The Frederick B. Abramson Memorial Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization located in Washington, DC that was established in 1991 as a continuing tribute to the memory of Frederick B. Abramson, a distinguished member of the Washington, DC legal community who served as President of the District of Columbia Bar, partner in the law firm of Sachs, Greenebaum & Tayler, Bar Counsel to the Board on Professional Responsibility of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and, perhaps most importantly, a personal and professional mentor to generations of young people, women and minorities here in our community.

The mission of the Foundation is to honor and further Fred’s belief in the importance of education, his mentoring role, and his devotion to the cause of legal representation for disadvantaged individuals.  The Frederick B. Abramson Memorial Foundation raises funds each year through voluntary contributions from individuals, law firms, corporations, and foundations, and through the proceeds of an annual fundraising reception in Fred’s memory, to distribute as follows:

The Frederick B. Abramson Memorial Foundation Scholarships are presented to economically disadvantaged District of Columbia public high school seniors, to help defer college expenses at a four-year accredited institution.  The recipients must possess solid academic records and have demonstrated in concrete ways an interest in serving the community or public interest goals.

The Frederick B. Abramson Public Service Fellowships are awarded to graduating law students, judicial law clerks, or practicing attorneys to be used as partial compensation for one year’s employment with either a non-profit service organization or public interest law firm in the District of Columbia.  The recipient must exemplify Fred’s commitment to the use of law for the public interest and the betterment of the community.

Please submit applications via email to: info@abramsonfoundation.org.  Application closing date: March 14.  Employment start date: Preferably April 7.

The Executive Director is the sole employee of the Frederick B. Abramson Memorial Foundation and is  responsible for fulfilling all staff functions and completing all tasks of the Foundation to keep the organization functioning and growing.  While the Board of Directors is active and engaged, it is the role of the Executive Director to satisfy the day-to-day needs of the organization and, in coordination with the Board President, to set the agenda for and oversee the operations of, the Foundation.  A minimum of four years development, financial and administrative experience is required.  Knowledge of QuickBooks is essential.

On-going responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Financial and Administrative
• Budgeting and Analysis: In coordination with the Foundation’s Treasurer and accounting consultant, tracking of income and expenses, preparation and analysis of reports for the Executive Committee (monthly) and the Board of Directors (four times per year), preparation of annual budget, and coordination of annual audit.
• Administrative: Paying bills, making bank deposits, reconciling bank accounts monthly, working with Treasurer and accounting consultant to ensure that the organization follows generally accepted accounting practices and timely issuance of IRS tax documentation (Form 990 and 1099s), answering telephones, responding to all e-mails, copying, filing, and faxing.  In coordination with a web design consultant, ensuring that the Foundation’s web site reflects accurate and timely information.

• Development/Communications and Marketing
• Annual Fundraising: Writing annual fundraising direct mail appeal, and all proposals to individual, corporate and foundation prospects, meeting with corporate and foundation program officers/staff to cultivate major gifts; working with Board members to solicit donations from individual donors,  law firms and corporations, logging all donations in fundraising database,  acknowledging, stewarding, and cultivating all current and prospective donors.
• Special Events: Securing location and catering, developing sponsorship materials, soliciting sponsorships, coordinating invitation production and printing, mailing invitations, receiving registrations, recruiting volunteer assistance, recruiting speakers, securing musicians, obtaining photographer, designing and printing program, printing name tags.
• Communications & Marketing: In coordination with graphic design consultants, maintaining an updated Foundation Brochure, writing, designing, and coordinating printing and mailing of two newsletters per year, writing and sending out press releases about awards programs and special events, obtaining press coverage at events, developing and producing information packets for prospective donors and Board members.

• Program Coordination and Management
• Scholarship Program: In coordination with the Foundation’s Scholarship Chair, interacting with students from application submission throughout freshman year in college.  Working with students to ensure accurate and timely submission of scholarship applications.  Reviewing and distributing applications to all members of the Scholarship Committee, actively participating in the awardee selection process, notifying awardees, making award payments, and tracking awardee progress.  Developing and maintaining a database to track college and work experience history of past and present awardees.  Updating the application annually to reflect increased informational needs, coordinating and staffing annual meeting of the DCPS Guidance Counselors to encourage increased applications, mailing application forms to schools and other community organizations, meeting regularly with representatives of the DCPS Student Services Division, other DCPS offices, and community organizations to promote scholarship program.
• Fellowship Program: In coordination with the Foundation’s Fellowship Chair, interacting with fellowship candidates from application submission throughout the award year. Working with fellowship candidates to ensure accurate and timely submission of fellowship applications.  Reviewing and distributing applications to all members of the Fellowship Committee, actively participating in the awardees selection process, notifying awardees, making award payments, and tracking awardee progress.  Developing and maintaining a database to track college and work experience history of past and present awardees.  Updating the application annually to reflect increased informational needs, sending application forms to all ABA accredited law schools and other community legal organizations, attending job placement fairs at  local law schools, and meeting with public service organizations to  promote fellowship program.
• Mentorship Program: In coordination with the Foundation’s Mentorship Chair, interacting with students and fellows throughout the year in coordination with the mentor to help ensure student and/or fellow is “on-track” and to determine whether he/she may need assistance.  Developing and maintaining a database to track past and present mentoring experiences.  Recruiting sufficient mentors each year for the scholarship and fellowship recipients, meeting with the volunteer mentors as a group to pair mentors and students, providing mentors with guidelines on how to be a successful mentor, providing mentors with background materials on the students and fellows, coordinating mentor/student barbecue, and mid-academic year get together.

• Board Relations
• Nominations Process:  In coordination with the Foundation’ s Nominations Chair, tracking Board members’ terms of office and Committee membership, guiding members of the Nominating Committee on specific vacancies and Foundation needs, joining members of the Nominating Committee as needed when cultivating potential Board members, providing orientation information for new Board members.
• Board and Committees: Scheduling and attending all Board and Committee meetings, and participating as an active member of every Committee—Executive, Development, Nomination, Scholarship, Fellowship, Mentorship.

The Executive Director will accrue three weeks of annual leave per annum and is entitled to all federal holidays.  The Executive Director will accrue two weeks of sick leave per annum.  Unused annual and sick leave will carry over to the next year.  At the time when the employment relationship ends, the Executive Director will be paid for unused accrued annual leave; not unused accrued sick leave.  Salary commensurate with experience.  Range $45k - $55k with six month review. 

Please submit applications via email to: info@abramsonfoundation.org.  Application closing date: March 14.  Employment start date: Preferably April 7.