We pride ourselves on being approachable. We encourage people applying to us, especially for the first time, to contact one of our Grants Officers.

Our programs and processes vary but our commitment to being an open, fair, and accountable grantmaker does not change. We have a set of principles and service commitments that guide the way we approach our work and our relationships.

Our grants are open to nonprofit organizations that work to benefit the people of Ontario. Organizations from or benefiting another Canadian province can apply to our national Access to Justice Fund. Organizations do not need to be registered charities. We do not provide funding to individuals or to for-profit ventures.

We provide one-time and ongoing funding to nonprofit organizations through a variety of granting programs. We fund projects, programs, research, and core funding.

All funding aligns with our:

• Statutory objects: legal education, legal aid, legal research, and law libraries within Ontario
• Our broad mandate: Advancing access to justice
• Our mission: Through granting and collaboration we invest in knowledge and services that help people understand the law and use it to improve their lives.
• Our vision: Putting people at the heart of justice.

Our applications criteria, processes, and timing vary by the granting program and specific call for application. Some call for applications have one phase and some have two. A two-phase call is when we request a Letter of Intent (LOI) first and then some of these LOI applicants are invited to submit a full application. The one-phase process is submitting a full application right away.

See the individual grant programs webpages for more information about each program.

To see which programs are accepting applications now, visit our Open call for applications webpage.

Applications are assessed by Foundation staff. This process often includes one or more conversations with those applying to better understand the proposed project and answer any questions the Foundation and the applicant may have. (On occasion, applications may be sent to an outside expert for review.)

The more we understand about your organization and your proposed project, the better. However, Foundation staff must remain impartial and cannot advocate on your behalf for funding.

Staff provide their assessments to the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. All granting decisions are made by the Board of Trustees.

Once a Letter of Intent or an application has been approved, we will notify you. Letters of Intent that are approved will be invited to submit a full application. An invitation to submit a full application is not a guarantee you will receive funding.

After an application has been approved, we will: confirm your project’s start date; review the payment and reporting schedules with you; and send you a Letter of Agreement (LOA) that must be carefully reviewed, signed, and returned to us. The LOA has the terms and conditions of the grant. We recommend you review an example LOA before you submit a Letter of Intent or an application to us.

Visit our For grantees webpage to learn about all of the requirements expected of you after you have received a grant from us.