Introduction
The Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois recognizes that many of its legal aid grantees are pursuing (or are planning to pursue) initiatives to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within their organizations. LTF further recognizes that legal aid organizations have limited resources available to support this work, including training programs and outside consulting services.
In response, the Lawyers Trust Fund is making a total of $250,000 available to its grantee legal aid programs as matching grants to help support diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Grants will be awarded in fall 2021 and will support efforts through the end of 2022.
Goals & Purposes
The LTF DEI Matching Grants Program is designed to help LTF grantees pursue their self-identified goals related to diversity, equity, and inclusion within their organizations. These goals could relate to issues such as staff recruitment and retention; building a diverse pool of future leaders; increasing board diversity; creating cultures of inclusion; and/or addressing equity concerns related to organizational structures and/or operations.
Within this general framework, applicants are encouraged to define their own broad goals and specific objectives based on organizational needs.
Allowable Expenses and Limitations on the Use of Funds
Grant funds provided under the LTF DEI Matching Grants Program should be used for costs and/or services (e.g., training, consulting services, etc.) specifically related to the grantee’s DEI goals and work.)
Grant funds may not be used to pay for the time of organizational employees spent on DEI activities, for general overhead costs, or for other expenses that would be incurred in the normal course of operations.
Eligibility
All current grantees of the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois are eligible to apply for a DEI Matching Grant.
Grant Amounts
The maximum grant award will be $15,000 for each organization, with most grants in the range of $10,000 – $12,000.
Matching Requirement
Applicants with annual budgets of $1,500,000 or greater are expected to commit a minimum of $1 for every $2 sought from LTF. (Example: Organization A, with a budget of $2 million, may request $15,000 in return for a matching pledge of $7,500.)
Applicants with budgets of less than $1,500,000 are expected to commit a minimum of $1 for every $3 sought from LTF. (Example: Organization B, with a budget of $750,000, may request $15,000 in return for a matching pledge of $5,000.)
Applicants can meet the matching requirement by using funds raised specifically for that purpose from another funding source (or sources) or by committing unrestricted program funds.
Timeline
Applications for LTF DEI Matching Grants are due on Thursday, August 19, 2021.
Grant decisions will be made by the LTF board of directors in October 2021.
Activities funded under the LTF DEI Matching Grant Program should be completed by no later than December 31, 2022.
How to Apply
Application forms will be completed through the application called “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Matching Grants Program 2021 – 2022” in the LTF Grants Portal on Foundant. All current grantees should be registered in the Grants Portal and will need to enter Access Code LTF2021 to view and complete the application.
If you have difficulties accessing the Grants Portal, please contact David Holtermann, Deputy Director for Grants & Policy / General Counsel (david@ltf.org) or Hanna Kaufman, Counsel for Strategic Initiatives (hanna@ltf.org).
Questions?
If you have any questions about the DEI Matching Grants program, please contact Mark Marquardt, Executive Director (mark@ltf.org) or David Holtermann, Deputy Director for Grants & Policy / General Counsel (david@ltf.org).