No one achieves great success in their professional or personal life without the selfless kindness, example, and generosity of others who step in and use their gifts and talents to help make a difference along the way. Sharing blessings and paying it forward is how communities successfully grow and learn to lean on each other for the betterment of everyone.
Burress Injury Law, a team of personal injury lawyers in McKinney, has made a significantly generous years-long commitment to leave a profound legacy within the communities it serves. This team formed the Burress Family Foundation to operate alongside Burress Injury Law as a way to reach nonprofits and expand its college scholarship program.
Burress Injury Law handles important cases across Texas and the United States. The law firm handles personal injury cases and focuses on the strategy of quality over quantity. The team emphasizes thoroughly proving clients’ personal injury cases, liability and damages, and has a particular interest in traumatic brain injury cases.
Since founding Burress Injury Law in 2008, Jason K. Burress’s practice has shifted from defending insurance companies and product manufacturers to representing people who are injured or have lost loved ones due to someone else’s negligence. Mr. Burress helps serious personal injury victims of catastrophic 18-wheeler crashes, motorcycle wrecks, and car crashes, as well as victims of drunk drivers and dangerous or defective products.
With offices in McKinney, Frisco, Paris, and Sherman, Burress Injury Law serves clients throughout Collin County, Lamar County, Grayson County, and throughout the state of Texas, including Plano, Murphy, Allen, Princeton, Prosper, Celina, and Denison.
The idea for the one-of-a-kind local Burress Family Foundation came from a promise Mr. Burress, the foundation’s founder and director, made to his grandmother back in 2002. He promised to one day start an annual college scholarship program that would continue to honor his grandparents.
Mr. Burress shares, “Burress Injury Law’s commitment to the communities it serves has grown over two decades. In 2022, Burress Family Foundation was formed to operate alongside Burress Injury Law to extend our outreach to nonprofits in our community and expand our college scholarship program.”
The foundation provides beneficial structure, coordination, resources, and transparency, as the mission of the Burress Family Foundation is to support the community, youth, and first responders through grants, scholarships, and giveback initiatives.
Mr. Burress shares, “Our foundation is extremely unique in that, from the financial support of Burress Injury Law, funds, costs, and overhead expenses associated with our events (e.g., annual picnic, spring and fall semester scholarships) ensure 100 percent of all donations reach our beneficiaries, in addition to a matching gift. No portion of our donors’ monetary gifts will ever be used to offset foundation or event costs.”
Supporting the Burress Family Foundation gives local community members a powerful outlet to give back in a variety of ways. Mr. Burress says, “We remain committed to directing all proceeds (donations, event sponsorships, or otherwise) to the actual beneficiaries, as opposed to some nonprofits, where only a small percentage of the money tends to reach its intended beneficiaries. More specifically, you can be confident with the Burress Family Foundation that 100% of your money will be allocated to local charities or awarded to scholarship recipients (whichever you choose), as Burress Injury Law covers all operational and administrative costs associated with the foundation. This includes staff wages and event fees, ensuring all the funds directly benefit those who live in the surrounding area. Plus, when you make a financial contribution, Burress Injury Law matches a portion of the donations – increasing the impact on those who need it most!”
The Burress Family Foundation raises funds through private donations, corporate sponsorships, and from Burress Injury Law. The foundation continually raises awareness through its popular Annual Picnic. Mr. Burress adds, “The foundation will host additional events in the future, and we expect to make a major announcement via a partnership with a local charity who is interested in expanding its operations with help from our foundation via our forthcoming event space.”
Each year, Burress Injury Law hosts an exciting community picnic for friends, colleagues, clients, vendors, and staff with local nonprofits in mind. “The idea for the annual charity family picnic came from Willie Nelson’s annual picnic [the music part] and an annual picnic my grandfather held at his ranch [the family/friends’ part]. The charity portion was something that I added from the picnic’s inception,” Mr. Burress says.
In 12 years, the Annual Picnic has donated more than $402,732 to local charities. Burress Injury Law fully funds the picnic each year, and 100 percent of all donations go to the organizations with a matching gift from the foundation.
The Burress Family Foundation recently made a three-year minimum commitment of $100,000 to the Love Life Foundation, the first year of which has been fully funded. The annual picnic stems from and shares Burress Injury Law’s passion for giving back. Each year, the firm underwrites the entirety of the picnic and contributes to the specific causes through a matching gift.
In 2023, Burress Injury Law’s 12th Annual Picnic took place in front of the newly constructed Burress Injury Law Headquarters in McKinney’s Adriatica Village. The event featured live performances by the Maylee Thomas Band, Jon Christopher Davis, Austin Cunningham, Songbird Jones, and Yarn. The firm’s very own Whiskey Dreamers even made a live debut.
The exciting festivities included face painting, bounce houses, a race car exhibit, a shaved ice truck, and more. Thanks to the generous support of sponsors, donors, family, friends, and Burress Injury Law’s matching contribution, the picnic raised an impressive $74,399.40. This donation was given to the Love Life Foundation and the Burress Family Foundation.The gift of receiving an education is something that can never be taken away. So many local students deserve the chance at such an accomplishment, which is why Burress Injury Law’s Underdog Scholarships are awarded to deserving undergraduate students who have demonstrated perseverance in the face of adversity and who are willing to use their unique experiences to make a difference.
The Burress Injury Law Underdog Scholarship team is intentional throughout the selection process to ensure that the most deserving students are chosen as scholarship recipients. In 2022, the scholarship team carefully reviewed almost 1,500 applications.
The Friends of the Firm Scholarships are awarded to local students who have some kind of personal connection to the firm. The connection could be through a client, the child of a former client, a family member, or even a parent who works at the firm.
Any student who is a U.S. citizen, has demonstrated perseverance in the face of adversity, wants to use their unique life experiences to help others, and will be enrolled in an undergraduate program at an accredited U.S. college or university for the applicable fall or spring semester, may be eligible to apply for a Burress Injury Law Scholarship! Mytexasfirm.com/scholarship offers additional details and important deadlines for those students hoping to apply for spring and fall scholarships.
Mr. Burress says, “From a promise made 21 years ago to provide one annual scholarship to honor grandparents, we have wildly exceeded our expectations by awarding 21 scholarships since 2022, with seven to eight more scholarships being announced for the spring of 2024. We will award hundreds of scholarships by 2030! We have seen the difference we are able to make in these students’ lives as we make their college experiences a little easier through financial help. Similarly, we have made a meaningful financial difference for some of our best local nonprofits, while maintaining the strictest nonprofit standards.”
Current Burress Family Foundation beneficiaries include the Love Life Foundation, Hugs Cafe, ManeGait, the McKinney Police Association, McKinney ISD, the Wendy Pollard Charitable Foundation, McKinney Christian Academy, McKinney Boyd High School, Celina High School, and the Prosper Fishing Team. “We anticipate adding other nonprofit partners as beneficiaries in the future!” Mr. Burress adds.
The foundation always welcomes assistance or help from the community in order to have event volunteers and individuals for the scholarship review committee. The organization would be grateful for the impact of those with specific talents such as grant writing, accounting/finance, event planning, etc. “The magazine’s readers and community at large can become involved by making a financial donation or donating their time or talents to the foundation!” Mr. Burress says.
There is no better time to offer kindness and help to our fellow man. Everyone has a unique and special way of making a difference in the lives of those around them…whether they know it or not. Maybe it’s time to put your talents and gifts to use in a meaningful way. If you or someone you know would be interested in getting involved or donating to such an important local cause, visit burressfamilyfoundation.org.
