The Foundation’s 2018 grantees provided case updates.

The Foundation published its first Annual Report detailing its accomplishments over the past year.

Children’s Rights in conjunction with its 2018 grant from the Foundation brought a case, M.B. v. Corsi, in Missouri challenging the treatment of children in foster care.

Drinker Biddle and Disability Rights North Carolina filed a lawsuit on May 24, 2017 to address the failure of the State of North Carolina to provide appropriate behavioral health services to citizens with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) so that they do not suffer segregation or institutionalization.

The Foundation, the Ropes and Gray law firm, Children’s Rights, and Disability Rights Iowa filed suit in November 2017 on behalf of boys confined to Iowa’s Boys State Training School who have significant mental illnesses.

The Foundation received from the 2017 Grantees their year-end reports.

The Barbara McDowell and Gerald S. Hartman Foundation has selected four organizations for 2018 grants, each receiving an award of $25,000.

Maggie Menditto has started working as the Administrator for the Foundation as an independent contractor. Maggie, a recent graduate of Oberlin College, will assist the Foundation with respect to its social media contacts and fundraising.

Jerry Hartman, attorneys from Drinker Biddle, and Disability Rights North Carolina filed a lawsuit challenging the State’s practices of segregating and institutionalizing individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.

The Foundation received from the 2017 Grantees their six-month reports.

Jerry attended his 50th college reunion at Columbia College in New York in June 2016 and a news item written in the alumni magazine, Columbia College Today, published in April 2017 had information about Jerry and the Foundation.

Jerry Hartman retired as a partner at Drinker Biddle in January 2017 where he had maintained an active employment law practice.

In September 2016, Board member Judge Mary Ellen Williams resigned. Greg Castanias, a partner at the Jones Day law firm, where Barbara was a partner was elected in November 2016 to replace Judge Williams by a vote of the Board.

The Foundation received from the 2016 Grantees their year-end reports.

For 2017 the Foundation made grants at its September 2016 annual meeting to five organizations totaling $125,000.

The National Center for Law and Economic Justice (“NCLEJ”) sent a letter to Drinker Biddle on May 31, 2016, thanking Drinker Biddle for its efforts in conjunction with the Barbara McDowell Foundation in a ground-breaking case securing visual aids and assistance for visually impaired individuals seeking to apply for food stamps in New York City.

Children’s Rights which received grants from the Foundation in 2015 and 2016 for its lawsuit, M.D. v. Perry, a case involving abused and neglected children, achieved a significant victory.

Bisnow, a Washington, DC business publication, did a story on the fifth anniversary event celebrating the life and legacy of Barbara McDowell and the pro bono work of Drinker Biddle done to support the Foundation.

On January 21,2016, the Foundation celebrated with a cocktail party the fifth anniversary of the founding of the Foundation and the pro bono efforts of Drinker Biddle undertaken in connection with the support of the Foundation.

The Foundation will be celebrating the fifth anniversary of its founding on January 21, 2016, with a cocktail reception hosted by Drinker Biddle.