North Carolina Justice Center

Transcription

1 North Caroina Justice Center ANNUAL REPORT 2011

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3 CONTENTS ANNUAL REPORT 2011 Our Mission 2 Letter from the Board of Directors 4 Letter from the Executive Director 5 Workers Rights Project 6 Education and Law Project 10 Consumer Protections and Housing Project 12 Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project 16 Heath Access Coaition 20 Budget & Tax Center 24 NC Poicy Watch 28 Communications 32 Support for Our Work Defenders of Justice Awards 36 North Caroina Justice Center TABLE OF CONTENTS

4 OUR MISSION THE NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER is the state s eading research and advocacy organization dedicated to transforming North Caroina s prosperity into opportunity for a. Our mission is to eiminate poverty in North Caroina by ensuring that every househod in the state has access to the resources, services and fair treatment it needs in order to enjoy economic security. To make opportunity and prosperity for a a reaity, we work toward Jobs that are safe, pay a iving wage, and provide heath coverage and other benefits Access to quaity and affordabe heath care Pubic education that opens a word of opportunity to every chid Consumer protections that shied famiies hard-earned assets from abusive practices Housing that is safe and affordabe Pubic investments in services and programs that expand and enhance opportunities for economic security A fair and stabe revenue system that adequatey funds pubic investments whie fairy distributing tax responsibiity Fair treatment for everyone in North Caroina regardess of race, ethnicity, or country of origin 2 NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2011

5 STRATEGIES PROJECTS The Justice Center s effectiveness in advocating for North Caroina s owincome and marginaized communities stems from our unique five-strategy approach, which enabes us to attack probems with the most effective toos. Our interconnected strategies are: LITIGATION Our experienced attorneys take on high-impact cases that protect and expand the rights of ow-income groups and individuas. PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY Our skied advocates work with government officias and aies to secure aws and poicies that improve the ives of ow-income famiies and to oppose poicies that woud take the state backward. RESEARCH Our expert anaysts assess the socia and economic chaenges confronting poor famiies and communities, deveop poicy recommendations to address those chaenges, and pubish their findings and proposas in a variety of formats that infuence poicymakers and educate peope across the state. COMMUNITY OUTREACH Our educators and faciitators buid reationships with community groups and eaders, engaging in twoway conversations about needs, chaenges, and soutions. COMMUNICATIONS Our writers and media speciaists generate a weath of content for both new and traditiona media in order to inform the pubic diaogue and infuence state poicy. The North Caroina Justice Center works through seven projects that provide in-depth expertise in the major poicy areas impacting poor and working North Caroinians: Budget & Tax Center Workers Rights Project Education and Law Project Consumer Protection and Housing Project Heath Access Coaition Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project NC Poicy Watch MISSION STATEMENT 3

6 JUSTICE CENTER Christopher T. Graebe Dhamian A. Bue NORTH CAROLINA WORKING FAMILIES WERE UNDER ASSAULT in With unempoyment at frightening eves and tens of thousands of famiies strugging, state egisative eaders sashed funding for the services and programs that hep North Caroinians through tough times. In addition, state budget cuts did tremendous damage to the pubic structures upon which North Caroina s prosperity is buit. Years ike this one exempify the importance of the North Caroina Justice Center and its muti-strategy approach. When egisators misrepresented the effect budget cuts woud have on programs and peope, the Justice Center s researchers and poicy advocates tod the true story, and our communications speciaists made sure everyone heard it. As egisators targeted heath services for cuts, Justice Center community educators were out sharing information and coecting stories of how these services improve North Caroinians quaity of ife. And whie state egisators turned their backs on strugging famiies, Justice Center itigators were fighting to protect workers, consumers and immigrants from abuse and to hep famiies keep their homes. These battes wi continue and possiby escaate in The Justice Center brings a diverse array of toos and taents to the effort to protect North Caroina s working famiies. But your assistance is vita. The Justice Center reies on private funding the organization receives no pubic money and some of its most significant funding sources have suffered in recent years. Join us in the effort to stop North Caroina s backward side and to restore the promise of opportunity and prosperity for a. North Caroina Justice Center 2012 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Co-chairs: Christopher T. Graebe Dhamian A. Bue Rev. Dr. Wiiam J. Barber II Stephon Bowens Anita Brown-Graham Dede Carney Ma Maynard Gene Nicho Juvencio Rocha Perata Rev. J. George Reed Geradine Sumter Cathy Tamsberg Bishop G. Porter Tayor Sincerey, Christopher T. Graebe Co-Chair, Board of Directors Dhamian Bue Co-Chair, Board of Directors 4 NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2011

7 LEADERSHIP DEAR FRIEND OF THE JUSTICE CENTER, Even in a difficut year ike 2011, the North Caroina Justice Center secured important and impressive victories. We defeated efforts to weaken the state Earned Income Tax Credit, which benefits more than 800,000 working famiies in North Caroina. We successfuy worked with partners to pass a new schoo discipine aw that does away with the zero toerance approach, which had forced thousands of minority and ow-income students out of pubic schoo. We heped to secure improvements to North Caroina s annexation aws that wi benefit ow-income and minority communities and new protections for homeowners from homeowners associations. Meinda Lawrence We recovered thousands of doars in back wages for workers who were victims of wage theft. We protected peope from deportation, incuding individuas and famiies who woud have faced severe abuse and even death if they were forced to return to their homeands. We aunched a new campaign to educate caregivers and edery North Caroinians about heath care reform and engage them in advocacy for better care. We wi continue to fight for fairness and opportunity for North Caroina s working famiies in 2012 regardess of the opposition we face and, with the hep of partners in every community in the state, we wi continue to achieve major victories. Thank you for your support of the North Caroina Justice Center. We are honored and thankfu to have so many committed peope join us in the effort to secure economic and socia justice for everyone in North Caroina. Meinda Lawrence Executive Director JUSTICE CENTER LEADERSHIP 5

8 WORKERS RIGHTS PROJECT The Workers Rights Project strives to enforce and expand poicies that ensure safe workpaces, fair treatment, a iving wage, and a strong safety net in times of hardship. We aso seek to improve the we-being of working famiies and enabe workers to access economic security. OUR GOALS: Secure and enforce aws that protect workers from abuses on the job, incuding wage vioations, discrimination, barriers to coective bargaining, and unsafe conditions. Empower a workers to effectivey advocate for their rights in the workpace and in the egisature. Secure pubic poicies that improve the economic security of North Caroina s working famiies and hep those famiies maintain financia stabiity during difficut economic times, incuding periods of unempoyment. Ensure North Caroina workers have access to the training they need to quaify for quaity jobs that pay a iving wage and offer upward mobiity. Support programs that seek to achieve the safe and successfu reintegration into society of individuas with crimina convictions and promote poicies that remove barriers to productive citizenship. BELOW: Ajamu Diahunt speaks at a ray for coective bargaining rights for pubic-sector workers in February. RIGHT: Participants at the coective bargaining rights ray. OUR SUCCESSES } Stopped attacks on unempoyment insurance benefits for North Caroina workers facing ong-term jobessness. State egisators bocked an extension of unempoyment benefits (even though those benefits were to be fuy paid with federa funds), effectivey hoding ong-term unempoyed workers hostage in a batte to gain poitica advantage in the state budgeting process. We documented the strugges of North Caroinians who ost benefits, creating pubic sympathy for workers and pubic frustration with egisators. This widespread outrage enabed the governor to take uniatera action to extend the unempoyment benefits. 6 NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2011

