Alabama Appleseed is a non-profit, non-partisan organization founded in 1999 to identify significant needs in the State of Alabama, tackle their root causes, and craft practical, lasting solutions to systemic problems through legal advocacy, community involvement, and policy expertise.

Our Mission:

The mission of Alabama Appleseed is to identify root causes of injustice and inequality and to develop and advocate for solutions that will improve the lives of all Alabamians. We work for constructive and lasting systemic change of policies and practices in Alabama that detrimentally and unfairly affect residents of the state. We seek to make legal and social systems better serve Alabama citizens, and we are dedicated to creating a more just and equitable society in Alabama. Through a combination of education, advocacy and policy expertise, we craft and promote lasting, practical solutions to systemic problems. We work in partnership with community and statewide leaders and organizations, academia, the legal and judicial communities, the business community, and a broad spectrum of volunteers.

Our History:

The organizing Board of Directors for Alabama Appleseed was brought together in 1999 and has been functioning since that date. The organizing Board consisted of a number of prominent and well-known Alabamians, including former Governor Albert P. Brewer, J. Mason Davis, former Chief Justice C.C. Tolbert, Jr., former Supreme Court Justice Janie L. Shores, and Dean Kenneth C. Randall of the University of Alabama School of Law. We now have a diverse and distinguished fifteen member Board of Directors from around the state, representing the legal, business, academic and non-profit communities. Birmingham attorney A.H. “Nick” Gaede, Jr., a senior partner with the law firm of Bradley, Arant, Rose & White, LLC, has been the Chairman of the Board since 2001.

Alabama Appleseed is affiliated with the national network of Appleseed Centers located throughout North America.  Appleseed was founded in 1994 with the mission to develop and help sustain a network of state advocacy centers that address local issues and develop and promote practical, systemic solutions. Each state center operates independently with its own board of directors and sets its own advocacy agenda. Appleseed offers the state centers support in developing its organizational structure and processes and in a limited way with identifying national funding sources. Although new state centers receive some financial support from Appleseed during the first three years, it is the responsibility of each state center to develop and implement its own fundraising plan and to secure funding for its operations and advocacy projects.

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For more information about Alabama Appleseed, or to volunteer, or to make a financial contribution, contact us at:

Alabama Appleseed's Office 434 N. McDonough Street (334) 263-0086 (334) 263-6225 (fax)

Mailing Address Alabama Appleseed P.O. Box 4864 Montgomery, AL 36103-4864

 

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Alabama Appleseed Staff

John A. Pickens
Executive Director
alaappleseed@bellsouth.net

Shay M. Farley
Advocacy Staff Associate
shayfarley@bellsouth.net

For information on making donations or other fundraising inquiries, contact:

Ms. Wilanna S. Holmes
Development Consultant for Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice
2116 Hillside Circle
Birmingham, AL 35209
(205) 933-7578
wsh40@juno.com