DC Bar Foundation Opens 2023 Grant Application Process With Expanded Eligibility
[District of Columbia, August 19, 2022] – The DC Bar Foundation is now receiving applications for its three annual grant programs – General Support, Access to Justice (ATJ), and Civil Legal Counsel Projects Program (CLCPP) Grants.
The Foundation awards grants to DC-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations that provide free or low-cost civil legal services to DC residents. For the first time this year, non-profit organizations that partner with legal services providers are eligible to apply, even if they don't provide legal services directly.
To be eligible for grants, organizations must:
Be a not-for-profit DC corporation located and operating primarily within the District of Columbia;
Have tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; and
Deliver (or support the provision of) civil legal services to District residents who are low-income or under-served.
Applicants seeking CLCPP funding must meet these additional criteria:
Possess expertise in housing law, landlord-tenant law, or related experience;
Demonstrate expertise in recognizing and responding to multiple legal issues facing DC residents who are low-income or under-served;
Possess adequate infrastructure and expertise to provide consistent, high-quality oversight, training, evaluation, and strategic responses to emerging or changing needs in the client communities served;
Be a non-profit organization that applies jointly with a legal services provider that meets the requirements above.
Applicants proposing eviction prevention efforts should apply for funding under the CLCPP grant program.
General Support Grants provide operating support to DC legal services providers. Access to Justice Grants support organizations that provide legal assistance in three areas: (a) underserved areas in DC; (b) housing-related matters; and (c) a shared legal services interpreter bank. CLCPP Grants fund organizations representing District residents who are low-income or under-served in eviction-related proceedings.
Since its inception in 1977, the DC Bar Foundation has awarded more than $123 million in grants. In 2022, the Foundation granted over $20 million to 36 organizations. To read about the transformative impact the DC Bar Foundation is having across the District, visit www.dcbarfoundation.org
Applications are due September 15. The Foundation will announce awards in December 2022 for the 2023 calendar year.
About the DC Bar Foundation: We are committed to transforming DC's legal aid network so that all District residents have a fair and equal legal experience. Through our network approach, we actively work to bring together all invested stakeholders to identify and address the unmet civil legal needs of DC residents with low incomes, create solutions with a critical eye for racial justice and equity, and demonstrate meaningful impact.
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