9 }Recovered thousands of doars for immigrant workers who were victims of discrimination and unawfu withhodings. We successfuy resoved cass-action awsuits against seafood companies that brought workers from Mexico on H2-B visas but did not pay them fairy. We obtained back pay for approximatey 200 workers and required one empoyer who had discriminated against femae workers to adopt a nondiscrimination poicy with mandatory reporting requirements. }Changed pubic poicies that prevented peope with crimina convictions from working and reintegrating into society. Thanks in arge part to our advocacy and the hep of our partners in the NC Second Chance Aiance, North Caroina now has three new aws faciitating reentry into society by individuas with crimina convictions who have competed their sentences. One aw ets a person convicted of a oweve feony or misdemeanor petition the court for reief from coatera consequences" of that conviction, such as being barred from certain jobs. Another aw improves the state s probation and post-reease supervision system by increasing supervision and adding funding for substance abuse services. The third aows an individua convicted of a nonvioent crime when under age 18 to have the conviction expunged. (continued on next page) WORKERS RIGHTS 7

10 8 NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2011 ABOVE: An ex-offender speaks at a news conference at the NC Genera Assemby on the barriers to success that peope with crimina records face.

11 ONGOING EFFORTS w Improving conditions for and the we-being of migrant farmworkers. We worked with the Farmworker Advocacy Network on a Harvest of Dignity campaign to reform the working and housing conditions of farmworkers in North Caroina. That campaign continues into 2012, as do our reguar visits to migrant worker camps. We visited 70 migrant camps and advised more than 700 workers of their rights. In addition, we provided ega representation to dozens of migrant workers whose rights had been vioated. w Creating new Ban the Box poicies in communities throughout North Caroina. Most empoyment appications require workers to check a box if they have ever been convicted of a feony, and many former offenders find it amost impossibe to get a job because of that box. In coordination with our partners in the Second Chance Aiance, we convinced Durham County to stop using the box on its job appications. The county wi sti perform background checks of potentia empoyees, but remova of the box gives a former offender the chance to get a foot in the door. We continue to support Ban the Box campaigns across the state. w Empowering workers with information about their rights in the workpace. We deveoped materias for and conducted Know Your Rights trainings for workers around the state. These trainings provide an overview of empoyment and wage aws and inform workers about the rights they do not yet have ike the right to paid sick eave, paid maternity/paternity eave, or protections from caregiver discrimination. We invite participants to become engaged in the campaign to secure paid sick days and famiy eave insurance for a North Caroina workers. w Securing poicies and programs that hep workers baance the demands of work and famiy. Paid sick eave, famiy eave insurance, fexibe work schedues, and protections against caregiver discrimination a provide essentia job protection for workers whie they care for their own heath and the heath of their oved ones. To buid support for these poicies, we pubished a comprehensive report on the importance of poicies that promote work-famiy baance, especiay for owincome workers. We organized a coaition of more than 30 organizations, NC Famiies Care, that wi continue to advocate for famiysupportive work poicies in the coming year. w Fighting wage theft. Our research found that in fisca year 2011, North Caroina workers ost neary $5 miion through documented wage theft, which occurs when an empoyer does not pay a worker for hours WORKERS RIGHTS team, eft to right: Ajamu Diahunt, Cermont Fraser, Project Director Caro Brooke, Ron Garcia-Fogarty, Harry Payne, Bi Rowe, Danie Bowes, Sabine Schoenbach worked. We are partnering with the University of North Caroina Schoo of Law s Human Rights Poicy Cinic to conduct and pubish research on the impact of wage theft on workers, their famiies, and their communities. WORKERS RIGHTS 9

12 EDUCATION AND LAW PROJECT The Education and Law Project is committed to ensuring that every chid in the state gets a quaity education. Our work focuses on ensuring that poor and minority students receive the sound education that the North Caroina Constitution promises. OUR GOALS: Secure adequate state funding for pubic education so schoos have the resources to provide a quaity education to every chid, incuding those who are disadvantaged, have specia needs, or ive in historicay underserved rura areas. Ensure that state and oca suspension and expusion poicies are fair and do not discriminate against minority students. Create and support effective dropout-prevention programs so every chid graduates with the skis needed to succeed in the goba economy. Empower parents with information about education aw and poicies so they are abe to have meaningfu invovement in their chidren s educations. Ensure fair and meaningfu access to schoo personne and services for parents and students who speak Engish as a second anguage. Advocate for integrated schoos that provide expanded opportunities and enhanced educationa outcomes for a students. Advocate for poicies and EDUCATION team, eft to right: Christine Bischoff, Matt Einwood, and Project Director Chris Hi. budget decisions that wi ead to the end of the racia achievement gap in North Caroina s pubic schoos. OUR SUCCESSES } Secured a new schoo discipine aw. This aw put an end to the zero toerance poicies that have robbed many minority students of the opportunity to get an education. No onger wi students be forced to eave schoo for a ongterm suspension without a hearing, and there wi be no more one-size-fitsa punishments for specific offenses, except when federa firearms aw is invoved. We drafted and shepherded this egisation through the NC Genera Assemby with the hep of other education advocates and representatives of North Caroina s schoo boards, schoo administrators and teachers organization. } Defeated efforts to privatize pubic education. We heped stop pans to take tens of miions of doars away from the state s traditiona pubic schoos and give that money to argey unreguated charter schoos, and we ensured that a bi to create a massive schoo voucher program for private schoos never got off the ground. } Protected education funds designated for owincome and disadvantaged students. Despite the state s budget woes, we heped to prevent deep cuts to ONGOING EFFORTS w Protecting North Caroina s pre-kindergarten programs. We participated in itigation to stop dramatic cuts to the state s nationay recognized education program for at-risk four-year ods. The judge rued in favor of North Caroina s chidren, and the governor issued an executive order to ensure the ruing woud be foowed, but the effort to secure funding so every eigibe chid can participate continues. w Preventing the resegregation of Wake County schoos. We worked with aies to fie and support the investigation of a compaint to the U.S. Department of Justice chaenging Wake County's proposed abandonment of its diversity poicy and the district's disproportiona use of suspensions for back students. We aso coauthored a report detaiing the faws in the district s new controed choice schoo assignment pan. w Protecting the right of a students to attend pubic schoo. We provided direct assistance to famiies that had difficuty registering their students for schoo, and we created a guide 10 NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2011

13 severa funds that provide suppementa money to schoos for the education of students who are owincome, have specia needs, or are at risk of academic faiure. } Stopped the repea of the Persona Education Pan statute. Persona Education Pans are a vita resource for students who are at risk of faiure in schoo. The egisature eiminated these pans in the state budget, but we ensured that the right to a pan was restored through the technica corrections process. } Educated the pubic about federa, state, and oca education poicy deveopments. Through the use of bogs, Twitter, news reeases, and opinion pieces in newspapers, we shed ight on key education poicy deveopments, such as the new federa guideines on the use of race in student assignment, the imitations on use of federa free-and-reducedunch data, the impact of proposed changes to the state s charter-schoo aw, the difficuties of charter-schoo transportation, and key oca issues such as the increased cost of transportation under Wake County s proposed student assignment pan. designed to empower parents by waking them through the requirements for enroing students. w Educating the pubic about the diversion of ottery money away from schoos. We pubished a report exposing how state egisators are using ottery money to repace, rather than suppement, state funding for schoos. w Securing a quaity education for Engish Language Learners. We authored a report and made presentations to parents and educators on the need for improved services for students whose first anguage is not Engish. w Empowering parents to fight for their chidren s education rights. We conducted numerous trainings for parents and community eaders on how to become education advocates. w Advocated for higher teacher pay. In response to attacks on teachers that have become far too common, we authored bog posts and pubished opinion pieces chronicing the need for increased teacher pay that refects the importance of the work teachers do. EDUCATION 11

