Letter from the Executive Director

At Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta, we’ve always known that our work matters. This year, it is especially urgent. 

Requests for time-sensitive legal support are up, and the nature of those requests is often novel for our 20-year-old organization. Nonprofits are coming to us with complex and sensitive issues. Some are asking for help preparing for potential immigration raids or navigating sudden losses in funding. Others are facing attacks on their missions and programs. These are not typical legal matters, and they require a different level of care and attention. 

They also take more time. These issues are often unfamiliar, even to experienced attorneys. That makes it more difficult to place matters with volunteers, especially when fast action is needed. 

We’re doing all we can to meet this moment. We’ve increased staff capacity and created new resources to support our nonprofits. But we know this isn’t a temporary surge. This is a reflection of the real and evolving challenges nonprofit leaders are facing across the country. 

To everyone who makes this work possible—our volunteers, our donors, our partners—thank you.  

Sincerely, 

Rachel Spears
Executive Director

PS – Don't miss the chance to double your impact! A few generous board members and their families will match every donation from new or reengaged Happy Perkins Society members (annual donors of $1,000+) up to $25,000.  

Welcome New Board Members & Staff!

PBPA is thrilled to welcome Tamera Woodard and Lynette Smith to our Board of Directors. Tamera serves as Vice President and Associate General Counsel at AT&T and Lynette serves as General Counsel for Chick-fil-A. Both have been longtime supporters of PBPA, and we are excited for them to add their expertise to our leadership team. 

PBPA would also like to welcome Creighton Frommer to our staff. Creighton started volunteering with PBPA in 2009 and assisted with almost 90 projects, including serving as an instructor for PBPA’s Nonprofit Legal Bootcamp. We are excited to have him on the PBPA team as Staff Attorney and Operations Director.

Welcome Tamera, Lynette and Creighton!

Happy Perkins Society Breakfast

We had a great time celebrating our 2024 Happy Perkins Society donors at our annual breakfast! Thank you to Southern Company for hosting this lovely event which celebrates our exceptional donors who give $1,000 or more annually to our mission. To see pictures from the event click here!

To learn more about the Happy Perkins Society, click the button below!
 

Shoutouts to our Volunteers

Thank you to the more than 598 volunteers who have signed up for a pro bono project in 2025! We could not do this work without you. Click here for a list of individuals who have volunteered so far this year.

From: Quaker Voluntary Service
To: Peter Lee (Manage America)
I want to write and send a huge THANK YOU for your support of Quaker Voluntary Service as we restructured our site placement and Fellow contracts. I can't tell you what a difference it makes to a nonprofit like ours to receive pro bono support. Thank you for your speed and responsiveness! I was impressed by your ability to shift the contract so it works for our specific scenario. It brings me confidence to know our contracts are up to date and provide QVS with some measure of security while communicating to our partners our expectations. 

From: Friends of Refugees
To: Robert Kennedy (Troutman Pepper Locke)
I wanted to personally thank you for your time and availability regarding the matter below. I appreciate your willingness to lend your talents and time to this project and for the emails you sent as we were contemplating our options. Making yourself available meant a lot and we are grateful!

From: Zaban Paradies Center
To: Valeria Cometto (Delta), Kelsey Donnalley (Kilpatrick Townsend), Kate Klien (Kilpatrick Townsend)
I want to thank you all for your time and expertise at last week’s Legal Check-Up! You all were excellent to work with, and we are so grateful for the opportunity to learn from you. We received so much beneficial information in the room, and you have helped us identify areas where work with PBPA and volunteer attorneys like yourselves will help us grow!

PBPA’s Legal Bootcamp Applications Are Now Open!

Advance your nonprofit leadership skills and connect with other nonprofit leaders by applying to PBPA’s Legal Bootcamp!  

PBPA’s Bootcamp is an interactive and dynamic program that equips the next generation of nonprofit leaders with the legal training and resources they need to run a successful nonprofit.  The program includes tailored legal education, opportunities to connect and share experiences with other nonprofit leaders, and assistance developing a capacity building action plan.   

Participants are selected through a competitive application process. Space is limited.

Client Spotlight

This summer, PBPA's SpringBoard volunteered with our longtime client, Paint Love! 

Paint Love is a nonprofit organization that brings extraordinary arts programming to youth facing poverty and trauma. They increase the capacity of other organizations by planning, orchestrating, and providing art supplies to schools and community groups, such as their fellow PBPA clients Kate's Club, Wellspring Living, and Refugee Women's Network. PBPA volunteers have helped Paint Love with 29 legal matters since the organization became a client 10 years ago.

Our young professionals committee, SpringBoard, recently spent the morning at Paint Love helping them get settled in their new studio space in Decatur. Robin Deutsch Edwards, Director of Philanthropy, had this to say about SpringBoard: "Their support, time and enthusiasm helped us finish some lingering projects - and just in time, as our school year programming is right around the corner! Because of their effort, we’re better equipped to deliver extraordinary arts experiences that empower youth and strengthen communities in schools and with our nonprofit partners across Metro Atlanta."

New Clients

PBPA would like to give a warm welcome to our new clients:
Hands of Hope Clinic
Lifecycle Building Center
Proximity Gap Network
Food Well Alliance
MicroLife Institute
Environmental Community Action
Children's Development Academy
Mental Fitness 21st Century Learning
Genesis Joy House Homeless Shelter
The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library Foundation
Two Rivers Health Clinic
CASA of Troup County
Child Advocate Network