2025 Access to Justice Grants Program

The DC Bar Foundation's 2025 Access to Justice (ATJ) Grants Program is designed to fund civil legal services for low-income residents and those in underserved areas of the District of Columbia. This program aligns directly with the Foundation's mission to increase access to justice, specifically by providing free civil legal services. The grant targets nonprofit legal service providers within the District of Columbia, focusing on specific categories: underserved areas, housing-related matters, and supporting a shared legal services interpreter bank. The overall goal is to address the most pressing civil legal needs of vulnerable District residents, ensuring they receive necessary legal assistance that they might otherwise be unable to access. The primary beneficiaries of the ATJ Grants Program are District residents with low income, as defined by HUD income limits, and those considered "underserved." Underserved individuals include those who lack adequate and affordable access to legal services due to factors like neighborhood, geographic area, language, culture, ethnicity, religion, or life situation. The program also specifically considers special populations such as individuals in correctional facilities, those experiencing or fleeing violence, and unhoused individuals. The impact goal is to expand the number of DC residents receiving legal assistance, enhance the accessibility of these services, and prevent duplication of services across the District. The Foundation prioritizes proposals that address underserved areas, housing-related issues, or support a shared legal services interpreter bank. Furthermore, priority is given to projects that are likely to expand the number of residents receiving legal aid, avoid service duplication, increase accessibility, and expand pro bono participation by recruiting, training, and supervising law firm attorneys. The Foundation also seeks proposals that strategically leverage DCBF resources to expand efforts by other service providers or provide services that might not be supported by other funding sources, and those that test innovative approaches to achieve these priorities. Expected outcomes and measurable results for funded projects include significant amounts of legal services delivered, measured by volume and type of services, the number of DC residents assisted, and the number of cases accepted. Projects are expected to increase access to services in underserved areas, as measured by the percentage of proposed legal services provided in areas with high concentrations of low-income or underserved residents. High goals for outreach and training are also expected, measured by the number of efforts, individuals reached, and materials distributed. Finally, projects should demonstrate increased engagement of pro bono attorneys and law firms, measured by recruitment, training, and growth in participation. Organizations applying for funding must have systems in place for quality, efficiency, and effectiveness, including self-assessment methods, and demonstrate a strong capacity for delivering the proposed services with a high likelihood of sustainability beyond the grant period.