The Law Foundation of Ontario invites applications to the Access to Justice Fund in the area of family law.
Grant amounts and deadlines:
- Small grants: Up to $15,000
Application deadline: June 30, 2017 - Major grants: Up to $250,000
Letter of Intent deadline: October 2, 2017
Eligibility: To be eligible to apply to the Access to Justice Fund, your proposal must support access to justice and:
- Address the priorities listed below
- Fit within the Foundation’s mandate and be consistent with the Foundation’s vision and mission
- Be from a nonprofit venture
Preference will be given to applications that address one (or more) of the following:
- Constitute novel or “breakthrough” innovations that could dramatically improve access to justice or outcomes for families
- Use technology to reach people more effectively
- Pilot programs that have a reasonable chance of finding ongoing funding (while the Foundation does not generally provide funding to government or legal aid agencies, we are interested in ideas that have the support of those system partners)
- Will provide meaningful insights into outcomes in family law matters, particularly applied research that will provide insights into what is working and where improvements could be made. Any research proposal must demonstrate concrete benefit to community members.
Preference will be given to proposals that involve collaboration between two or more organizations. The Foundation is happy to accept proposals that respond to needs in one or more than one province and/or territory.
Family law needs: The Foundation is particularly interested in applications that address needs including, but not limited to:
- Supports for self-represented litigants
- Complex family law needs that intersect with other areas of law (e.g. refugee, immigration, criminal law, and child protection)
- Areas where no or very limited public funding is available for services (e.g. divorce)
- Child protection, including efforts to respond to the over-representation of certain populations, including Indigenous families, Black families, and Latin and Hispanic families
- Ensuring access to relevant help for all families, including LGBTQ families
- Poverty reduction strategies and links to family law
- Public legal education and information (PLEI) that assists the public in taking steps to identify, address, and resolve their family law disputes
More information: For full criteria and application details, visit the Family Law webpage on www.lawfoundation.on.ca or contact: Aliyah Bhayani, Grants Officer, 416-598-1550 x 309, abhayani@lawfoundation.on.ca or Kathryn Hunter, Grants Officer, 416-598-1550 x 318, khunter@lawfoundation.on.ca.
photo credit: pedrosimoes7 The Family (1955) – José de Almada Negreiros (1893-1970) via photopin (license)
