Ohio State Bar Foundation

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Ohio State Bar Foundation Promoting philanthropy and encouraging service to create a more just and equitable legal system for all Ohioans.

The Ohio State Bar Foundation is a charitable organization that excels at taking action. We give grants, support programs that address specific legal needs, and honor the accomplishments made by the legal community and members of the public. Through giving to the Ohio State Bar Foundation, you help improve the justice system in Ohio and increase Ohioans’ understanding of the law. Contributions directly support our growing grants program to local, regional and statewide nonprofit organizations.

As part of our new strategic plan, OSBF has updated our mission to clarify and sharpen the impact we seek to make across...
09/15/2026

As part of our new strategic plan, OSBF has updated our mission to clarify and sharpen the impact we seek to make across Ohio.

Our mission reflects not only who we are today, but the responsibility we have to use our resources, relationships and reach to strengthen Ohio’s legal community and the communities it serves.

The Foundation recognizes the unique role of legal professionals in promoting trust in the rule of law and advances justice and civic engagement through service and philanthropy.

Best collab of 2001? Ohio lawyers 🤝 third grade students! The 2001 Fellows Class worked with children from one of Ohio’s...
09/10/2026

Best collab of 2001? Ohio lawyers 🤝 third grade students! The 2001 Fellows Class worked with children from one of Ohio’s classrooms to create the book “Did not! Did too!” and a teacher’s guide to make learning about the law easier. It was published and distributed to classrooms and libraries statewide in 2002.

This award-winning program is still available today; Fellows travel to classes and read the book, helping young minds understand how the justice system works.

Projects like this further understanding of the law and are made possible with the support of donors. For our 75th anniversary, we’re working to raise $75,000 to continue supporting impactful Fellows projects and the $1M+ in grants the Foundation funds every year.

Support our fundraising goal: Donate now at osbf.org/giving or join us at our 💎 75th Anniversary Gala 💎: osbf.org/awards


OSBF’s new strategic plan marks an important step forward with an updated mission, renewed goals and refined pillars to ...
09/09/2026

OSBF’s new strategic plan marks an important step forward with an updated mission, renewed goals and refined pillars to guide our work and sharpen our focus for the future. It’s a reflection of where we are, where we’re going and what it will take to get there.

We will share a clear vision for a stronger, more sustainable organization, with a focus on:

1️⃣ Meaningful impact
2️⃣ Strategic grantmaking
3️⃣ An engaged Fellows community
4️⃣ Deeper connections across Ohio’s legal community

There’s a lot behind the plan and even more ahead. Stay tuned as we take a closer look at what’s next for the Foundation.

OSBF Fellows are committed to serving their communities, and our Northeast Ohio Fellows recently put that commitment int...
09/04/2026

OSBF Fellows are committed to serving their communities, and our Northeast Ohio Fellows recently put that commitment into action at the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.

A team of 10 Fellows joined other food bank volunteers to sort and repack an incredible 15,000 pounds of food for distribution to local food pantries and families in need.

Service is at the heart of OSBF’s mission, and we’re proud to see our Fellows living that mission beyond the courtroom and in the communities they serve. Thank you to everyone who gave their time and energy to make a difference!

Laura Wallerstein
Morgan Flinner
Paula Guilitto
Amy Demlow
LB Sweeney
David Butz
Kathy Burke
Dan Griffith
Rachel Reight
Brian Harrod

In 1998, the inaugural Fellows Class was born to promote the Foundation’s core values: improving the justice system thro...
09/03/2026

In 1998, the inaugural Fellows Class was born to promote the Foundation’s core values: improving the justice system through philanthropy and service. While members of the Foundation had been known as Fellows since the 1970s, this marked the start of the Fellows Program as we know it today.

Today, 1K+ Fellows still give their time, talent, and treasure to the OSBF through yearly programs and projects that began in 1998.

That first class left behind handwritten notes for the generations of Fellows to follow. Here are a few of them, such as, “Be creative and inspired in your work,” that are still sound today!

