African-American civil rights champions in the District whose work is not widely known. 

We honor 77 Society members at our annual President’s Reception and by recognizing them on the Foundation’s website, in our Annual Report, and a full-page Washington Lawyer thank you ad. 

There are currently 88 members of the 77 Society. We’d love to grow that number to 100 by the end of our fiscal year, September 30. You can join using this link. If you’d like your donation to support the Foundation’s DC Walk for Justice 5K, you can use this link. 

Questions? Contact Daryl Byler, director of development and communications, at byler@dcbarfoundation.org or 202.853.9025.