How You Can Support PJDC

The Pacific Juvenile Defender Center fights to protect rights and assure fairness for society’s most vulnerable children. Our training and support equips public defenders, social workers, and other youth advocates to help young people navigate the juvenile justice system. Our advocacy work seeks to stem abusive practices and to make juvenile court proceedings more effective in meeting young people’s needs. As the only California organization dedicated to juvenile defense, PJDC’s work is essential to assure the integrity and fairness of the justice system.

You can support this vitally important work through tax-deductible cash donations, AmazonSmile, Facebook birthday fundraisers, workplace contributions, and CyPres awards. Your contribution will make a difference today.

What Your Help Does

PJDC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Although much of our work is done through the generosity of volunteers, it is critical that we receive donations to provide trainings, practice materials, litigation support, policy advocacy, and support for our part-time consultants.

Because juvenile defenders so often face low pay and scarce resources, PJDC  offers free membership to provide easy access to the entire defender community. Although we are able to support some of our work through foundation and government grants, individual monetary contributions enable us to provide unrestricted work in support of our most vulnerable youth and allow us to grow as an organization.

Your support is critical to protecting the rights of children caught up in the youth justice system and improving their opportunities to successfully transition into adulthood. Every little bit helps!

Donate to PJDC

Ways to Help PJDC

Cash Contributions

PJDC accepts cash donations in any amount.

Amazon Smile

You can also support PJDC when you shop on Amazon through your use of AmazonSmile. Once you select PJDC as your favorite charity, Amazon will donate 0.5% of every eligible purchase you make through the AmazonSmile portal. Please click here to benefit PJDC while making your Amazon purchases: https://smile.amazon.com.

Workplace Giving

Many employers encourage their employees to give to charitable nonprofits and some will match those efforts with dollars and other means of support. The options that can benefit PJDC include employee matching gifts and donations through payroll deductions, such as the United Way’s workplace donation campaigns.

If you are interested in donating through the United Way, please contact us for assistance since some United Way chapters, such as the Bay Area United Way, include our organization while others may not.

Employee Matching Gifts are donations an employer makes to match its employees’ charitable contributions, often dollar-for-dollar. Some employers will give double or even triple the original donation.

Donations through Payroll Deductions can also be set up for employees who wish to effortlessly donate to a worthy cause.

In any case, please check with your employer to see if you can support PJDC through workplace giving!

Facebook Giving

Make a donation to PJDC by visiting your Facebook page and using the ‘Add a Donate Button’ feature.

Cy Pres Awards

If you are involved in a class action case, or otherwise are in a position to designate a beneficiary for residual funds, nominate PJDC to receive cy pres and other residual funds. The term “cy pres” comes from a French term meaning as near as possible.” Under the doctrine of cy pres, unclaimed settlement funds from class-action lawsuits may be distributed to organizations meeting designated criteria.

California

The law governing cy pres in California specifically identifies “child advocacy programs” as appropriate cy pres recipients. (California Code of Civil Procedure §384(b).) PJDC is an ideal organization for California cy pres consideration. We use our legal skills to protect the rights of children in the youth justice system and to ensure that they receive the services needed to move successfully forward in their lives. The youth who receive our services are among the most vulnerable in our society – they are often poor, have disabilities, are youth of color, are marginalized because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, are immigrants, and have suffered trauma and other difficult life experiences. Our work on their behalf meets the requirements of cy pres awards in a broad range of cases.

Federal Court Cases

Federal case law in the Ninth Circuit (which includes California) generally requires a nexus between the mission of the cy pres recipient and the subject matter of the lawsuit.   The idea is that the cy pres recipient should be the next best thing to giving the funds directly to the class members in the lawsuit. In cases where such a connection can be made, PJDC may be a worthy recipient of the funds.

Please contact Eileen Manning-Villar by calling (650) 784-6382 or sending an email to discuss nominating PJDC for a cy pres award or for any other questions you have about donating to PJDC.