FAQ – NAPD Fund for Justice

What is the NAPD Fund for Justice?

The NAPD Fund for Justice is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation, incorporated in Kentucky. Contributions to the Fund are tax-deductible. The goal of the NAPD Fund for Justice, Inc. is to enhance the right to counsel and public defense in the United States. It will fund such efforts as technical assistance to local defender programs on reducing workloads, obtaining education for staff, procuring resources, providing scholarship opportunities and student loan repayment assistance.

How does the fund help those in my state and local community?

Attorneys representing indigent clients face daunting workloads, low salaries and inadequate resources. The NAPD Fund for Justice is working to address these challenges by funding activities that will better equip overworked and underpaid public defenders and conflict attorneys and their staff in local communities by providing more knowledge that is accessible to them through in-person education or through electronic means. This will increase their ability and capacity to provide high quality representation to clients by increasing funding to reduce caseloads. This focused local assistance will support the ability of programs to enhance the right to counsel and implement the individual guarantees of our Bill of Rights for each client. Local justice communities are strengthened when there are strong Chief Defenders equipped with defender leadership education, strong conflict counsel and well-trained litigators and support staff.

Can I designate a gift to a specific purpose?

Yes, you can designate your gift to support a tuition scholarship for a specific person or for persons from a specific public defense office or public defense staff from a particular state, or for tuition scholarships to a particular NAPD training, or to the Ernie Lewis Public Defense Leadership Scholarship Fund, technical assistance grant funds specific activity of the NAPD Fund for Justice, for in. Any undesignated gift will go into the unrestricted support of the Fund’s charitable activities nationally. Each year, disbursements and all contributions made will be reported and posted in an annual report.

How will the funds be distributed?

The Board of Directors and Officers will create the criteria for disbursement of financial assistance. The criteria for financial assistance to individuals and programs will be posted once fully developed by the Board of Directors.

How can I donate?

Monetary Gift

You can make a donation as a one-time or recurring gift. We encourage matching gifts. These are welcomed and are an outstanding way to further the importance of your contribution.

Donations from your Wills and Living Trusts, Life Insurance, and Retirement Funds

You can contribute from your will or living trust without reducing your current income by including The NAPD Fund for Justice, Inc. as a beneficiary. You can name The NAPD Fund for Justice, Inc. as a beneficiary of your life insurance. You can use assets in an IRA or other retirement plan to make donations, perhaps reducing income and estate taxes. You can designate your gift to The NAPD Fund for Justice, Inc. generally or to a specific use (eg, scholarships to indigent defense counsel and staff from your state). Talk to your personal financial advisor to consider the financial benefits to you, develop a plan that works best for you, and consider any complexities under federal and state tax or other laws.