Save Mills College Coalition Legal Fund
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Join us in the fight to save Mills College! We demand that President Hillman and the Mills College Board of Trustees STOP moving forward with plans to dismantle 169 years of educating women and, more recently, non-binary, and transgender students. We are trying to keep Mills College open for the faculty, staff, and students of today -- and tomorrow.
Legal action may be necessary to stop these plans. If you believe in the mission of Mills College, please give what you can to support the fight to keep Mills open.**
We are currently fundraising for Phase 1 of the legal and regulatory investigation and/or action. Funds will be used for, among other things:
- Retaining the law firm Altshuler Berzon LLP as our legal counsel
Legal action may be necessary to stop these plans. If you believe in the mission of Mills College, please give what you can to support the fight to keep Mills open.**
We are currently fundraising for Phase 1 of the legal and regulatory investigation and/or action. Funds will be used for, among other things:
- Retaining the law firm Altshuler Berzon LLP as our legal counsel
- Investigating possible legal and regulatory actions
- Forcing transparency for critical documents related to the Board's decision
- Pressuring the Board to stop, delay and/or reverse its decision to close the college
- Pursuing available legal or regulatory remedies
We are not willing to stand by. We each have experienced the power of this college and have seen its effects on others. Generations ahead of us need what Mills teaches its undergrads and grads -- how to be critical thinkers, change makers, risk takers, innovators and leaders.
Mills provides critical access to education to underrepresented groups. It has one of the most racially diverse student bodies in the United States. Nearly 50% of the students are the first generation to get college degrees. Where else are mothers actively supported in pursuing their education? We need to deepen and strengthen our support of these populations, not dilute them.
Join us at Save Mills College Coalition . Follow the fight to save Mills: Twitter
FAQs
Q: Who is this organization? What is “Save Mills”?
A: The Save Mills College Coalition—also known as Save Mills—was founded by a current Mills student on March 18, 2021, the day after President Hillman announced that Mills would close and become a non-degree-granting “Mills Institute.” Our mission is the following: To stop the proposed closure of Mills College and investigate all appropriate options that could continue it as a degree-granting college, prioritizing options that maintain Mills as a college for women, non-binary, and transgender students with graduate programs for all genders.
We’re a large cross-section of the Mills community—faculty, alums, parents of students, staff, and many more—who believe that:
· Mills should NOT close.
· Mills should stay open as a degree-granting college.
· Mills needs to continue its mission of educating women, non-binary, and transgender students, and graduate students of all genders.
Q: Is your legal team different than the AAMC’s legal team?
A: Yes. This is a separate legal team, but the Save Mills College Coalition shares the same goal as the AAMC of stopping the Board from proceeding with its plans to dismantle the college as degree-granting.
Our coalition represents a wider range of constituents than the Alumnae Association. For example, the Coalition is currently working in conjunction with full-time and part-time faculty, Mills staff, parents of prospective students, and even members of the community who were expecting Mills to stay aligned with its current mission.
Q: Why is there more than one legal team?
A: We believe a legal challenge may be the only way to stop President Hillman and the Board of Trustees from proceeding with their plans to dismantle Mills. There are multiple possible legal challenges which could be brought by various constituent groups.
We also believe that several groups pursuing different legal challenges can improve the likelihood of stopping the Board from moving forward. This may not seem ideal, but it also isn’t unusual: Sometimes different legal actions are necessary to halt or reverse improper administrative decisions.
Q: Why would I want to donate to this effort?
A: The Coalition represents a large cross-section of the Mills community. Our goals are to keep Mills College from being dismantled, acquired, or otherwise unaligned with its mission to educate women, non-binary and transgender undergraduates. By preventing the College from being dismantled, we are seeking to protect the jobs of the many faculty and staff who are dedicated to the mission of Mills.
Q: What if you do not pursue a legal challenge, or have excess funds? Will I get a refund?
A: If we raise funds in excess of our legal costs, we will use them in line with this campaign’s goals and our mission to stop the Board of Trustees and President from proceeding with plans to dismantle the College. In the event that we have funds that we cannot use towards the Save Mills College Coalition mission, we will donate them to a non-profit with a purpose consistent with our mission.
** Until we can are granted 501(c)(3) status, Save Mills College Coalition is a fiscally sponsored project of Social Good Fund, a California nonprofit corporation and registered 501(c)(3) organization, Tax ID (EIN) 46-1323531. Donations are tax deductible and eligible to receive corporate matching, but must state the gift is for Save Mills College Coalition.
