Jodee Fishman Raines, '92
As an undergraduate student, Jodee Fishman Raines' impression of lawyers included litigators or corporate types. Not until she attended a panel presentation for undergraduate students contemplating law school did she realize she could make a difference in her community by studying social issues and the law.
Raines, a metropolitan Detroit native and current executive director of The Jewish Fund in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., was eager to begin her law school experience after graduating but was encouraged by a mentor to obtain practical work experience before going to law school full-time. She was quickly hired in philanthropy as a program associate at The Skillman Foundation in Detroit where she worked for more than two years.
"One of the smartest things I did was work for a few years before I went to law school," Raines said. "It allowed me to gain a different perspective on the world and gave me time to evaluate my options."
Fortunately, her immediate supervisor and the president of The Skillman Foundation were both lawyers, and supported her decision to later attend law school and pursue a career in law. She began her first year of law school at Wayne State University Law School in 1989.
"I was ready to begin the journey and was excited to be enrolled at Wayne Law in an urban environment," Raines said. "The school seemed small enough that I felt that the professors and other students would know who I was and would care about me as a person, but large and sophisticated enough that I knew I would obtain a quality education.
"When I began classes, I was thrilled to see a great diversity of personalities and backgrounds amongst the staff and student body."
While a Wayne Law student, Raines honed her leadership skills and gained practical experience in social law issues such as domestic violence, homelessness and civil rights by volunteering at the Free Legal Aid Clinic and co-chairing the Women's Law Caucus.
She carried those experiences with her to Bodman LLP upon earning her JD from Wayne Law in 1992. She spent nearly five years there, working with an impressive portfolio of foundation and nonprofit clients.
"I enjoyed my experience at Bodman but quickly decided my heart really was in philanthropy," Raines said. "Despite leaving the actual practice of law, I could think of no better education for the type of work that I wanted to do. I was counting on my ability to identify and analyze issues, develop creative and logical solutions and effectively communicate with diverse audiences to have
a successful career in philanthropy."
After another four years reprising her role at The Skillman Foundation, Raines was encouraged to apply for the executive director position at The Jewish Fund. As executive director, Raines oversaw grants from a $69 million endowment created by the sale of Sinai Hospital in 1997. The fund gives grants primarily to address health and welfare needs of the Jewish community and priority capital and equipment needs of The Detroit Medical Center.
Among her many accomplishments at The Jewish Fund was helping implement a free, HMO-like organization managed by Jewish Family Service that has provided 530 uninsured Jewish adults with more than $2.3 million in free medical care through a network of 500 health care providers and 10 health care systems.
"My position with The Jewish Fund allowed me to work directly with some of the best lay people in the state and to reconnect with my Jewish roots," she said.
After seven years, Raines left The Jewish Fund to help the newly created Erb Family Foundation develop its grants program. Her goal is to help position the Foundation as a progressive leader and catalytic resource for the promotion of sustainable solutions in our region.
Sustainable solutions harmonize economic, environmental and social interests to meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future. Said Raines, "During times of financial distress, most solutions typically focus on economic considerations. Our role will be to assure that environmental and social factors are given equal consideration to the economy in developing lasting, systemic change. In addition to changing systems, we need to change individual behaviors. We hope raise awareness about how our daily activities influence the environment (and vice versa) and how people can easily effect change."
The Erb Family Foundation's mission is to nurture environmentally healthy and culturally vibrant communities in metropolitan Detroit and support initiatives to restore the Great Lakes Basin. You can learn more about the Foundation at www.erbfamilyfoundation.org, and you're sure to be hearing about their work in the months to come.
Raines' work has not gone unnoticed. She has been applauded and recognized by many in her community and, last year, was honored as one of Southeast Michigan's Most Influential Women by Crain's Detroit Business.
Her care for her community and her regard for social issues has never wavered. In addition to her professional responsibilities, Raines has volunteered on boards and committees such as City Connect Detroit, the Council of Michigan Foundations, the Program for Holocaust Survivors and Families, and the Jewish Community Center. As the mother of two school-aged children, she also volunteered as a Girl Scout Troop leader for two years and co-chaired the PTA Reflections art competition for the Berkley School District.