14 CONSUMER PROTECTIONS AND HOUSING PROJECT The Consumer Protections and Housing Project is dedicated to protecting North Caroinians from harmfu and abusive business practices and to improving housing conditions for ow-income peope. OUR GOALS: Create an adequate suppy of safe, decent, and affordabe housing. Reduce the oss of homes from forecosures and unfair practices. Increase, maintain and enforce protections and rights for tenants. Create affordabe access to utiity, transportation, and other services such as sewer systems and broadband internet. End predatory mortgage ending and abusive oanservicing practices in North Caroina. Ensure protections are in pace to prevent abuses by companies invoved in smaoan consumer ending, and prevent payday enders from returning to North Caroina. Protect ow-income famiies and communities from unscrupuous and expoitative business practices. OUR SUCCESSES } Defeated bis that woud have weakened homeowners rights and in 2011 we worked hard to defend this important aw from numerous attacks. One bi in particuar woud have gutted the aw, which cracks down on forecosure rescue and other scams that target strugging famiies. But thanks to our efforts, that bi faied. protections and enabe them to make more money on the backs of ow-income workers. This year, we teamed up with miitary personne many of these companies target troops stationed at bases in North Caroina to squash efforts to make finance-company oans more expensive. Bi Rowe taks about the increase in financing rates on NC Poicy Watch s News & Views radio program. protections. We were instrumenta in getting the Homeowner and Homebuyer Protection Act passed in 2010, and } Stopped egisation that woud have increased interest rates and fees for oans from finance companies. Finance companies have numerous obbyists in the Genera Assemby pushing for aws that weaken consumer } Protected homeowners rights in court. Together with our ega services partners we heped provide free ega representation to hundreds of ow-income homeowners who were victims of abusive or iega ending practices. 12 NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2011

15 Victories incuded saving homes from forecosure and securing cash settements for famiies who had ost their homes to unawfu practices. For exampe, we obtained the dismissa of a forecosure against a homeowner whose oan servicer refused to process her mortgage payments and then assessed more than$20,000 in fees. We aso recovered monetary settements for a coupe who ost their home because their oan servicer faied to appy their payments to the oan and for borrowers whose mortgage broker misrepresented the terms of the oans he sod them. In addition, we are itigating a cass action to stop unicensed settement companies from conducting oan cosings and to recover damages for their victims. } Educated a variety of audiences about fair housing rights. Working with Lega Aid of North Caroina, we heped create the new NC Fair Housing Project, which is dedicated to fighting housing discrimination throughout the state. A Justice Center staff member serves as the project s director. We have co-sponsored more than a dozen trainings on fair housing rights, incuding workshops targeted at Spanish speakers, peope with disabiities and their advocates, and housing providers and managers. } Secured new protections and resources for homeowners facing forecosure. We worked to increase pubic funding for housing counseors and ega services attorneys heping North Caroinians avoid forecosure. We aso championed new ega protections that improve the rights of homeowners facing forecosure by their homeowners associations. } Improved North Caroina s annexation aws to better serve owincome and minority communities. We worked with communities and severa civi-rights organizations to secure a new aw that owers the barriers to annexation for ow-income communities. Now, rather than being excuded by their betteroff neighbors, more owincome communities wi become part of municipaities that offer much-needed services and utiities. (continued on next page) CONSUMER AND HOUSING 13

16 ONGOING EFFORTS w Defending important consumer protections from attack. A variety of business interests target consumer protections every year, hoping to change the state s aws to make it easier for them to rob North Caroina s working famiies of their hardearned assets. However, North Caroina continues to have some of the strongest consumer protections in the country, in part thanks to our vigiant efforts monitoring egisation and egisative committees and informing awmakers about how proposas to weaken protections wi hurt their constituents. w Heping make utiity rates affordabe for ow-income famiies. Whie Duke Energy and Progress Energy seek to merge and create the nation s argest utiity, we are advocating aggressivey aong with partner organizations to make sure the merger is not approved without consideration of the needs of ow-income famiies. We are pushing for weatherization programs to reduce eectricity usage, programs to hep famiies repace outdated appiances, protections against unfair shut-off poicies, and rate structures that aow owweath peope to pay reduced rates for eectricity without subsidizing the rates of arge corporate users. We are aso invoved in a Duke Power rate case opposing the company s attempt to increase eectricity rates in North Caroina. w Increasing the suppy of safe, affordabe housing in North Caroina. We wi continue to advocate for a dedicated revenue source for the NC Housing Trust Fund, which finances the construction and rehabiitation of affordabe housing. We aso wi continue our efforts to secure more east restrictive housing opportunities for peope with menta heath disabiities. In addition, we wi continue our advocacy and research on transportation issues and wi work to make sure pubic transit pans incude affordabe housing. w Increasing and protecting the rights of tenants. We have undertaken a number of cases to protect and expand tenants' rights. These incude cases deaing with bed-bug infestation, mod, deceptive use of "rent discounts," and attempts to evict for faiure to pay water bis. In addition, we wi continue to fight bis that woud significanty reduce the rights and protections for tenants that currenty exist in state aw. This year, that incuded a bi that woud have eiminated minimum housing-code inspection programs by oca governments; we secured significant improvements to this egisation in order to protect tenants safety. Other bad bis, ike one that woud make tenants iabe for bedbug infestations, have not passed yet but are sti on the egisative tabe, and we wi work to improve or defeat them in the coming year. w Exposing systemic issues that can ead to forecosure. We have continued our efforts to protect homeowners from forecosure, incuding itigation asserting that the federa government s Home Affordabe Modification Program, which is supposed to reduce mortgage payments and ower interest rates for strugging homeowners, has not been impemented effectivey. We are currenty monitoring the work of a egisative committee tasked with rewriting the state s banking aws in order to ensure that any changes benefit or do not adversey impact consumers. CONSUMER PROTECTIONS AND HOUSING team, eft to right: Carene McNuty, Rochee Sparko, Dan Rearick, Project Director A Ripey, Bi Rowe, Kate Woomer-Deters, Jack Hotzman 14 NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2011

