Public service is at the core of the Omaha Bar Association’s mission, but those efforts are about to make a quantum leap with the delayed launch of the OBA’s Giving Circle. Dave Sommers, the executive director of the OBA, said the launch has been delayed since 2019 due to the pandemic.

A launch party in late February got the program rolling. “The idea is the legal community is coming together to do this effort,” Sommers emphasized. OBA’s Giving Circle is a project initiated by the Young Lawyers Division. There are no age restrictions on who can have a seat at the table of the Giving Circle or who can donate, and a firm can sponsor a seat for $200, the minimum. A firm or individual can pay more than the $200 minimum for a seat if they choose, but it’s still just one vote per seat.

Each Giving Circle seat will vote for nonprofits that will receive the funds. Once the nonprofits that have applied present to the seat-holders, four finalists will be chosen. The nonprofits that have received the most votes will be allotted an agreed upon percentage of funds for the year. Nonprofits that are actively doing ‘politically affiliated’ work do not meet the criteria for grants.

Nonprofits are already being scheduled to make their presentations.

That means the initiative will soon be seeing some results, with a deadline for grant applications on May 19, and a hoped-for June announcement of the first grants.

“Up to three nonprofits are going to be getting grant allocations,” Sommers said. “Since we’re not established, the amount of money we’ll be giving out will be, I guess, around $5-7,000,”

It’s also not just about providing money to the nonprofits; donations are accepted through the Omaha Community Foundation’s website.     

Katie French McGill is an OBA member and Gift Acceptance Manager for the Omaha Community Foundation. She believes the OBA Giving Circle is a first for the profession and the Omaha Community Foundation (OCF).

“I’m not aware of any other giving circles that are paired to one profession,” she said, adding there are groups for young professionals.

She feels the OBA’s effort is off to a good start. “We had about 12 to 15 people at our first event.”

“This is more about shedding a light on some of the smaller nonprofits out there because they’re really doing good work,” Sommers stated. The benefit to the nonprofits is expected to go beyond the financial support.

Sommers said he is looking to also support nonprofits by seating attorneys on the boards of those groups. The nonprofit has to be a 501C(3). Sommers said he has high hopes for that element of the program.

“Sometimes it’s just an outside push...what if I make the connection.”

Connecting Omaha’s legal and philanthropic communities with a strong nonprofit sector sounds like a great move for everyone involved.

Anyone looking to make a donation can do so through the OCF website, omahafoundation.org/donate, under “Select a Category” click “Other Funds”; select the “Omaha Bar Association Giving Circle”; and fill out the rest of the form (Personal Details, Payment Info).