Community Legal Education and Resources Grant

The District of Columbia Department of Human Services (DHS) is offering the FY2026 Community Legal Education and Resources Grant, known as the FY26 CLEAR Grant, to support legal services for vulnerable residents of Washington, DC. DHS’s mission centers on providing equitable services and access to resources for District residents. This grant initiative seeks to mobilize attorneys, legal professionals, and culturally competent language access providers to meet the legal needs of underrepresented communities in the District. The program supports both first-time applicants through one-time awards and experienced legal service providers with multi-year grants, provided they have previously worked with Executive Office of the Mayor (EOM) agencies for at least two fiscal years. The FY26 CLEAR Grant is designed to fund organizations providing services in at least one of six designated areas: Know Your Rights Presentations, Family Preparedness, Brief Legal Representations, Full Legal Representations, Capacity Building, and Language Access Services. Funded activities include legal education workshops led by qualified attorneys or accredited representatives, legal planning assistance for family emergencies, brief or full representation in legal matters such as citizenship applications, and the provision of legal interpretation services across multiple languages. The grant explicitly allows for expenditures related to legal representation as well as application and biometric fees for clients. Target populations for the grant include vulnerable residents and families of mixed legal status with at least one member residing in the District of Columbia. The expectation is that services will be provided at no cost or at low cost to clients who would not otherwise be able to afford private legal representation. While income documentation is not a requirement for applicants, the services should clearly be geared toward economically disadvantaged residents. Eligibility is limited to community-based organizations (CBOs), private entities, associations, or law firms that either hold 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status or have a fiscal agent relationship with a 501(c)(3) organization. Eligible organizations must be located in the District of Columbia or operate a location within the District if part of a national or regional network. Applicants must demonstrate good standing with the District’s Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection and Office of Tax and Revenue. Additionally, applicants must submit affidavits regarding eligibility under DC Official Code § 1-328.15(d) and declare any history of suspensions or defaults with District contracting authorities. All services funded under the grant must occur within the District, with narrow exceptions for individuals in detention facilities outside the District or family reunification efforts involving DC residents. Applications must be submitted via ZoomGrants by Tuesday, September 16, 2025. The grant performance period will run from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026. A pre-bidders conference will be held on Thursday, August 28, 2025, from 10:00 am to 11:30 am at 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, G9 Conference Room, Washington, DC 20004. Applicants are encouraged to attend this session to better understand the application process and ask questions. The RFA was officially released on Friday, August 22, 2025, and is available through the District Grants Clearinghouse and DHS_FSA Grant Opportunities portal. Questions regarding the grant opportunity can be directed to Ricardo Espitia, Grants Management Specialist, at Ricardo.Espitia@dc.gov or (202) 714-4769, or to Monica Melgoza, Management and Program Analyst, at Monica.Melgoza1@dc.gov or (202) 768-6354. DHS reserves the right to amend or withdraw this funding announcement at any time.