The Joan and James H. Bernstein Fund

One year after the passage of Title IX, when their daughter Jan was in high school, Joan and Jim Bernstein tirelessly advocated to ensure that Tenafly High School, in Tenafly, New Jersey, provided girls the sports opportunities required by Title IX. Their efforts created the first three athletic teams for girls in Tenafly, and Jan was finally able to play tennis on a girls’ high school team. Today, Tenafly High School boasts ten girls’ teams and multiple championships over the years. By supporting the Joan and James H. Bernstein Fund, you will honor the legacy of grassroots civil rights champions like the Bernsteins and ensure that the promise of Title IX is fully realized for girls in New Jersey and nationwide.

The Joan and James H. Bernstein Fund has already made tremendous impact in the state of New Jersey.  Thanks to the Fund, the National Women’s Law Center has been able to dig deeply into gender- and race-based inequities in the New Jersey public school system–conducting crucial research and data collection, developing effective and innovative strategies to level the playing field for girls, and reaching out to key New Jersey high schools that do not appear to be in compliance with Title IX to demand change.  Contributions to the Bernstein Fund have enabled NWLC to educate and engage key influencers and policymakers – from community leaders to the New Jersey governor’s office – and we won’t rest until the work is done.

With your support of the Joan and James H. Bernstein Fund, NWLC will carry on its legacy of protecting and expanding girls’ athletics opportunities, with a focus on the girls of color who are most at risk of missing out on the lifelong benefits of playing sports—better health, improved academic and employment outcomes, higher self-esteem, and leadership skills.

Founded in the same year that Title IX became law, the Center has been at the forefront of efforts for over 40 years to ensure that girls have access to the athletics opportunities that are so essential to their lifelong health and well-being. Learn more.

For more information, please contact NWLC’s Development office at [email protected] or call (202) 588-5180.

Learn more about Title IX, the fight for gender equity in athletics, and the Bernstein Fund from this article from the February 2021 issue of NJSBA’s New Jersey Lawyer.