A $3.2 million gift from the Justice Ben Miller Declaration of Trust to the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln has resulted in the establishment of the Justice Benjamin K. Miller Charitable Fund at the Community Foundation. The Fund carries forward the charitable intent of Benjamin K. Miller, former Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, by supporting causes important to him, including assistance for women in need.
Miller was born in Springfield. Miller was in private practice from 1961 to 1976. He served on the Illinois Supreme Court, including a term as Chief Justice. He retired in 2001. His obituary pointed out he is one of only two attorneys to have their portrait hang in the Sangamon County Courthouse, the other being Abraham Lincoln.
Miller formed the Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Council to combat domestic violence. The Justice Benjamin K. Miller Recognition Award was established to honor outstanding members of the community and the judiciary for their work in preventing family violence.
Miller died in 2024.
Following the Fund’s establishment, the Trustees recommended $1.21 million in grants to the following seven charitable organizations:
- Wooden It Be Lovely – $250,000: to purchase, repair or update, and furnish a residence to house women in the Wooden It Be Lovely program. Separate from the grants awarded through the Community Foundation, the Justice Ben Miller Declaration of Trust made a $300,000 gift directly to Wooden It Be Lovely to support the purchase of a building for the organization’s operations.
- MERCY Communities – $250,000: to provide residential accommodations for women and children in the community.
- Petersburg United Methodist Church – $50,000: to support the church's ministry to provide housing and supportive services to women and children in the MERCY Communities program.
- Pregnancy Care Center of Springfield – $50,000: to purchase infant car seats, bedding, laundry products and tokens, food, diapers, clothing for pregnant women and their infants, and transportation tokens.
- Mini O'Beirne Crisis Nursery – $250,000: to support the Crisis Nursery’s goal of expanding the capacity of emergency childcare and its ability to offer services such as family support groups, parenting classes, and crisis counseling.
- Sojourn Shelter and Services – $50,000: to support the Court Advocacy Program.
- Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault - $310,000: to be divided among the 31 ICASA centers statewide for incidental monetary support for victims' access to services and assistance such as court advocacy, counseling, medical care, childcare and transportation, and housing and educational programs.
These grants were awarded based on recommendations from the Trustees, and no additional grants are planned at this time.
“Justice Miller served Illinois with distinction, and these grants reflect the compassion and sense of responsibility that shaped his charitable wishes,” said John Stremsterfer, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. “We are honored to help carry forward his legacy and grateful to the Trustees for their thoughtful stewardship of this remarkable gift.”
The Community Foundation extends its sincere appreciation to the Trustees of the Justice Ben Miller Declaration of Trust – Karen Hasara, Jennifer A. Johnson, Carol Pope, and Janice DiGirolamo – for guiding these grant recommendations in fulfillment of Justice Miller’s charitable wishes.
