The Federal Judicial Center Foundation is a private, nonprofit corporation that Congress established to receive gifts to support the work of the Center. The Foundation has sole authority to decide whether to accept gifts, and thereby to determine the suitability of would-be donors. The Foundation may not accept gifts earmarked for projects that have not previously been approved by the Center’s Board, and the Center has sole control over the design and conduct of activities supported by donations. The Foundation is governed by a seven-person board appointed by the Chief Justice, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. No Foundation Board member may be a active judge. Foundation Board members in 2014 were as follows:
James M. Wagstaffe, San Francisco, Cal., Chair
Richard D. Casey, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Dana K. Chipman, Arlington, Va.
Laurie L. Michel, Washington, D.C.
Blake D. Morant, Winston-Salem, N.C.
John B. White, Jr., Spartanburg, S.C.
Benjamin L. Zelenko, Washington, D.C.
In creating the Foundation, Congress directed that in its annual report the Center describe the purposes for which Foundation gifts were used in the reporting year. The Center used the following Foundation gifts in 2014:
- Funds provided by the American Association for the Advancement of Science to cover travel expenses for federal judges to attend two programs on emerging issues in neuroscience.
- Funds provided from Vanderbilt University via the MacArthur Foundation to cover travel expenses for federal judges to attend a seminar on law, neuroscience, and criminal justice.
- Funds provided by Vanderbilt University to cover travel expenses for mid-career federal judges to attend a seminar on issues and challenges faced by judges who have served from five to ten years on the bench.
- Funds provided by Akron Law School to cover travel expenses for federal judges to attend a seminar on patent litigation.
- Funds from the Judiciary Leadership Development Council and non-earmarked grants to support a judicial seminar on the humanities and science at Princeton University (the Harold Medina Seminar).