17 u In November 2011, the Nationa Consumer Law Center awarded its prestigious Vern Countryman Award to Carene McNuty, the Justice Center s director of itigation and staff attorney for more than 15 years, for her work to stop the abuses of payday ending in North Caroina. The Countryman Award is the top honor for consumer attorneys in the United States. NCLC awards it annuay to a pubicinterest attorney whose specia contributions to the practice of consumer aw have strengthened and affirmed the rights of ow-income Americans. Carene is the go-to person for awyers in North Caroina who are strugging with compex consumer aw issues. She has successfuy defended numerous homeowners from forecosure and has itigated against A Ripey and Carene McNuty attend the Nationa Consumer Law Center s annua conference in Chicago, where Carene received the Vern Countryman Award. mobie-home deaers, unscrupuous mortgage brokers and predatory enders. Carene has been one of the ead attorneys in a series of cass-action cases against payday enders who were using rent a bank schemes to evade North Caroina usury aw. Last fa, the team of itigators setted three of these cases, recovering a tota of $43.75 miion for more than 364,000 cass members. The settement with Advance America of $18.75 miion is the argest settement against a singe payday ender in the nation. These andmark settements earned Carene and her cocounse the Pubic Justice Achievement Award from Pubic Justice, a nationa pubic interest aw firm. Carene has aso been invoved in numerous consumer egisative efforts. She heped draft significant consumer protection statutes invoving a broad array of issues, incuding mortgage oan servicing, forecosure procedures, contract-for-deed transactions, and debtbuyer coections. Carene has been a pioneer in deaing with coection abuses by debt buyers who have fooded state courts with coection cases. She has successfuy fought debt buyers caims in court, and her experience was critica in North Caroina s enactment of the strongest debt-buyer protection aw in the country severa years ago. Other state egisatures are now considering passage of bis modeed after North Caroina s egisation. CONSUMER AND HOUSING 15

18 IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS PROJECT The Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project provides free ega advice and representation to ow-income immigrants in North Caroina who need hep in the areas of immigration aw, empoyment aw, housing and consumer protections, or access to pubic benefits and services. We aso provide support for immigrant and refugee organizations throughout the state. OUR GOALS: Ensure that ow-income immigrants have the ega representation necessary to navigate the compex and onerous immigration system. Protect immigrants and their famiies from abuses in the pubic and private sectors. Advance pubic poicies that improve the webeing of immigrant famiies and provide them with opportunities for economic security. Promote acceptance and understanding of immigrants and immigrant communities in North Caroina. OUR SUCCESSES u Recovered damages for victims of wage theft. One of our cients was a maintenance man for two Wimington hotes who worked 60 to 65 hours a week but was paid ony for 40 hours. After a year of itigation, we recovered more than $15,000 of back pay he was owed. In addition to numerous individua cases, we are pursuing a cass-action case on behaf of more than 850 poutry workers who did not receive pay to which they were entited when their empoyer went out of business; we have aready received preiminary court approva of a settement. u Obtained immigration benefits for more than 120 peope. These benefits incuding awfu status, work authorization, and protection from deportation enabed our cients and, in some cases, their famiies to ive and work in North Caroina and contribute to the state s cuture and economy. We secured asyum for a coupe from Iran and a famiy of three ABOVE AND OPPOSITE: Famiies march in support of immigrants rights and socia justice at the Historic Thousands on Jones Street ray in Raeigh. from Pakistan who each faced death in their home countries because they had converted to Christianity. Among our other cients was a young Honduran woman whose husband had abused and threatened to ki her; thanks to our efforts, she was granted asyum, and now she and her chidren are safe. We aso obtained asyum for a woman from Afghanistan who, because she worked and ived independenty as a singe woman in the United States, was accused of iving an immora ife and was tod she woud be kied if she returned to her homeand. In addition to representing cients ike these at the Asyum Office, we worked in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the 16 NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2011

19 Immigration Court, and the Board of Immigration Appeas to get ega status for our cients. u Prevented the deportation of more than 20 detained immigrants. In addition, we created a handbook, printed in Engish and Spanish, that incuded important information for peope facing detention and possibe deportation and for their famiies. We aso created a webinar for immigration advocates and trainers that provided critica information about the detention process and detainees rights. u Provided ega representation to juvenies in the immigration system. This year, the Charotte Immigration Court became one of ony a handfu of courts nationay to impement a separate court docket for juvenies. In response, we began providing individuaized in-person assessments for a juvenies with no ega representation in order to identify meritorious cases to accept or refer to other organizations or private attorneys. We assessed the cases of more than 30 chidren ages 10 to 18 in u Prevented bis that woud hurt North Caroina s immigrant community from becoming aw. Sady, immigrants are often the target of punitive and discriminatory egisation that, if passed, woud undermine safety and opportunity for everyone in North Caroina. This year, with our partners and aies, we heped to stop numerous bis from passing, incuding a bi that woud have instituted Arizona-stye racia profiing in North Caroina. In addition, we payed a ead roe with the Adeante Education Coaition in securing dramatic improvements to a bi that woud have forced schoo officias to require information about immigration status when chidren enro in pubic schoos. As part of our advocacy efforts, we panned and impemented simutaneous statewide vigis for education access in Charotte, Greensboro, Ashevie, Raeigh and Greenvie. (continued on next page) IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS 17

20 ONGOING EFFORTS w Recovering damages for immigrants who are victims of fraud. We are currenty itigating a cass-action case against a notario who defrauded some 350 immigrants in North Caroina out of hundreds of thousands of doars in a scheme where he iegay offered to provide ega representation in immigration proceedings. w Defending the housing rights of immigrant famiies. We are itigating numerous cases invoving andord abuses of tenants who are immigrants. These cases dea with wrongfu evictions, poor housing conditions such as toxic mod, and other vioations of tenants rights. In addition, we fied severa residents faced numerous housing issues, incuding municipa condemnation of homes and the budozing of homes by the andord without tenants permission. w Supporting immigrant organizations throughout North Caroina. Our attorneys reguary answer questions on the rights of immigrants in regards to education, empoyment, housing, and pubic benefits. In addition, we ead and staff the statewide workgroup of advocates and community eaders that coordinates education, advocacy, and strategic action. w Empowering immigrant communities with RIGHT: At a ray against a bi estabishing racia profiing in North Caroina. BELOW, RIGHT: Young peope demonstrate for immigrants education rights at the Historic Thousands on Jones Street ray in Raeigh. community groups in counties throughout North Caroina, incuding Chatham, Dupin, Forsyth, Guiford, Moore, Nash, Orange, Pitt, Wake, and Wayne counties. At these events we addressed anti-immigrant egisation, immigrant worker ayoffs, workers rights, housing and consumer aw, pubic benefits, the unjust federa immigration system, and strategies for community organizing. IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS team, first row: Dineira Pauino, Lisa Chun; second row: Jessica Rocha, Maria Guerrero, Kate Woomer-Deters; third row: Dan Rearick, Project Director Dani Moore; fourth row: Winstona Coe cases on behaf of victims of the Apri 2011 tornado, which hit a Raeigh mobie home park with mosty immigrant tenants. After the trauma and destruction of the tornado, these information about their rights. We panned and faciitated more than 30 workshops and retreats with ow-wage workers, immigrant advocates, and w Promoting respect for immigrants in North Caroina. The Justice Center was a eader in the creation of Uniting NC in 2008, and today we provide eadership and support for this organization dedicated to making North Caroina a pace that respects and vaues immigrants. In 2011, Uniting NC received the Peace Prize from the NC Peace Corps Association and an award for muticutura outreach from AARP North Caroina. w Protecting the rights of immigrants in the court system. We fied a 18 NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2011

21 compaint with the U.S. Department of Justice, on behaf of three immigrant organizations, charging that the North Caroina court system faied to provide interpreters for individuas with imited Engish proficiency in civi and some crimina court proceedings. In response to the compaint, the Justice Department aunched a vigorous and thorough investigation with which we assisted by identifying witnesses and arranging meetings. IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS 19

