Zayas Law Firm Creates $200,000 Donor-Advised Fund at the Hartford Foundation to Support Arts and Culture Programs for Youth
In order to highlight the importance of arts and cultural programming for youth, the Zayas Law Firm has created a new $200,000 donor-advised fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. The Zayas Law Fund for Arts and Education will support arts and cultural youth activities involving the visual and performing arts; painting, sculpture, music, theater, literature or innovation in the creative and cultural sectors. The fund will focus its support on youth from low-income families in urban areas in Greater Hartford, Greater Bridgeport and Greater New Haven who may lack the resources to engage in these vital activities.
Attorney Richard Zayas, the founder of the Zayas Law Firm, created the new fund based on his own interest in the arts, specifically Caribbean music, his greatest passion after practicing the law. Attorney Zayas is well known in the Hartford community for his support of cultural and musical organizations and events, including his sponsorship of the annual Rumba Festival New England/Hartford.
“We are inspired by the opportunities and joy that music and art education and experiences provide to all young musicians and artists, their families and their communities,” said Zayas. “We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Hartford Foundation whose expertise in grantmaking and strength in the community will be invaluable as we seek to support youth in their pursuit of art and music education and experiences by eliminating financial barriers that may exist.”
Donor advised funds at the Hartford Foundation allow donors to actively participate in their grantmaking. Donor-advised funds offer the greatest flexibility to meet charitable goals and recommend grants to qualified nonprofits throughout the Hartford region and across the country. When choosing organizations or structuring their grants, donors can leverage the Foundation staff’s expertise in grantmaking and extensive knowledge about the region’s nonprofit community. Donors can involve other family members or future generations in making recommendations, and Attorney Zayas has included plans to engage his son Maximiliano and his grandchildren in the fund.
“We are so grateful to Richard Zayas and the Zayas Law Firm for their generous commitment to the community,” said Susan Dana, the Hartford Foundation’s Director of Major Gifts. “Their philanthropy will allow hundreds of underserved youth to experience art and music firsthand.”
With offices in Hartford and Bridgeport, the team of personal injury attorneys at Zayas Law Firm have been fighting for the rights of injury victims since 1990. They are tireless advocates for their clients, constantly fighting to get them the compensation they deserve. Their personal injury lawyers have over 40 years of collective experience advocating for victims of car and truck accidents, medical malpractice, and slip and falls. All lawyers on staff proudly serve the Hartford community in English and Spanish—in fact, Zayas Law Firm is the largest Hispanic personal injury firm in the state of Connecticut. For more information about the Zayas Law Firm, visit www.zayaslaw.com or call 860-278-0820
The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding communities. Made possible by the gifts of generous individuals, families and organizations, the Foundation has awarded grants of more than $785 million since its founding in 1925. For more information about the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, visit www.hfpg.org or call 860-548-1888.