IOLA - Training Center for Civil Legal Services

The IOLA Fund of the State of New York is a state-established grant-making entity founded in 1983 to support the delivery of civil legal services for low-income New Yorkers. Funded through interest on lawyers’ trust accounts, the IOLA Fund promotes equal access to justice by financing nonprofit organizations that provide legal representation and strengthen the administration of justice. It is governed by a fifteen-member Board of Trustees appointed by the Governor and operates from its offices in New York City. Through its Justice Infrastructure Project, IOLA aims to improve the state’s civil legal services ecosystem by ensuring that every New Yorker has timely access to legal information, advice, and representation. Within this framework, the IOLA Fund has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the creation of a statewide Training Center dedicated to enhancing the capacity and skills of civil legal service providers. The Training Center will serve as a centralized hub to design, deliver, and sustain high-quality training—covering legal, professional, and technical topics—for attorneys, paralegals, and other legal services professionals across New York State. The awarded organization will be responsible for creating a sustainable, collaborative model that leverages existing expertise within the civil legal aid network. Activities may include conducting needs assessments, developing curricula, coordinating with partner organizations, managing technology platforms for virtual and in-person training, and ensuring accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Programs must be responsive to regional differences, and applicants are expected to work closely with IOLA’s existing grantees—currently 87 nonprofit legal service organizations serving over 45,000 volunteers statewide—to avoid duplication and expand resources equitably. Up to $4,000,000 will be awarded over a four-year period beginning January 1, 2026, and ending December 31, 2029, subject to available funding and state appropriations. Disbursements are expected to follow an annual schedule of $250,000 in FY2026, $1,000,000 per year for FY2027–FY2029, and $750,000 in FY2030. Eligible applicants must be nonprofit organizations operating in New York State, hold 501(a) tax-exempt status, be registered with the NYS Charities Bureau, maintain required insurance, and meet IOLA’s audit and reporting standards. Applications must be submitted electronically through the New York Statewide Financial System (SFS) no later than 12 p.m. Eastern Time on October 30, 2025. Applicants must be prequalified in SFS before submission. Questions regarding the RFP must be submitted by email to IOLAGrants@iola.org by October 20, 2025, with answers published by October 24, 2025. Only one award will be made, and all materials become property of IOLA upon submission. Proposals will be evaluated on organizational capacity, program design, and financial soundness for a total of 100 points—75 for project evaluation and 25 for financial evaluation. Successful applicants will be notified by email. The awardee must submit quarterly progress and financial reports and will receive payments approximately 30 days after approval of each quarterly submission. The initiative is intended to establish a sustainable training infrastructure that continues to benefit New York’s civil legal service providers beyond the grant period.