22 HEALTH ACCESS COALITION The Heath Access Coaition works to expand access to quaity, affordabe heath care for everyone in North Caroina, incuding peope who are owincome, are edery, or have disabiities. OUR GOALS: Expand pubicy funded heath services for ow- and moderate-income famiies, and make them more accessibe by simpifying paperwork and eigibiity criteria. have disabiities with information about their rights, avaiabe services, and how they can become effective advocates for the creation of a better, fairer heath-care system in North Caroina. Provide assistance to individuas trying to access pubic heath programs. Secure heath-care poicies that prioritize the needs and webeing of North Caroina consumers, especiay with respect to the impementation of federa heath reform. Empower heath-care consumers in particuar, those who are ow-income, uninsured, edery or ABOVE: Nicoe Dozier addresses seniors in Greenvie. RIGHT: The Heath Access Coaition and its Campaign for Better Care partners provide information about the benefits of heath reform for vunerabe aduts at an event in Greenvie. Justice Center vounteer Poy Wiiams gives an update on Medicaid to seniors in Rocky Mount as Adam Searing istens. OUR SUCCESSES u Represented consumers in the state-eve impementation of heath-care reform. Since the passage of federa heathcare reform, our primary focus has been on making sure North Caroina s impementation of the aw addresses the needs of ow- and moderate-income individuas and famiies across the state. The reform aw eaves many decisions up to the states, and we have taken a ead roe in representing consumers in the process by serving on numerous task forces and work groups making recommendations for the impementation of reform. u Engaged North Caroinians in the impementation of heath reform. We used intensive media outreach, opinion 20 NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2011

23 pieces in newspapers, e- newsetters and bog posts to distribute information on heath-care reform and state-eve impementation. We aso created 17 videos highighting stories of peope whose ives were improved by federa heath-care reform. u Heped to create a new information source for consumers. Federa heath-care reform cas on each state to create ca centers where consumers can get questions answered. We supported the NC Department of Insurance s appication to host the program, now caed SmartNC, and we serve on its community advisory board to make sure the program is meeting the needs of individuas and famiies. In the coming year, we wi work to secure a sustained funding source for SmartNC. (continued on next page) HEALTH ACCESS COALITION 21

24 ONGOING EFFORTS w Fighting the heath industry s efforts to dominate the impementation of heath-care reform. One key feature of reform is the estabishment of a heath benefits exchange in each state. The heath benefits exchange is a new marketpace through which many state residents wi purchase insurance coverage, compare heath pans, seek counseing about insurance options, and enro in Medicaid. The exchange wi aso provide additiona oversight of the heath insurance industry. The way North Caroina structures its exchange wi be critica for the success of reform in this state and for making the heath insurance system fair and accountabe. But during the egisative session, obbyists for the heath-care industry pushed egisation to create an exchange that woud be controed by insurers without adequate input from consumers. We ed the fight to defeat this exchange bi. We created one of the argest heath advocacy coaitions ever assembed in the state, caed Citizens for Responsibe Heath Care, which maintained a critica media presence, generated thousands of cas and emais to egisators, packed egisative committee hearings, and drove news coverage during the batte over the industry-sponsored bi. With our coaition aies, we convinced the state Senate not to hear the egisation. However, the bi is sti eigibe to move in 2012, and we are ready to ensure that any exchange egisation heps the everyday peope who have strugged for decades against a heath care system that favors industry and eaves consumers broke and broken. w Empowering caregivers and edery North Caroinians to fight for better heath care. Even though the passage of heath-care reform was critica, it was ony the first step in buiding a better heath-care system there is itte benefit to having heath insurance if the heath care system is not deivering quaity care that puts the needs of the patient first. In 2011, we partnered with Community Catayst and AARP North Caroina to expand a new initiative caed the Campaign for Better Care. Through this effort, we organized community events in Greenvie, Pittsboro, Rocky Mount, and Wimington and made presentations to some 400 peope on heath care, pubic services, and heathconsumer rights. Some of the event attendees were so inspired that they joined AARP on a bus trip to Washington, DC to tak to members of Congress about the importance of a wefunctioning heath-care system. During the coming year, we wi continue our community engagement efforts in order to empower heath-care consumers to advocate for their own rights and for pubic poicies that increase accessibiity to quaity care. w Protecting and expanding funding for pubic heath programs. State egisators made significant cuts to Medicaid this year and 22 NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2011

25 ABOVE: Adam Searing speaks out at a ray to save pubic services. TOP LEFT: Seniors pick up pamphets at an event. FAR LEFT: Dr. Kenneth Steinweg, geriatrician and chair of famiy medicine at Eastern Caroina University, addresses seniors at a Heath Access Coaition function in Greenvie. NEAR LEFT: Adam Linker and an event attendee. caimed they woud make up the money with the savings from expanding the state s managed care program even though countess government and nonprofit officias tod them it woud not work. It did not work, and now the batte wi intensify to ensure that the thousands of North Caroina famiies who rey on Medicaid and NC Heath Choice, the state s insurance program for chidren from ow-income famiies, are not eft without much-needed heath coverage and assistive services. w Setting the record straight on heath-care reform. Reform opponents have run a sustained campaign of misinformation. We, aong with oca and nationa partners, hed educationa forums and conducted media outreach in order to get the truth out about the benefits of heath-care reform. We posted videos onine to highight individuas stories of the benefits of reform and to hod poiticians accountabe when they misrepresented it. We have estabished ourseves with the media as an expert source to counter the fase caims that are sure to come next year. HEALTH ACCESS COALITION team: Adam Linker, Nicoe Dozier, and Project Director Adam Searing w Improving the communications efforts of other heath organizations around the country. This year we estabished ourseves as a nationa eader in the use of video to show the impact of heath poicy and budget decisions on the ives of owand moderate-income North Caroinians. After gaining broad experience in the use of video, we wrote and pubished a handbook for state-based advocates on seecting video equipment, finding stories, and posting videos onine. We made a presentation on the handbook at a nationa meeting of heath advocates in Phiadephia, and we traveed to Virginia and South Caroina to hep partner organizations in those states use video effectivey. We aready have pans to do more trainings in 2012 in Mississippi, Texas and other states. HEALTH ACCESS COALITION 23

26 BUDGET & TAX CENTER The Budget & Tax Center conducts non-partisan anaysis of state budget and tax poicy and monitors economic conditions in the state. Our timey and accessibe research seeks to contribute effectivey to poicy discussions and pubic debate and to buid a broader understanding of the roe of poicy in supporting economic opportunity for a. Educate state poicymakers and the genera pubic about how state and federa poicies affect the abiity of ow-income and disadvantaged communities to achieve economic security. Anayze state investments in pubic structures, programs and services to determine if they are adequate to promote economic opportunity in North Caroina s disadvantaged communities. Pubish detaied anayses of state ABOVE: The postcard for the Save EITC campaign budget and poicy proposas and, when necessary, promote aternatives that can improve the economic security of ow-income North Caroinians. Ensure the state and federa tax systems are fair in what they require ow-income famiies to pay, are stabe despite economic cyces, and raise enough revenue to adequatey fund vita pubic structures. RIGHT: Aexandra Forter Sirota speaks at a news conference on pubic services. OUR SUCCESSES u Protected an important tax credit for North Caroina s working famiies. We ed the 2007 effort to create a state Earned Income Tax Credit, which benefits more than 800,000 working famiies in North Caroina. This year, we payed a centra roe in stopping a egisative attack that woud have dramaticay cut back the EITC and taken money out of the pockets of about 428,000 famiies. We reengaged our previous EITC partners, deveoped a Save EITC website, and ed a postcard campaign that coected more than 400 stories from famiies receiving the EITC and their neighbors. We pubished anaysis of the EITC s benefits to the state s economy and to recipients and testified before egisators. Thanks in arge part to our work, the attack on the EITC faied. u Infuenced the pubic debate about the state budget. Our research and communications efforts bostered pubic support for taking a baanced approach to the state s budget shortfa. We worked with our partners in Together NC a coaition of more than 130 organizations to craft and promote messages that emphasized the importance of pubic investments and the economic damage that severe budget cuts woud cause. The pubic embraced our viewpoint, and poing showed that ony 23 percent of North Caroinians agreed with the choices made in the fina budget. Moreover, prominent state poicymakers incuding the governor and the House and Senate minority eaders adopted our messaging. 24 NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2011

