The Foundation.

We at The Florida Bar Foundation express our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Kristine Knab. Her life of service to legal aid and her lifelong commitment to access to justice is nothing short of remarkable. Near the end of her life, Ms. Knab wrote an open letter that was published in the News expressing her concerns about reduced funding to Florida's legal aid providers. We are appreciative of the opportunity her letter creates for us to discuss the Foundation's strategic reset while briefly responding to her comments and concerns.

In short, the changes made by the Foundation in its reset address the funding crisis and quickly changing legal landscape. Change can be difficult and challenging. However, the Foundation is committed to the process and remains dedicated to its mission and overall effort of increasing access to justice for all Floridians; especially the poorest and most vulnerable.

Historically, the Foundation's primary source of income has been from Interest on Trust Accounts payments, which are dependent on overall interest rates. As a result of near-zero interest rates resulting from the "Great Recession," the Foundation had to drastically reduce grant funding for the past decade. After a comprehensive study involving many stakeholders, the Foundation's Board of Directors last year unanimously resolved to implement a five-year strategic reset to address the Foundation's financial resources and the overall lack of access to justice for many Floridians. (For a full report on the reset, visit: www.thefloridabarfoundation.org/whatwe-do/strategic-reset).

While the Foundation's mission remains the same, the reset focuses the Foundation on three objectives to maximize its investments in time, energy, and funds for the next five years:

1. Maximize the impact and effectiveness of civil legal assistance provided to low- and moderate-income individuals and communities in Florida.

2. Expand the role of the Foundation as an expert facilitator of effective civil legal assistance for low- and moderate-income individuals and communities in Florida.

3. Serve as a catalyst for broad-based, systemic change and innovative solutions to reduce and eliminate the justice gap in Florida's civil justice system.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the reset, the Foundation is developing assessment metrics.

Within the purview of the reset, some of Ms. Knab's specific comments bear further discussion:

1. Decline in reported pro...