Impact Fund

Grant AMOUNT (UP TO):

$50,000

DETAILS:

Grants of up to $50,000 to USA nonprofit organizations, lawyers, and law firms for cases involving civil or human rights, economic justice, or environmental justice. Applicants must submit an LOI prior to submitting a full application. For grants that achieve a cost recovery or fee, a repayment of the original grant, plus 7% simple interest is required. If a case does not recover fees or costs, then nothing is owed. The Fund prefers to fund cases that have been filed or are about to be filed, with additional credit given to cases in which a motion to dismiss has been passed.

ELIGIBILITY:

  • The Impact Fund awards recoverable grants to legal services nonprofits, private attorneys, and/or small law firms who seek to advance justice in the areas of civil and human rights, environmental justice, and/or poverty law.

  • Grants do not fund attorney or staff time or organizational overhead.

  • Cases brought by non-lawyers who are representing themselves (also known as pro se litigants) are not eligible for Impact Fund grants

NOTES:

Most grants are for class actions, but the Impact Fund also funds multi-plaintiff and environmental justice cases that aim to significantly affect a larger system or lead to significant law reform. Impact Fund grants may be used for out-of-pocket litigation expenses such as expert fees and discovery costs, but not for attorney's fees, staff, or other overhead.

Impact Fund grant focus areas:

  • Social Justice: The Impact Fund provides grants and legal support to assist in human and civil rights cases. The fund has helped to change dozens of laws and win cases to improve the rights of thousands.

  • Environmental Justice: The Impact Fund provides grants to support impact litigation for environmental justice, with a focus on marginalized communities. These are often cases no one else will support.

  • Economic Justice: The Impact Fund provides financial and other forms of support to cases fighting for economic justice. From wokers' rights to consumer protection for vulnerable populations, impact litigation is a powerful tool to hold corporations accountable.

DEADLINE:

  • 5/7/2024

General, Industry SpecificKelsey Curfman