27 u Hed state egisative eaders responsibe for the economic damage the budget they crafted wi cause. Legisative eaders repeatedy tried to deny that their budget cuts woud damage the peope and economy of North Caroina. But we produced the data to expose how those cuts woud undermine education, workforce deveopment, infrastructure, and perhaps most importanty North Caroina s areadystrugging job market. The resuting pubic outrage forced egisators to back off from some of the proposed cuts. The fina budget was damaging nonetheess, and we made sure the peope of North Caroina knew it by pubishing and heaviy promoting a report that showed the budget woud ki some 30,000 jobs in the pubic and private sectors. u Improved access to post-secondary education. Our research on workforce deveopment and engagement with the community coege system heped to shape pans to reform deveopmenta education in the state. A new piot project we heped design wi provide educationa support to adut workers who are not prepared for the demands of community coege. Through reports, bog posts and factsheets, we convinced awmakers to restore some cuts to need-based financia aid for community coege students. We aso provided advocacy and research support for the governor s veto of a bi that woud have aowed community coege campuses to opt out of the federa student oan program. u Defeated an effort to severey damage North Caroina s revenue system. The miseadingy named Taxpayer Bi of Rights (TABOR) came before the North Caroina egisature this year and threatened to dramaticay undermine the state s abiity to fund its schoos, universities, infrastructure and a wide range of human services. We produced a report that demonstrated the impact of the TABOR proposa, organized oca community eaders and business eaders in opposition to TABOR, created a webinar and distributed information to partners and aies. We aso hed meetings with key Counci of State members and their staff, egisators, and non-traditiona aies and testified against TABOR in a House committee hearing. In the end, the TABOR bi did not make it out of that committee. (continued on next page) BUDGET & TAX CENTER 25

28 ONGOING EFFORTS w Making the state revenue system fairer, more stabe and more adequate. We reeased a major report on revenue modernization TOP: The Back in Tyme Budget Payers dress in costumes from the past to drive home their message that severe budget cuts wi take North Caroina backwards. ABOVE: Louisa Warren speaks at a ray outside the NC Genera Assemby RIGHT: Edwin McLenaghan informs egisators about the dangers of the so-caed TABOR amendment detaiing a pan to fix the state s outdated, inadequate and unfair revenue system that woud aso hep to cose the budget shortfa. We made presentations to partners and community groups on the revenue aternatives in our pan and widey disseminated the report to advocates, oca Chambers of Commerce and oca eaders. w Fighting for increased pubic support and more quaity jobs for North Caroina s working famiies. We pubished research on effective pubic options for job creation, and we worked to ensure fu impementation of the governor s Job Boost program. We reeased an updated version of one of our signature pubications, the Living Income Standard, a marketbased measure of what it takes for a famiy to make ends meet in each of the state s 100 counties. The report aso outined the difficuties created by the prevaence of ow-wage jobs in North Caroina and how the state can better support its working famiies. In addition, we produced the first of what wi be an annua pubication ooking at a variety of chaenges facing working famiies, incuding caregiving responsibiities, ong-term unempoyment, and the ack of jobs that pay famiysupporting wages. w Educating community eaders and activists about the state budget and its impact on North Caroina s peope and institutions. In addition to pubishing neary 50 reports and briefs, we gave more than 25 presentations to community groups on the state budget, taxes, and funding for vita pubic institutions and services. We conducted teach-ins and provided state-eve data on income inequaity for the Occupy movements in Raeigh and Durham and on coege campuses. In addition, we have deveoped innovative ways to inform and engage the pubic on state budget and tax issues, incuding severa series of infographics that we reeased and promoted onine. One series put budget cuts proposed in the state House budget next to reasonabe revenue options in order to iustrate that the cuts coud be avoided. Other series tracked economic data on North Caroina s working famiies and documented the effect of severe budget cuts on the state s pubic structures and communities. w Providing vita technica support to arge progressive coaitions in North Caroina. With the Covenant with North Caroina s Chidren, we ead Together NC, a coaition of more than 130 member organizations dedicated to protecting pubic structures and services for the state s most vunerabe peope. We provided timey anaysis on budget and tax proposas to Together NC members and deveoped factsheets and anaysis for the coaition s news events and raies. In addition, the Justice Center provided considerabe communications and design support for Together NC s media outreach. w Ensuring that corporations in 26 NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2011

29 The Budget and Tax Center puts out dozens of briefs, fact sheets and reports on a wide range of issues that affect access to economic security in North Caroina. In 2011, these pubications incuded our Living Income Standard report, which is used by agencies and organizations throughout North Caroina to understand and assess the needs of working famiies. We aso pubished a major report expaining how North Caroina can modernize its revenue system to make it fairer, more adequate and more stabe. Other topics about which we pubished research incude the foowing: Poverty and food insecurity in North Caroina The state budget shortfa both its causes and progressive soutions Federa fisca poicy Corporate taxes Tax credits for working famiies Long-term unempoyment Unempoyment benefits and the chaenges of the unempoyment insurance trust fund Pubic investments as a job creation strategy The state rainy day fund Teacher cuts in pubic schoos Deveopmenta education and financia aid in community coeges The importance of post-secondary credentias North Caroina pay their fair share in state taxes. We continue our work organizing partners and the pubic against efforts to aow corporations to evade their responsibiity to hep fund state investments and services. In eary 2011, the governor proposed a reduction to the corporate tax rate, and both houses of the egisature proposed to ower it even more. We anayzed the impact of these proposas on the state budget and engaged in extensive media outreach on the issue. Poing showed that our message was having an impact as pubic support for the corporate tax cut sipped. So, the egisature abandoned the rate cut and instead passed a rue change that severey imited the Department of Revenue s abiity to go after corporate tax dodgers. The rue change is set to be studied in 2012, and we wi be ready to provide data and engage our partners on this important issue of fairness and revenue BUDGET & TAX team, eft to right: Tazra Mitche, Brenna Burch, adequacy. Project Director Aexandra Forter Sirota, Aan Freyer, Louisa Warren, Edwin McLenaghan BUDGET & TAX CENTER 27

