The Ramsey County Bar Foundation is a non-profit, 501(c) (3) charitable organization. The mission of the foundation is to provide financial support to programs in the Ramsey County geographic area that benefit the legal profession, improve the quality and accessibility of justice, and would otherwise attract the interest and support of Ramsey County lawyers.
Grants are awarded to organizations that:
- Educate all segments of the public in government and the legal system.
- Promote and provide legal services to persons of limited means through grants to legal services providers.
- Improve the administration of justice and the quality and functioning of the legal system.
Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution today and supporting the organizations funded by the Ramsey County Bar Foundation and future lawyers who will make a difference. All contributors will be acknowledged in the Barrister.
If your contribution is in honor or memory of someone, please indicate the name(s) at the time of payment or send an email to eryan@mnbars.org
Board of Directors
Paul Peterson – President
Ref. Elizabeth Clysdale – Treasurer
Cheryl Dalby – Secretary
Kenya Bodden
Robert Devolve
Monica Dooner Lindgren
Victoria Elsmore
Renee Fossen
Hon. Kelly Olmstead
Thomas Plunkett
Andy Rorvig
Grant Applications
The 2021 grant application is due on Monday, February 15, 2021.
Please submit grant applications through this Online Form.
For questions or more information, contact Erikka Ryan at eryan@mnbars.org or 612-278-6321.
Please see the list of our 2020-21 grantees below.
Law Student Scholarships
The Ramsey County Bar Foundation will award scholarships of up to $6,000 to law students who attend a Minnesota law school and who are members of a group traditionally under-represented in the legal profession (including race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability). The applicant must be a current law student with a record of academic or professional achievement and must display leadership qualities through past work experience, community involvement or student activities.
In 2020, six local law students received scholarships from the foundation as recommended by the RCBA Diversity Committee.
Major Fundraising Events
Annual Bench & Bar Benefit
The Benefit, held in the fall of each year, is the major fundraiser for the foundation. Half of the money raised at the Benefit is given directly to Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services. The other half is awarded in grants to other law-related organizations. In 2019, the Benefit raised nearly $43,000.
Charity Golf Tournament
The annual RCBF Golf Tournament is also a significant fundraiser for the foundation. The 2019 tournament raised over $15,000. The 2020 tournament is cancelled due to COVID-19.
Member Donations
Generous donations from Ramsey County Bar Association members complement the funds raised by the foundation fundraisers.
2020-2021 Grant Recipients
The mission of the Ramsey County Bar Foundation is to provide financial support to programs in the Ramsey County geographic area that benefit the legal profession, improve the quality and accessibility of justice, and would otherwise attract the interest and support of Ramsey County lawyers.
The following organizations were recipients of grants from the foundation during the past year:
Advocates for Human Rights | $1,000 |
The Saint Paul and Ramsey County Domestic Abuse Intervention Project | $3,133 |
CASA MN | $500 |
Center for Victims of Torture | $500 |
Children's Health Care Foundation | $500 |
Children's Law Center | $4,000 |
Civil Society | $6,000 |
Collaborative Community Law Initiative | $1,000 |
Dispute Resolution Center | $1,000 |
First Nations Repatriation Institute | $500 |
HOME Line | $2,000 |
Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota | $2,500 |
Innocence Project of Minnesota | $1,000 |
Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul | $500 |
JustUs Health | $1,000 |
Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers | $4,000 |
Loan Repayment Assistance Program | $4,500 |
Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans | $1,000 |
Minnesota Elder Justice Center | $2,500 |
Minnesota Justice Foundation | $2,000 |
Minnesota Wills for Heroes | $1,000 |
Neighborhood Justice Center | $2,500 |
Tubman | $1,500 |
TOTAL | $44,133 |
Erikka Ryan
Director of Equity, Inclusion and Foundations
eryan@mnbars.org
612-278-6321
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