Learn more about the OSBF and support our mission at our 💎 75th Anniversary Gala 💎 this fall: osbf.org/awards


Asian Services In Action - ASIA serves neighbors of all walks of life in health and social services as a comprehensive h...
08/25/2026

Asian Services In Action - ASIA serves neighbors of all walks of life in health and social services as a comprehensive health and human services agency. With two federally qualified health centers, ASIA specializes in competent healthcare for immigrants, refugees, and native-born citizens, in addition to providing additional social services to help insecure or limited English proficient communities thrive in Northeast Ohio.

This spring, the OSBF awarded ASIA $60,000 to create an accessible pathway for newcomers to become citizens actively involved in democracy. This project will equip and amplify prospective citizens’ voices, which will improve the representation of marginalized communities, helping support their mission and ours, by empowering and supporting Ohioans.

The OSBF has granted $19M+ since 1992. To learn more about our grants program, visit osbf.org/grants.

Pictured here are original sketches of the Ohio Legal Center’s exterior and interior, the OSBF’s first big project, whic...
08/20/2026

Pictured here are original sketches of the Ohio Legal Center’s exterior and interior, the OSBF’s first big project, which became a hub for legal research and education.

Building construction began in 1960 (check out this cheeky note celebrating the ground-breaking of the new center; The Ohio State and Michigan rivalry goes way back), and two years later, was completed.

The dream of building the Ohio Legal Center kicked off our 75-year legacy—one that we’re celebrating with a gala in October. We hope you’ll consider joining us for the event and supporting our goal to raise $75,000 for 75 years of justice and service. Learn more now at osbf.org/awards

Cristo Rey Columbus High School (CRC) is a Catholic college-preparatory high school with a professional work-study progr...
08/18/2026

Cristo Rey Columbus High School (CRC) is a Catholic college-preparatory high school with a professional work-study program empowering students of all faiths, in need of an affordable, high-quality education, to excel in college, in career, and in character.

In spring 2026, CRC received a $40,000 grant from the OSBF to provide students from limited-income families with early exposure to the legal profession, professional mentorship, and practical workplace experience. The project strengthens college and career readiness, expands access to legal careers, and builds a diverse pipeline of future leaders committed to justice and service.

The OSBF has granted $19M+ since 1992. To learn more about our grants program, visit osbf.org/grants.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was our strategic plan! For the past year, we’ve been hard at work behind the sc...
08/14/2026

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was our strategic plan! For the past year, we’ve been hard at work behind the scenes conducting surveys, pulling together stakeholders for conversations, and thinking critically about where the Foundation is headed.

We kicked off the process with our Board in July 2025 and put together a committee of Trustees and staff liaisons who identified an outside resource, Anchor Advisors, with deep experience to facilitate the process.

Over the next year, we met with grantees, Fellows, long-time supporters of the Foundation, and other partners to understand their experience and perspective. These meetings helped us see where we’d been and determine where we are headed next before developing the full plan.

Today, we have the framework needed to guide the Foundation over the next two years, thanks to the input and dedication of all those involved in the process. To all who participated, we are grateful for your time and efforts.

Follow along as we outline what's in our plan—and when you can dive into the full details—next.

A center that provides research excellence for faculty and opportunities for students to study law and justice from a li...
08/10/2026

A center that provides research excellence for faculty and opportunities for students to study law and justice from a liberal arts perspective: That’s the Center for Law, Justice & Culture at Ohio University. The center serves as an interdisciplinary academic community that unites these two groups that share an interest in the law’s role in cultural, political, and social life.

Recently, the Foundation granted the center $56,256 to prepare rural, financially disadvantaged students from Appalachia for a career in law through the The Rural Justice Pathway project. This project will integrate liberal arts curriculum development, alumni mentorship, financial support, and experiential learning. It will serve as a replicable model for increasing legal equity in underserved regions across the nation.

The OSBF has granted $19M+ since 1992. To learn more about our grants program, visit osbf.org/grants.

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