30 NC POLICY WATCH NC Poicy Watch is the state s most proific and respected voice for progressive poicy change and an invauabe free media outet for progressive nonprofits. Our goa is to inform the pubic poicy debate in order to bring about socia, poitica and economic justice in North Caroina. To achieve this goa, we generate a arge and steady fow of timey, accurate and hard-hitting commentaries, anayses and investigative reports that inform eected officias, advocates, the news media and the pubic at-arge. We aso serve as a free media outet for the Justice Center, its projects and the state s progressive nonprofit advocacy community. We distribute origina content to North Caroina newspapers every weekday, and our coumns appear on the opinion pages throughout the state reguary. We work to increase the visibiity of the Justice Center and other partner organizations. Every Monday morning, we pubish The Week Ahead, which provides reporters throughout North Caroina with story ideas and contacts from progressive nonprofits. We aso distribute Progressive Voices, a free weeky product that provides newspapers with opinion pieces written by staff of Poicy Watch, the Justice Center, and numerous aied organizations. Poicy Watch website each week, and thousands more receive our commentary, news reports and anayses via emai every day. The NC Poicy Watch bog, The Progressive Puse, is one of North Caroina s most active and important pubic poicy websites. Our newest specia feature, Poicy Watch Investigates, has quicky become an important source of high-quaity, RIGHT: Scenes from a Crucia Conversations uncheon featuring University of North Caroina President Tom Ross independent reporting. Since its unveiing in ate 2010, the Investigates feature has spurred a federa investigation of a state awmaker, exposed rampant probems in the state ottery, and heped spur a firestorm of pubic and media attention over a egisative effort to hod up state unempoyment benefits as part Thousands of peope visit the 28 NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2011

31 POLICY WATCH 29

32 of state budget negotiations. We speak frequenty at forums and events throughout the state and reguary provide insights and expert anaysis for various media outets. NC Poicy Watch Director Chris Fitzsimon is the host of the weeky syndicated radio show News and Views, which airs on severa stations around the state. He is aso a reguar paneist on NC SPIN, a weeky teevision tak show about state government and poitics, and his daiy one-minute radio commentaries are featured every evening on WRAL-FM. Our Crucia Conversations uncheon series brings prominent state and nationa eaders together with the community to tak about issues facing the state from charter schoos to samesex marriage to care for those with menta iness. Many of the uncheons aso feature the atest resuts from the reguar Caroina Issues Pos, a feature that Poicy Watch staff members deveoped with the nationay accaimed poing firm Pubic Poicy Poing. These pos test voter attitudes on an array of timey issues reated to the Justice Center s poicy agenda. In 2011, we hed uncheons and other events in numerous North Caroina cities, incuding Charotte, Ashevie, Fayettevie and Boone. TOP: Josh Norris, Director of Lega Advocacy for the Georgia Advocacy Office ABOVE: Rick Gazier at a Progressive Advocates unch ABOVE, LEFT: Crucia Conversations attendees BELOW: Anton Gunn, U.S. Department of Heath and Human Services Regiona Director, speaks at a Crucia Conversations uncheon on heath care reform. ABOVE: Two Pennsyvania farmers who have experienced the impact of fracking share their story with the crowd at a Crucia Conversations uncheon. LEFT: Ricky Leung fims uncheon speakers. RIGHT: Matt Gardner of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Poicy debunks myths about tax poicies at a Crucia Conversations uncheon in May. 30 NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2011

33 ABOVE: Chris Fitzsimon at a Progressive Advocates unch RIGHT: Rob Schofied emcees the Crucia Conversations event on fracking BELOW: Meissa Harris-Perry interviews Chris Fitzsimon on MSNBC s Rache Maddow Show. BELOW, RIGHT: Sarah Ovaska speaking at a Crucia Conversations event U.S. Army Photos by Staff Sgt. Robert Jordan, NC Nationa Guard Pubic Affairs Cayton Henke interviews Hoy Petraeus with the Consumer Financia Protection Bureau at a roundtabe hosted by the North Caroina Nationa Guard in December. POLICY WATCH team, eft to right: Ricky Leung, Sarah Ovaska, Cayton Henke, Rob Schofied, and Project Director Chris Fitzsimon POLICY WATCH 31

34 COMMUNICATIONS w MAPS OF THE JUSTICE CENTER S STATE AND INTERNATIONAL w The Justice Center Communications team expanded its reach consideraby in For the third straight year, our media coverage reached a record high. Staff appeared in North Caroina newspapers, on teevision and on radio more than 1,700 times ast year, an average of about 4.5 times per day. More than 300 different media outets incuding nationa and internationa pubications have covered the Justice Center. We aso maintain dozens of Twitter accounts and mutipe Facebook pages with more than 10,000 tota foowers. This year, the Justice Center integrated communications work with advocacy more than ever before. We generated approximatey 1.7 miion messages to awmakers, media, and aies using our onine messaging RIGHT: As a cardboard cutout of Speaker Thom Tiis ooks on, Jeff Shaw speaks at a ray honoring Tiis for his work to unrave decades of progress in North Caroina. system during Our coaition communications work aso expanded consideraby, as we provided communications support to more than two dozen aied organizations around the state. 32 NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2011

35 MEDIA HITS IN 2011 COMMUNICATIONS team, eft to right: Juia Hawes, Phyis Nunn, Russe Baggett, Diane Morris, and Project Director Jeff Shaw COMMUNICATIONS 33

