The IEJF administers the State of Illinois’ appropriation for Civil Legal Aid, which is housed in the Attorney General’s budget. The budget for FY 23 grants is approximately $3.8 million.
With this funding, we support programs that:
- Help people access basic needs
- Protect victims of domestic violence
- Recover funds for seniors victimized by fraud
- Help people resolve family crises
THE BUDGET FOR
FY 23 GRANTS IS
APPROXIMATELY
$3.8 MILLION
Our Civil Legal Aid grants have helped more than 590,000 Illinoisans resolve life-changing legal problems.
GRANT ELIGIBILITY
Organizations are eligible to apply for a grant from the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation if they:
- Are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code;
- Provide services to Illinois residents in one or more of the five areas set forth in the “Purposes” section. To determine if a particular project qualifies for a grant, see the specific guidelines for each of the five categories noted above.
- Provide services to low-income people free of charge or on a sliding scale based on income. Low-income is defined as a household income of up to 150% of the federal poverty guidelines. Applicants who charge fees for their legal services are required to provide the IEJF with a copy of their fee schedule. However, legal information for the public, self-help legal assistance and mediation services must be provided free of charge.
At its discretion, the IEJF Board may also request proposals from non-profit organizations to conduct research, training and technical assistance regarding legal information for the public, mediation, telephone advice and referral services and/or civil legal assistance.
CIVIL LEGAL AID GRANT GUIDELINES FOR FY 23
The Illinois Equal Justice Foundation makes Civil Legal Aid grants in five categories:
KEY DATES
Our Civil Legal Aid Grant Period runs from September 1, 2022 – August 31, 2023.
AVAILABLE FUNDING
The budget for FY 23 Civil Legal Aid grants is approximately $3.8 Million. This funding comes through an appropriation in the Illinois Attorney General’s budget.
HOW TO APPLY
You can apply via the IEJF grantee portal. The “Apply” button on the top left will allow you to select your funding category and apply.
QUESTIONS?
Contact Tyrina Newkirk, IEJF Program Officer
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
Submit your grant reports via your dashboard in our grantee portal.
For FY 23, mid-year reports are due on April 17, 2023 and final reports are due on September 29, 2023.
“Support from the IEJF allows low-income people in some of the most remote counties of Illinois, where there is no public transit and internet access is spotty, to pick up the phone and speak with an attorney about their legal problem and receive advice. The IEJF helps put our justice system in reach of all Illinoisans.”
-Clarissa Gaff, Executive Director, Land of Lincoln Legal Aid