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CLS Donors Matter—More Than They Know The hundreds of men, women, law firms, and other organizations that donate their money, time, and energy to support Connecticut Legal Services are essential to CLS. Without them, we could not accomplish our mission: provide access to justice as a means of improving the lives of low-income people. Our work for low-income people is imperative if we are to ensure fairness in our society. After all, the legal system is based on the concept that people in dispute have equal opportunity to present their arguments before impartial decision makers. People who don’t have enough money to hire lawyers have a difficult time preparing and presenting their cases. When they don’t have even pro se advice, they have little chance. Often, people who can't get our help are too terrified to show up in court. When we can help, we can guarantee fair outcomes. CLS protects people from illegal evictions and physical abuse. We help people access medical care and education that creates opportunity for a better future. Our lawyers deserve huge amounts of credit—and every now and then, clients actually send nice thank-you notes! CLS also sends thank-you notes to those of you who give. However, I think perhaps our supporters—and people who haven't yet contributed—don't realize how much their generosity means to us and how much our staff and clients depend on them. First, of course, is the money. As donors realize the impact their gifts can make, we receive more and larger donations. This year, we expect our fund-raising campaign to reach $300,000—almost double last year's contributions. The 2008 campaign will pay for the work of three or four legal services lawyers, representation for hundreds of households that otherwise would go unserved. Second is the energy our donors put into helping us make the Governor and the General Assembly aware of the importance of our work. Periodically, we need to explain to state budget makers why we desperately need to increase our funding—the 2009 session will be one of those times. Our donors make up an incredible action network on our behalf, and legislators have told us that they are particularly effective in advocating for our cause. Third, when we apply for United Way funds and foundation grants, funders want to know whether we have broad community support—for example, does the legal community "do its fair share" to support legal help for the poor—before they will agree to back our efforts. The CLS donor corps answers that question. Finally, the hundreds upon hundreds of donations CLS receives are a powerful statement of support. Staff members sometimes feel that they are voices in the wilderness, their pleas for social justice unheard in an increasingly disconnected society. Each donation is a testimony to our hard-working staff that their efforts are not unnoticed or unappreciated. To our donors: Thank you for all that you give! Steve Eppler-Epstein
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