(Note: The pdf for the issue in which this article appears is available for download: BIFOCAL Vol. 35, Issue 2.)
The Commission’s operating budget is made up of core funding from ABA general revenues that provide about half of the funds needed to run the Commission. The remainder comes from grants, contracts, and donations.
Looking back over five years, the annual Commission revenues have ranged from $930,000 to a high of $1.3 million, depending on the number and size of outside funding sources in any given year. Total revenues for 2012-13 were $944,933, including ABA funds.
The grant world is quite changeable and project-focused, so projecting operating income in the future is challenging. The solicitation of private donations has necessarily become a priority for the Commission. The Commission is a program of the ABA’s Fund for Justice and Education, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, so contributions to the Commission are tax deductible.
Download the full issue of Bifocal to see the pie chart on page 47 that shows the breakdown of the Commission’s revenues for the 2012-2013 fiscal year.
More than 93 percent of the Commission’s revenues support its personnel. ■