With the record-breaking Investing in Justice Campaign as the principal engine, the CBF was able to award a total of more than $4 million in grants in its FY 2015. Your generous support of the Campaign, along with the CBF’s many other foundation, government and individual partners, makes it possible for the CBF grants program to invest in the entire pro bono and legal aid system and make an impact that no one individual or entity could acting alone.
The annual CBF Investing in Justice Campaign continues to be the primary engine for the CBF’s grants. This year’s Campaign set new records across the board, yielding more than $2 million in grants to 34 pro bono and legal aid organizations thanks to more than 4,700 individual donors, a number of generous matching contributions from participating firms and companies, and additional funds the CBF is able to leverage through the Campaign grants process. Each year, CBF grants leverage several hundred thousand dollars in additional support through CBF partnerships with a number of dedicated foundations and government entities.
The CBF awarded four types of grants over the past year:
- Organizational Support grants totaling $1,275,000
- Special Project grants totaling more than $2.3 million, including $1.02 million to support a range of court-based programs, pro bono projects, and systemic initiatives and $1.3 million to support the Circuit Court of Cook County Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program
- Fellowships, Scholarships, and Internships totaling $393,700
- Other grants totaling $134,000
CBF grants
- support dozens of outstanding legal aid organizations serving our community
- help dedicated attorneys pursue legal aid careers
- make it possible for pro bono attorneys to most effectively make a difference
- underwrite court-based help desks, pro bono projects, and other initiatives that make the justice system more user-friendly and accessible for people in need.
The grants process is carried out by a highly-regarded and broadly representative board of lawyers and judges with the assistance of CBF staff with widely recognized expertise. The CBF carefully vets pro bono and legal aid organizations and strategically allocates funds to make the biggest difference for people in need.