36 SUPPORT FOR FOUNDATION SUPPORT AARP ACA IMPLEMENTATION FUND ADRIAN DOMINICAN SISTERS AJ FLETCHER FOUNDATION ANNIE E. CASEY FOUNDATION BLUEPRINT NC CATHOLIC CHARITIES CENTER ON BUDGET AND POLICY PRIORITIES CAMPAIGN FOR BETTER CARE COMMUNITY CATALYST - CFBCII CONE HEALTH FOUNDATION EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS FAMILIES USA FAMILY WORK FORD FOUNDATION FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT OPEN SOCIETY GOOD JOBS FIRST HJW FOUNDATION INSTITUTE FOR FORECLOSURE LITIGATION IOLTA FOUNDATION MOTT FOUNDATION MARY REYNOLDS BABCOCK FOUNDATION NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT LAW PROJECT PUBLIC WELFARE FOUNDATION REX ENDOWMENT ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION SISTERS OF MERCY FOUNDATION SOUTHERN PARTNERS FUND - HKONJ SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER WARNER FOUNDATION WORKING POOR FAMILIES PROJECT Z. SMITH REYNOLDS FOUNDATION THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS SUPPORTERS IN 2011* Aa Gui Counci of Church Women United Aen Adams Jean Aexander Patricia Amend She Anderson Mary Andrews Thomas Arcury Daniee Armaeo Wiiam Austin Mohammad Ayazifar Pau Badasare, Jr. Tom Basey Hector Barrera Dougas Barrick Stephanie Bass Rache Bearman Marty Bein John Be Brenda Berin Pear Berin Ann Berry Robert Bibro Caro Bibro Annette Bingham Wiiam Bingham Dhamian Bue Linda Boag Mitch Boag Doris Bowes V.P. Bowes Evein Brinich Bi Brooks Martha Brown Tyrone Brown Say Buckner Don Burton Irene Burton Capito Broadcasting Company Juia Capone David Carone Pau Carrington Jean Cary Chares Case Deborah Cassidy Christina Chenet Kye Chenet Lucinda Chew Ann Christian Dumont Carke Donad Cifford Louise Cifford Sarah McCracken Cobb Diana McDuffee Josh McIntyre Andrew Cogde Community Foundation of Western North Caroina Community United Church of Christ Charmaine Fuer Cooper Antonia Oramus Contreras Genevieve Cotter Gisee Crawford Octavio Cuenca W.R. Cuthbertson Gordon Daughtry Mary Jo Deck Jesus Degadio Daina Degado Renard DeaFave Freeman Denton The Dophin Foundation Victorio Dominguez Lara Stephen Dovenitz Estee Dubow Michee Dubow Donna Duke Marjorie Eckes Steven Edestein Robert Eiot Dishad Faraj Victor Farah Financia Protection Law Center Thomas Fiore Andrew Foster Kristi Foster Laurie Fox Donna Gaagher Een Gerber Richard Giroux Phiip Gazier Rick Gazier Richard Godberg Nancy Gorham Roger Gorham Danie Gottovi Karen Gottovi Chris Graebe Nancy Grebenkemper Gary Greenberg Priscia Guid Joe Hackney Jon Harkavy Nahomi Harkavy Lonna Harkrader Richard Harkrader Thomas Harmon Thomas Harris Jerry Hartze Mary Hausmann Jerome Hay Joy Heinsohn Judith Heinz Mark Heman Laura Hensey Caroine Hippe Suzanne Hobbs Barbara Hoingsworth Bi Homan Andrew Hoton Fiorea Horna-Guerra IBM Cyde Inge Juie Jacobson Vann Ann Jennings Sunmee Jo Robin Johnson David Joy David Jones Adam Jones Mary Josin Freya Kame Ron Katz John Keer Juie Kemper Aron Kempe David Kie June Kimme Jereann King Caroyn King Cyrus King Mary Kenz Jacqueine Knabe Sue Krebs Joseph Lee Jennifer Leeman Margaret Leinbach Ted Leinbach Evan Lewis Georgia Lewis Janice Lewis Linda Linfors Karen Long Abert Lyes Raque Lynch Lois MacGiivray Nancy MacLean Victor Marsha Susan Mastro MBAH, LLC Ann McCracken McGi & Nobe Roberta Meyers- Peepes Lotte Meyerson Seymour Meyerson Derek Mier Chares Mione Joe Moody Noe Moore Richard Moore Peter Morris Michae Morrissey Caire Morse Lawrence Morse Katherine Murphy Ami Nage Arindo Lagunas Nambo Edith Lagunas Nambo Ipoita Lagunas Nambo NC Counci of Churches Barbara Nettesheim News & Observer Gene Nicho Marie Noveo Jonathan Oberander Brian O Doherty Michae Okun Teresa Onofrio OpenSource Leadership Strategies, Inc. Todd Owen Wiiam Paich Harry Payne Andrew Perrin Piowtex Company Danie Poitt Barry Popkin Tanya Powers Diane Pozefsky Mark Pozefsky Homer Price James Randoph Syvia Ray Suzanne Reynods Robert Rodriguez Hector Enrique Rojas Seth Rosebrock Ann Rowe Susan Russe Rosaio Vigi Sanchez John Sanders Nathaie Sato Marybeth Satteree Victor Schoenbach Michae Schwabe James Sessoms Lena Sessoms Ama Sheton Norma Shepard Nancy Shoemaker Pam Siberman Ann Sink Gary Smith Lye Snider Forence Sotys John Sotys Katherine Sparrow Patricia Spearman Robert Spearman Edwin Speas Stauroite Resource Group Adam Stein Jane Stein Jeanne Sternicht Mark Sternicht Pau Suhr David Tayoe The Tejada Law Firm Vaneada Terre Sarah Thach Mary Beth Tobin Ebert Townsend Aen Treease Pamea Trent Triange Community Foundation Turner Printing Services, Inc. Unitarian Universaist Feowship of Raeigh John Vai Terry Van Duyn Chris Van Hasset Frances Vitagione Tom Vitagione Margaret Wainwright Ann Wa Sherryyn Waace Joan Wash Katheen Wash Lewis Warde Harry Watson Judith Wegner Linda Weise Mary Wessing Judith West Judy Whisnant Syvia White Patty Wiiams Ashey Wison John Wison Barden Winstead Swain Wood Larry Yarger Susan Yarger Edward Yeig Rachae Young (*2011 Defenders of Justice sponsors shown on page 36.) 34 NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2011

37 OUR WORK The Justice Center wants to express its deep gratitude to those who have provided financia support for our work, especiay during the economic turbuence of recent years. We greaty appreciate the generous and diverse support we receive from state and nationa foundations and donors. Many of the phianthropic organizations and individuas isted here have been supporting the Justice Center s work for more than a decade. Without these strong partners none of the progress we have made woud have been possibe. This financia support has aowed us to increase our capacity, deepen our expertise, and extend our outreach throughout the state. Sustained funding has enabed us to strengthen and ampify our voice as advocates for poor and working famiies and individuas in North Caroina. However, the economic downturn has impacted not ony the peope we serve but aso the funding for our work. In the year ahead we must secure additiona support from individuas throughout the state. Securing donations from new donors and greater commitments from our ongterm supporters wi be essentia to our effort to buid a strong and progressive North Caroina where prosperity is broady shared and a of the state s peope have the opportunity to buid heathy, productive and fufiing ives. If you want to be a partner with us in the work that we do, pease go to and make a gift or become a sustaining supporter of our work EXPENDITURES $4,556, REVENUE BY TYPE State Foundations Nationa Foundations Other Individua Donors CORE STAFF The accompishments of the Justice Center s advocates and speciaists woud not be possibe without the support and dedication of the Justice Center s core staff. Their eadership and hard work ensure that the organization remains fiscay strong. CORE team, eft to right: Mary Coeman, Chief Financia Officer; Meissa Cement, Administrative Assistant (front); Eise Eiott, Assistant Finance Director (back); Carene McNuty, Director of Litigation; Meinda Lawrence, Executive Director; Bi Rowe, Genera Counse & Director of Advocacy; Lucy Martinez, Director of Operations & Human Resources; Jan Nichos, Chief Technoogy Officer; (not pictured) Bi Wison, Deputy Director SUPPORT FOR OUR WORK 35

38 THE DEFENDERS OF JUSTICE AWARDS The Thirteenth Annua DEFENDERS OF JUSTICE AWARDS May 19, Award Recipients LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY LITIGATION GRASSROOTS EMPOWERMENT/ COMMUNITY CAPACITY BUILDING POLICY RESEARCH & ADVOCACY Senator Josh Stein Wake County Representative Angea Bryant Nash County The Law Firm of Eiot Pishko Morgan Coaición de Organizaciones Latino-Americanas Community Success Initiative Democracy NC 2011 Event Sponsors PLATINUM SPONSORS Anonymous GOLD SPONSORS The Taku Fund of Triange Community Foundation SILVER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSORS Easter Maynard & John Parker AARP Barbara Wiedemann & Chris Fitzsimon BB&T Center for Participatory Change Center for Responsibe Lending Crown Imports Cy & Caroyn King Financia Protection Law Center George Danser & Jean Cary Graebe, Hanna & Weborn, PLLC Ruth Sheehan & Harry Payne Jay Buter Jim Smith John Graybea & Laurie Heise Lisa Grafstein Luke Largess Mardie McCreary McMian & Smith Meinda Lawrence & Greg Mahoit NC State AFL-CIO Richard and Linda Hooker RichirOutreach.com Romeo, Wiggins, & Company, L.L.P. SEANC, SEIU Loca 2008 Sef-Hep Steve Schewe & Lao Rubert Susan Lupton & Robert Scha The Brewer Law Firm The Tejada Law Firm, PLLC Whoe Foods 36 NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2011