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Initial-Support Grants

Initial-Support Grant Process 

Each year, The Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF) may offer a limited number of Initial-Support Grants to organizations that meet the eligibility criteria for Organizational Support Grants but are not currently part of the CBF grant portfolio. The Initial-Support Grant program provides a pathway for eligible organizations to become future Organizational Support Grant recipients.

Organizations may submit Initial-Support Grant inquiries in January. Selected organizations will be notified in March, and grant awards will be distributed in May.

Benefits of being an initial-support grantee include:

  • An award of up to $5,000.
  • CBA/CLE Advantage memberships for all attorneys at the organization,
  • Access to the CBF Legal Aid Academy programs and trainings, and
  • Invitation to participate in grantee leadership meetings every other month at the CBF.

Obligations include regular participation in grantee leadership meetings, CBA Legal Aid Committee meetings, and other CBF grantee events.

Initial-support grants will only be awarded if there are available funds remaining from the previous year’s Investing in Justice Campaign.  Applicants who are not awarded a grant the first year they submit are encouraged to reapply in future years.

Eligibility Requirements

How to Apply

Interested organizations should complete the fillable pdf linked here.

Please send the completed PDF and the following documents to initialsupportgrants@chicagobarfoundation.org.

Please attach:

  • a copy of the organization’s most recent audited financial statement and governance letter,
  • a copy of the organization’s most recent 990,
  • a list of the names and professional affiliations of your board of directors, and
  • a copy of your current bylaws.

After a full year as an initial-support grantee, grantees may be invited to apply for an organizational support grant.  Initial-support grantees will have a brief annual check-in with CBF staff and may remain initial-support grantees for up to 5 years without moving to becoming an organizational support grantee.  If they have not become an organizational support grantee within 5 years, they will no longer be a CBF grantee.