The Deka Law Group Fund

Kelly-Bannon Lashley, an Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law attorney who has served on of PCF’s Professional Advisor Committee since 2015, shares how her firm found a meaningful way to give back at Pasadena Community Foundation.

Giving back to the community is more than just a nice thing to do; it’s at the core of who we are at Deka Law Group. As part of our community service program, Deka Gives, we established a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) in late 2020 at the Pasadena Community Foundation.

I suspect it’s my background in athletics, but I’m very much a believer in “team” and that we work better when you value every person’s role.  That concept can be challenging in an environment like a law practice, which is historically very hierarchical.

I’ve always been community minded, and I recently realized that maybe the way I’ve been giving charitably was not necessarily consistent with my notion of “team” that I try to foster professionally. So, at the end of 2021, one year after creating the DAF at PCF, I awarded bonuses to my staff that included an additional $1,000 for each staff member to use as a charitable gift to a nonprofit organization of their choice. Each team member would be assigned one month during 2022 and would share with the team which organization they chose and why it is significant to them. We feature those pieces, accompanied by photos, on our social platforms.

We now have a year of giving under our belt, and I could not be more amazed at the enthusiasm and commitment my team has shown in choosing nonprofit recipients that are personally meaningful to them. For example:

• One chose Elizabeth House because she serves on its board
• One chose PCC Foundation because she is getting her law degree there
• One chose an Orange County food bank because she volunteered there as a student while attending CalState Fullerton.
• One chose City of Hope because she is a breast cancer survivor who relied on its treatment expertise

Our DAF with PCF has been a phenomenal vehicle in helping Deka Law Group provide flexible support to issues and nonprofits throughout the greater Los Angeles area and realize the power of teamwork.

About Kelly Bannon-Lashley 

Kelley Bannon-Lashley is an Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law attorney and has served on of PCF’s Professional Advisor Committee since 2015. She began her career working alongside her grandfather, Robert D. Bannon, whose successful estate planning practice served Pasadena and the greater Los Angeles area for more than 50 years. Kelley eventually took over his practice and named it Deka Law Group. She is deeply committed to giving back and has served in board and leadership roles at Cal Poly Alumni Association and Athletic Director’s Council, Women Presidents Organization, Five Acres, and Thousand Oaks Youth Lacrosse, among others.