November 25, 2024
2024 marks the 20th year that the Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP Greater DC Community Foundation has been supporting the local Washington, DC community. The Foundation was established in November 2004 to provide the Firm’s Washington, DC attorneys and staff professionals an opportunity to work together to enhance the impact of individual charitable contributions and volunteer efforts in our community. The Willkie DC Foundation’s mission is to support educational and enrichment programs and initiatives for underserved youth in the greater DC area. The Foundation is primarily funded by personal contributions from DC-based partners and counsel, as well as contributions from the firm, and the office as a whole participates in regular fundraising activities to benefit the Foundation. The Willkie DC Foundation has been recognized by philanthropic leaders as employing an innovative model for law firm and corporate giving partnerships that combines sustained financial support with active engagement.
Joseph Davis, partner and chair of the Advisory Committee for the Willkie DC Foundation commented: “Over twenty years, the Willkie DC Foundation has become an integral and beloved part of Willkie DC culture, uniting our office around a common mission and shared projects that have made a real difference in our community and created tremendous goodwill, leaving us with many happy memories.”
Since its inception, the Foundation has donated over $3.4 million to more than twenty organizations in the DC area that provide after-school and other educational enrichment programming for underserved youth. Horton’s Kids is the current principal grantee of the Willkie DC Foundation. Horton’s Kids seeks to empower children growing up in Washington DC’s most under-resourced communities, empowering children in grades K through 12 by preparing them for college, career and life through educational opportunities and comprehensive programs tailored to their needs.
In addition to issuing grants totaling more than $1.3 million to Horton’s Kids, Willkie has been an active participant in the organization’s events and programing, including Horton’s Kids’ summer internship program, after-school tutoring, and fundraising events such as Home Runs for Horton’s Kids and Give Thanks Give Back. The Foundation also has organized or hosted numerous events, from trivia challenges to college career fairs to college essay and resume workshops, to shadow days, to staff appreciation lunches and much more, creating a vibrant partnership between Willkie DC and Horton’s Kids.
The Willkie DC Foundation has also served as a model for other offices. Modeled on the Willkie Greater DC Community Foundation, the Willkie San Francisco Foundation was established in 2021 with 100 percent participation from the Firm’s San Francisco-based partners. In addition, the Willkie Los Angeles Foundation was established in 2023 and its partnership with Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services was announced earlier this month. Learn more here.
Joseph Davis, partner and chair of the Advisory Committee for the Willkie DC Foundation commented: “Over twenty years, the Willkie DC Foundation has become an integral and beloved part of Willkie DC culture, uniting our office around a common mission and shared projects that have made a real difference in our community and created tremendous goodwill, leaving us with many happy memories.”
Since its inception, the Foundation has donated over $3.4 million to more than twenty organizations in the DC area that provide after-school and other educational enrichment programming for underserved youth. Horton’s Kids is the current principal grantee of the Willkie DC Foundation. Horton’s Kids seeks to empower children growing up in Washington DC’s most under-resourced communities, empowering children in grades K through 12 by preparing them for college, career and life through educational opportunities and comprehensive programs tailored to their needs.
In addition to issuing grants totaling more than $1.3 million to Horton’s Kids, Willkie has been an active participant in the organization’s events and programing, including Horton’s Kids’ summer internship program, after-school tutoring, and fundraising events such as Home Runs for Horton’s Kids and Give Thanks Give Back. The Foundation also has organized or hosted numerous events, from trivia challenges to college career fairs to college essay and resume workshops, to shadow days, to staff appreciation lunches and much more, creating a vibrant partnership between Willkie DC and Horton’s Kids.
The Willkie DC Foundation has also served as a model for other offices. Modeled on the Willkie Greater DC Community Foundation, the Willkie San Francisco Foundation was established in 2021 with 100 percent participation from the Firm’s San Francisco-based partners. In addition, the Willkie Los Angeles Foundation was established in 2023 and its partnership with Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services was announced earlier this month. Learn more here.
