The philanthropic arm of the Arlington County Bar Association is looking to support local nonprofits with a connection to the legal community.
From now through the month of April, the Arlington County Bar Foundation is accepting grant applications from organizations promoting or improving the justice system in Arlington and the City of Falls Church. The foundation helps local charities through grant funding and personnel support, says Paul Ferguson, the Arlington Bar Foundation Grants Committee Chair.
Grants are largely funded by members of the legal community through tax-deductible donations to the Bar Foundation, said Ferguson, the elected Clerk of the Circuit Court in Arlington, a former County Board member, and a GMU law alum.
“The Arlington County Bar Foundation is a charitable board made up of mostly attorneys,” he said. “Grants are awarded to organizations that have a connection to the law [or] legal community. Sometimes the grants go to specific projects or initiatives but they also can be non-specific.”
Awards typically range between $250 and $2,000, although the foundation has given out larger amounts in years past.
Traditionally, Ferguson says, the highest-dollar grant recipient is Legal Services of Northern Virginia, which provides legal advice and services to the region’s neediest populations, including veterans, human-trafficking victims and people with disabilities.
Other past recipients used the funding to tackle domestic violence and homelessness, including SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now) of Northern Virginia and Doorways, or to help formerly incarcerated individuals re-enter society, such as Offender Aid & Restoration and Arm & Arm.
Many recent award-winners work with Northern Virginia’s immigrant population: Ayuda, the Borromeo Legal Project, the immigrant advocacy program at Legal Aid Justice Center and immigration attorney James Montana, who used the money to cover citizenship costs for his pro-bono clients.
Grant applications — which can request up to $5,000 — are due by Friday, April 29. They must be no longer than one page and include the following information:
- Name of the organization, name of the person submitting the grant and a primary address, phone number and email
- Purpose of the organization and how it serves Arlington and/or Falls Church
- Connection to the legal community and/or how the project promotes and improves justice system
- Amount requested
- Specific project and/or what grant funds will be used for
- Tax ID # and IRS Tax Status
Those who are interested in applying are asked to email Ferguson.
Applicants will be notified of the foundation’s decision by the end of May with grant payments available in July.