2020 Access to Justice Fund Call for Applications

Applying for a grant: what you need to know

About

Eligibility

Criteria

Grant amount

Application and deadline

Before you apply

More information

About

This call is now closed.

The Law Foundation of Ontario invites applications from nonprofit organizations across Canada to the Access to Justice Fund (ATJF) for projects relating to:

Public legal education, triage, brief services, and referrals (including tools to assist self-represented litigants)
Indigenous Peoples’ legal needs
Refugees

Grants made from the ATJF are to be used to support public access to justice. While the phrase “access to justice” cannot have a single meaning, it is closely linked to the promotion of equity, fairness, and the elimination of barriers to justice (whether physical, psychological, financial, linguistic, or social). It can include access to information by low-income or marginalized persons so that they can understand their options with respect to legal problems and services and act on those options.

The Foundation encourages project proposals aimed at addressing the diverse needs of Canadians, including those living in rural and remote areas. Collaborations among organizations with different areas of expertise and from different areas of the country are also encouraged.

The proposed project may be local, regional, provincial or national in scope. In making grants from the ATJF, the Foundation wishes to support high-quality projects that have the potential to bring real improvements to the communities served.

What's ATJF? Learn more here.

Eligibility

Criteria

The Foundation will consider applications that demonstrate that the proposed work:

Supports access to justice
Clearly addresses legal needs of or relates to:
- - Public legal education, triage, brief services, and referrals (including tools to assist self-represented litigants)
  - Indigenous peoples’ legal needs
  - Refugees
Fits within the Foundation’s mandate and is consistent with the Foundation’s vision, mission, and approach
The applicant has the skills and experience to plan and carry out the project
The applicant is ready to be fully accountable to the Foundation for monies granted

Grant amount

Application and deadline

There is a two-stage application process.

Stage 1: Letter of Intent

Deadline: May 12, 2020, 5:00 p.m. EST

(Letters of Intent received after this date will not be accepted.)

Complete Letter of Intent and Part I (only) of the application form and submit it by the deadline to: atjf@lawfoundation.on.ca

The Letter of Intent must address the following questions:

What exactly do you propose to do and how?
What difference will it make and to whom?
Why do you believe this is important?
Proposed budget amount.

Download the application form in Word format here: 2020 ATJF Application Form

Stage 2: Full application – By invitation only

Only Letters of Intent that are approved will be asked to submit a full application. Please note that an invitation to submit a full application is not a guarantee that you will receive funding.

We encourage all applicants (especially first-time applicants) to contact staff for advice on the application process. Once your Letter of Intent has been received, staff may contact you for further information as part of the assessment process. The more the Foundation understands the context of your organization and your proposed program or project, the better assistance we can provide. However, staff must remain impartial and cannot advocate on your behalf to the Board of Trustees. All granting decisions are made by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

On occasion, grant applications may be sent to an outside expert for review on a confidential basis.

Please remember that there is no guarantee that your Letter of Intent or Application, if invited, will go forward on any specific Board meeting date.

Before you apply

More information

Frequently asked questions

Eligibility to apply

Do we have to be a registered charity in order to apply for a grant?

Can a commercial venture or government-run program apply for a grant?

Can an individual apply for a grant?

Can an unincorporated committee apply for a grant?

Can an organization outside Ontario apply to the Access to Justice Fund for a grant?

Can we apply for a grant jointly with another organization?

Do you require an applicant to have other partners involved in the project?

Types of projects

How do I ensure my project is consistent with the Foundation's mandate and priorities?

Does a proposed project have to benefit more than one geographic community?

We are interested in doing a project that does not include any legal content. Is this acceptable?

We would like to bring a test case. Can we apply to the Access to Justice Fund for funding?

We would like to lobby government to make needed changes to the legislative and policy environment surrounding our legal issue. Can we apply to the Access to Justice Fund for funding?

University/college applications

I am a faculty member at a university and would like to apply to the Access to Justice Fund for a research project. Does the Foundation require institutional sign-off on the application?

For a research project, what post-secondary institution costs will be covered?

In order to carry out this research project, I will need two course releases. Can I include the cost of a replacement instructor to cover my course releases?

I am a full time faculty member at a university. In addition to teaching, I also undertake research. Can I include the cost of my time to work on this research project?

Do you fund “indirect costs” which are applied to grants by my university/college?

Can development officers contact the Foundation to discuss potential or ongoing grant applications on behalf of researchers?

Application process

Is there a limit on the number of applications we can make to the Foundation?

Do you have a fixed amount of available funding that is allocated to specific geographic regions?

For applications to the Access to Justice Fund program, there is no fixed amount of funding allocated to specific geographic regions within Canada. One objective of the Access to Justice Fund program is to fund projects from across Canada. Because the Access to Justice to Fund was established with cy-prés awards from class action cases, the Foundation’s Board of Trustees may have regard to the geographical distribution of the plaintiffs in the relevant cases when assessing applications to the Access to Justice Fund.

Can we apply to the Access to Justice Fund for projects that will last longer than a year?

Do you require an applicant to find funding from other sources?

If we have identified other potential funders for our project idea, do you require us to provide confirmation of their commitment before you will consider our application to you?

What happens after my Letter of Intent is received?

Should I contact the Foundation prior to submitting an application?

Eligible costs

Will you fund core operating costs associated with a project? If so, do you fund on the basis of a set percentage of total project costs?

I understand that the Foundation will not fund capital expenditures. Are office furniture or computer equipment considered to be capital expenditures?

I understand that you do not fund ongoing programs that are already established. What about an expansion to an existing program, or trying out a new way of delivering the same program?

After a grant application is approved

Our grant application has been approved―what happens next?

You will be asked to review and sign a standard Letter of Agreement, which may also have special conditions attached that are specific to your grant. In general, the first instalment is paid soon after receipt of the signed Letter of Agreement and remaining instalments are paid in accordance with the schedule drawn up to suit your particular project. We encourage you to review the Letter of Agreement before you submit an application.

What is the payment schedule?

The payment schedule is developed in consultation with the grantee. In general, the Foundation makes payments in advance, in accordance with each grantee’s needs, and subject to any special conditions of approval being met. The Foundation makes every effort to accommodate special requirements (for instance, where significant expenses have to be incurred at an early stage of the project). For all projects, the final payment is a small hold-back instalment that is paid out on receipt of the final report.

What are your reporting requirements?

All grantees are required to submit written activity reports, as well as budget-to-actual financial reports, over the course of the project. A full final report is required in order to receive payment of the final grant instalment. Instalment payments are always conditional upon receipt of required reports, in accordance with the schedule established between the Foundation and the grantee. The timing and frequency of reporting is tailored to the circumstances of each project. Visit our Reporting guidelines webpage for more information about reporting requirements.

Introduction