Beginning in June 2007, The Chicago Area Foundation for Legal Services (CAFLS) and The Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF) collaborated in grant making through the Advancing Justice program. This grant making partnership was designed to provide support for projects and initiatives that:
1. Address systemic barriers to access to justice, by improving the overall system of justice or enhancing the overall legal aid delivery structure; and/or 2. Tackle emerging issues in the realm of access to justice (e.g., addressing gaps in the legal aid delivery system, fostering innovative approaches to increasing access to justice.)
CAFLS’ semi-annual grant making cycles and the CBF’s Project/Emerging Issue grant cycle were combined into one - The Advancing Justice grant cycle. Resources from CAFLS and the CBF will be used to award grants through this joint grant making process.
Non-profit organizations providing legal services in the Chicago metropolitan area were eligible to apply. Priority was given to community-based groups over other types of organizations, such as law school legal clinics. Receipt of an Advancing Justice grant does not bar an organization from receiving additional funding from The Chicago Community Trust or The Chicago Bar Foundation.
Interested grant applicants can check back in June 2008 for information about the next Advancing Justice grant cycle.
