Responsive Call for Applications

In 2024, the Responsive program is open year-round.

Organizations are invited to submit a brief application outlining how they propose to use a grant. If eligible, they will be invited to develop a full application with the support of Foundation staff. Once completed, the application will be brought to the Foundation Board for a granting decision within 6 months.

To facilitate a timely and positive outcome, interested organizations should:

1. Review the Eligibility Criteria to ensure your organization and initiative are eligible for this program. If you have any questions, contact grants@lawfoundation.on.ca.
2. Review the Evaluation Criteria to assess whether your initiative is a likely fit for this program. If you have any questions, contact grants@lawfoundation.on.ca.
3. Download and complete the Responsive 2024 application.
4. Submit an application to grants@lawfoundation.on.ca. Upon receipt of your application, Foundation staff will contact you about scheduling an initial 1-hour consultation within 30 business days.

To be eligible for a grant, applicants must be one of the following:

• Registered charities or incorporated nonprofit organizations
• Canadian universities or colleges
• Indigenous organizations
• Unincorporated organizations, committees, or associations may also apply if they possess a signed letter of commitment from an eligible payee.

AND

• NOT current Responsive or Catalyst grantees of the Foundation, or
• is a current Responsive or Catalyst grantees of the Foundation, but with less than approximately less than 3 months remaining in their Responsive or Catalyst grant(s) at the time of submitting their application.

Eligible applications must:

• Support expenses needed by the applicant to advance access to justice through legal education, legal research, or a project(s) or program(s) focused on legal content (e.g. promoting knowledge and services that help people understand the law and use it to improve their lives, or exercise their legal rights) for which the applicant does not already have and does not expect to have confirmed funding
• Be up to $250,000 and up to two years
• Be for the direct benefit of the people of Ontario

Eligible applications must NOT include:

• A request to support the legal fees related to the litigation of a specific legal matter
• A request to support the costs directly related to lobbying, advocating, or promoting a particular position on a legal or public policy issue to any level of government

In general, applications will be given priority that have the greatest potential to advance access to justice and align with the Foundation’s statutory mandate, vision, mission, values, and service commitments.

Preference will be given to applications that:

1. Respond to an urgent legal need
2. Demonstrate a strong approach for the contemplated activities
3. Support a group who has experienced injustice or inequity – past or current – and those who have experienced exclusion or barriers in society
4. Are informed, supported, and/or led by the community they seek to serve
5. Fill a gap, including supplementing existing legal resources
6. Have outcomes that can be measured, and scaled, replicated, or adapted to benefit others
7. Demonstrate the impact will be maintained or sustained beyond the grant
8. Are led by a team with the experience, expertise, and/or skills to successfully deliver results
9. Have the right partnerships in place to ensure success
10. Include a reasonable budget to successfully respond to the demonstrated need