THE NEW YORK BAR FOUNDATION IS ACCEPTING GRANT APPLICATIONS TO ASSIST THOSE IN NEED OF LEGAL SERVICES

The New York Bar Foundation, the charitable and philanthropic arm of the New York State Bar Association, is now accepting grant applications for the 2021 grant cycle. Each year, the Foundation awards nearly 100 grants to law-related nonprofit organizations across New York.  The deadline to apply is October 15.

In keeping with the Foundation’s Rule of Law theme, this year it will prioritize funding for civil legal services programs assisting with the essentials of life:

• Child support
• Consumer debt
• Housing (including evictions, foreclosures, and homelessness)
• Family matters (including domestic violence, children, and family stability)
• Access to health care
• Access to education
• Subsistence income (including wages, disability, and other benefits)
• Immigration
• Income maintenance

“By better serving underserved people in these areas, we reinforce the rule of law as a unifying cornerstone of our democracy, improving individual lives as well as the health of the body politic,” said Foundation President Lesley Rosenthal. “Through its grantmaking and other programs, the Foundation also seeks to address racism and work toward racial justice.”

Additional grant funding has also been reserved for organizations serving those contending with legal issues in the aftermath of COVID-19, such as consumer debt assistance due to unmanageable medical bills, funeral expenses, and other unexpected expenditures; domestic violence victims and abused LGBTQ+ youth who have been sheltering in place with their abusers; unemployed and low-wage workers who need help navigating a complex system to obtain basic sustenance benefits; and small businesses and law firms that require help to access federal loans and other relief so that they and their employees can continue to have a livelihood.

The Foundation seeks to make grants in every judicial district in the state, including those in rural areas and invites organizations particularly in these underserved areas to apply.

Organizations can apply at https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=nybf

Questions regarding the application program can be sent to the Foundation Assistant Leigh Dorr at ldorr@tnybf.org.

About the New York State Bar Association

The New York State Bar Association is the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation. Since 1876, the Association has helped shape the development of law, educated and informed the legal profession and the public, and championed the rights of New Yorkers through advocacy and guidance in our communities.

About The New York Bar Foundation
The New York Bar Foundation is a charitable and philanthropic arm of the New York State Bar Association. Founded in 1950, the foundation is dedicated to aiding educational, direct legal services, and charitable projects aimed at meeting the law-related needs of the public and the profession. The foundation solicits charitable contributions and provides funding to increase public understanding of the law; improve the justice system and the law; facilitate the delivery of legal services; and enhance professional competence and ethics. More information about the foundation can be found at www.tnybf.org.