Washington, DC (July 15, 2019) – The Venable Foundation Inc., the philanthropic arm of Venable LLP, announced it has donated $50,000 benefiting the DC-based community service organization SOME (So Others Might Eat) in the name of former Venable attorney and U.S. Senator Birch Bayh of Indiana, who passed away earlier this year. The Venable Foundation chose SOME because its mission aligns with Senator Bayh's legacy of helping people.
The Foundation presented the donation during a July 10, 2019 ceremony at Venable's Washington, DC office, where the firm dedicated a conference room overlooking the U.S. Capitol in honor of Senator Bayh, who was a partner at the firm from 2001 to 2015.
Venable Foundation President Lindsay B. Meyer said, "We are proud to support the important work of SOME in helping people transform their lives and lift themselves out of poverty. In making this donation in the name of Senator Bayh, we are acknowledging his great work as a public servant and his personal devotion to a cause that represents a critical part of SOME's mission – meeting the immediate daily needs of the poor."
"I am honored that the Venable Foundation has chosen to pay tribute to Senator Bayh's long legacy of service with a generous gift to SOME," said Father John Adams, President and CEO of SOME, an interfaith, community-based organization that exists to help and support residents of our nation's capital who are experiencing homelessness and poverty. "This gift is a continuation of the Venable Foundation's long-standing support of SOME and will ensure that no one who comes to us seeking help—whether they need a meal, job training, or dignified and affordable housing—is ever turned away."
Senator Bayh served as a Democratic senator from Indiana from 1963 to 1981. He was the principal architect of two constitutional amendments—the 25th Amendment on presidential and vice-presidential succession, and the 26th Amendment that lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. He also authored the Equal Rights Amendment that passed both houses of Congress, but has not yet been ratified by the states. Senator Bayh also wrote Title IX to the Higher Education Act, the 1972 landmark legislation that bars gender discrimination in public education and guarantees equal opportunity in academics and sports.
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The Venable Foundation Inc. was established in 1983 to support a wide variety of charitable, civic, and cultural endeavors, as well as public interest law needs in our communities. In 2017, the Foundation awarded one-time impact grants totaling $750,000 to five legal aid organizations in Washington, DC, Baltimore, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. Indeed, in the last 10 years, the Venable Foundation granted more than $25 million to worthy organizations that provide critical support to those in need. These include children's services and funding for disadvantaged families and individuals; homeless shelters and food programs; community organizations, hospitals, hospices, and local chapters of national health organizations; and educational, artistic, and cultural events and organizations. The Foundation is funded by the partners of Venable LLP. For decades, the Foundation was led by former Venable Chair and former Attorney General of the United States Benjamin R. Civiletti. His leadership and stewardship of the Foundation set the standard for Venable's long tradition of unparalleled giving.