Jennifer Carter, one of the founding members of the Save Mills College Coalition, is the named beneficiary for purposes of this GoFundMe campaign. Jennifer Carter is responsible for paying for fees associated with the legal efforts on behalf of the Save Mills College Coalition, until the Coalition has completed its registration as an independent California not for profit corporation (which is in process), or until we have designated an existing 501(c)(3) non-profit as a fiscal sponsor.
- Forcing transparency for critical documents related to the Board's decision
- Pressuring the Board to stop, delay and/or reverse its decision to close the college
- Pursuing available legal or regulatory remedies
We are not willing to stand by. We each have experienced the power of this college and have seen its effects on others. Generations ahead of us need what Mills teaches its undergrads and grads -- how to be critical thinkers, change makers, risk takers, innovators and leaders.
Mills provides critical access to education to underrepresented groups. It has one of the most racially diverse student bodies in the United States. Nearly 50% of the students are the first generation to get college degrees. Where else are mothers actively supported in pursuing their education? We need to deepen and strengthen our support of these populations, not dilute them.
Join us at Save Mills College Coalition . Follow the fight to save Mills: Twitter
FAQs
Q: Who is this organization? What is “Save Mills”?
A: The Save Mills College Coalition—also known as Save Mills—was founded by a current Mills student on March 18, 2021, the day after President Hillman announced that Mills would close and become a non-degree-granting “Mills Institute.” Our mission is the following: To stop the proposed closure of Mills College and investigate all appropriate options that could continue it as a degree-granting college, prioritizing options that maintain Mills as a college for women, non-binary, and transgender students with graduate programs for all genders.
We’re a large cross-section of the Mills community—faculty, alums, parents of students, staff, and many more—who believe that:
· Mills should NOT close.
· Mills should stay open as a degree-granting college.
· Mills needs to continue its mission of educating women, non-binary, and transgender students, and graduate students of all genders.
Q: Is your legal team different than the AAMC’s legal team?
A: Yes. This is a separate legal team, but the Save Mills College Coalition shares the same goal as the AAMC of stopping the Board from proceeding with its plans to dismantle the college as degree-granting.
Our coalition represents a wider range of constituents than the Alumnae Association. For example, the Coalition is currently working in conjunction with full-time and part-time faculty, Mills staff, parents of prospective students, and even members of the community who were expecting Mills to stay aligned with its current mission.
Q: Why is there more than one legal team?
A: We believe a legal challenge may be the only way to stop President Hillman and the Board of Trustees from proceeding with their plans to dismantle Mills. There are multiple possible legal challenges which could be brought by various constituent groups.
We also believe that several groups pursuing different legal challenges can improve the likelihood of stopping the Board from moving forward. This may not seem ideal, but it also isn’t unusual: Sometimes different legal actions are necessary to halt or reverse improper administrative decisions.
Q: Why would I want to donate to this effort?
A: The Coalition represents a large cross-section of the Mills community. Our goals are to keep Mills College from being dismantled, acquired, or otherwise unaligned with its mission to educate women, non-binary and transgender undergraduates. By preventing the College from being dismantled, we are seeking to protect the jobs of the many faculty and staff who are dedicated to the mission of Mills.
Q: What if you do not pursue a legal challenge, or have excess funds? Will I get a refund?
A: If we raise funds in excess of our legal costs, we will use them in line with this campaign’s goals and our mission to stop the Board of Trustees and President from proceeding with plans to dismantle the College. In the event that we have funds that we cannot use towards the Save Mills College Coalition mission, we will donate them to a non-profit with a purpose consistent with our mission.
** Until we can are granted 501(c)(3) status, Save Mills College Coalition is a fiscally sponsored project of Social Good Fund, a California nonprofit corporation and registered 501(c)(3) organization, Tax ID (EIN) 46-1323531. Donations are tax deductible and eligible to receive corporate matching, but must state the gift is for Save Mills College Coalition.
Jennifer Carter, one of the founding members of the Save Mills College Coalition, is the named beneficiary for purposes of this GoFundMe campaign. Jennifer Carter is responsible for paying for fees associated with the legal efforts on behalf of the Save Mills College Coalition, until the Coalition has completed its registration as an independent California not for profit corporation (which is in process), or until we have designated an existing 501(c)(3) non-profit as a fiscal sponsor.
Fundraising team (2)
Save Mills College Coalition
Organizer
Oakland, CA
Jennifer Carter
Beneficiary
Larissa Shapiro
Team member
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