The Impact Fund

The Impact Fund provides recoverable grants to nonprofit legal organizations, solo practitioners, and small law firms engaged in impact litigation that addresses economic, environmental, racial, and social injustice. Since its founding in 1992, the Impact Fund has awarded over 800 grants totaling more than $10 million to support litigation efforts that create broad systemic change and legal reform. These grants are specifically intended to cover out-of-pocket litigation expenses such as expert witness fees, discovery costs, and other case-related expenditures, but may not be used for attorney fees, staffing, or organizational overhead. Grants are available to applicants litigating class actions, multi-plaintiff suits, or environmental justice cases with the potential to significantly impact a larger system. Preference is given to cases that have already been filed or are about to be filed, and those that have successfully passed a motion to dismiss. Cases must address systemic injustice affecting communities, particularly where the legal strategy aims to drive meaningful reforms or precedent-setting outcomes. The program operates on a quarterly cycle, reviewing Letters of Interest (LOIs) four times per year. Applicants may begin the process by submitting an LOI at any time. Full proposals are by invitation only following LOI review. The four standard deadlines are in January, April, July, and October, with corresponding application deadlines the following month. For example, for the current winter 2025 cycle, LOIs were due October 7, 2025, with full applications due November 6, 2025. Notifications for each cycle typically follow approximately one month after application submission. All applicants must be represented by an attorney; pro se litigants are not eligible. Cases seeking grant support must not have incurred the expenses for which reimbursement is requested—funds are for future litigation costs only. The organization also considers whether the applicant has collaborated with others, evaluated the total cost of the case, or demonstrated financial need. Grants are recoverable under the condition that if a case yields a cost or fee recovery, the original grant plus 7% simple interest must be repaid to support the fund’s sustainability. If there is no such recovery, the grant does not need to be repaid. The program emphasizes collaboration, planning, and community involvement, especially for environmental justice cases. Direct consultation with affected communities strengthens an application and increases its likelihood of funding.

Priority is given to cases that are already filed, have survived a motion to dismiss, or are developed in collaboration with community stakeholders. Applicants should clearly document financial need and planned litigation costs.