The Barbara McDowell and Gerald S. Hartman Foundation's mission is to improve the economic well-being and social conditions of disadvantaged persons and groups in the United States through the making of grants to organizations that undertake systemic litigation with the funds they receive and by coordinating direct, pro bono litigation through our High Impact Litigation Project. The Foundation’s grantmaking and High Impact Project have benefited diverse constituent populations by focusing upon a variety of social justice causes.
To learn more about how you can help create social justice through legal action, go to our Donate page.
Barbara McDowell was an exceptional advocate for social justice reforms with a decorated legal career. Following her untimely death from brain cancer at the age of 56, Barbara’s husband, Jerry Hartman, established the foundation in her name to honor and continue her extraordinary work.
Click here to read the Inside Philanthropy article featuring the inception, impact, and strategic priorities of the Barbara McDowell Foundation.
Since its inception in 2009, the Barbara McDowell Foundation has supported 65 social justice litigation cases with over $1,400,000 in grants to 49 organizations and coordinated some 20 cases and investigations as part of its High Impact Litigation Project