The North Carolina IOLTA’s Administration of Justice Grants provide support for programs seeking to improve the administration of justice in North Carolina.
Donor Name: North Carolina State Bar
State: North Carolina
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 08/30/2024
Size of the Grant: Not Available
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Areas of Funding
- A goal of NC IOLTA is to focus grants in areas where they can have a measurable impact. Therefore, IOLTA grants for improvements in the administration of justice are made in the areas outlined below with emphasis on how the justice system can operate more effectively and expeditiously.
- Improvement in the operation and management of the justice system;
- Public education and understanding about the law, including law-related education;
- Promotion and support for a full range of dispute resolution techniques and alternatives;
- Promotion and support for public interest legal representation.
Funding Criteria
- Preference will generally be given to:
- Applicants seeking start-up funds or seed money for new projects or programs;
- Programs that seek to offer services to individuals who do not qualify for civil legal aid based on their income but who are unable to afford legal assistance, including pro bono programs;
- Programs with demonstration value or replication potential;
- Programs that will have statewide significance; and/or
- Requests for matching funds.
- Administration of Justice Grants typically do not fund:
- Direct service programs (e.g., counseling);
- Replicas of established programs;
- Local community groups unrelated to the practice of law;
- Programs (or budget items) for which there is a governmental responsibility to provide funding;
- Continuing program support for local projects that exceed three years.
Grant Period
January 1 – December 31, 2025.
Eligibility Criteria
In addition to meeting the stated eligibility for all NC IOLTA grants, to be eligible for funding from NC IOLTA under the Civil Legal Aid Grant Program, applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Serve North Carolina residents who are indigent, defined as individuals who are at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines or who are eligible to receive public assistance through a government program for the indigent. In addition to income, programs may consider other relevant factors in determining financial eligibility for services, including access to liquid assets, fixed debts and obligations, and family size for example.
- The organization may also consider availability of income, i.e., whether the individual seeking assistance has direct and unfettered access, without having to obtain the consent or cooperation of another person over whom the individual does not have control and who does not in fact consent or cooperate.
- If an organization uses a definition of indigent or low-income clients, for all or a portion of its clients that is different from the above, it must be able to show that a majority of its clients fall within the stated NC IOLTA definition.
- Provide services without charge to the client. An organization will not be disqualified from receiving funds from NC IOLTA for charging nominal fees as long as the organization allows for the complete waiver of fees in cases where clients cannot pay the fee. The Board reserves the right to approve grants to an organization charging significantly reduced fees in areas of law where services are otherwise unavailable to low-income clients.
- Grantees that charge fees, whether nominal or reduced, are required to provide a copy of their client fee policy and schedule to NC IOLTA and include information on fees received in their regular financial reports to NC IOLTA, including information about the number of fee waivers provided to clients.
For more information, visit North Carolina State Bar.
