Responsive 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

The Law Foundation of Ontario invites applications for its Responsive grants program.

Responsive grants enable The Law Foundation of Ontario to fund ideas generated by nonprofit community groups to improve access to justice. Responsive grants aim to encourage new ideas, approaches, and relationships that can help address emerging needs and connect more people to legal information and supports, especially people who are not currently being reached.

What's our Responsive program? Learn more here.

Eligibility

Criteria

Among other considerations, the Foundation will be looking for applications to demonstrate that the:

Proposed work is a project – a time-limited set of activities that will achieve a particular goal, including but not limited to innovations, start-ups, or seed funding for new initiatives
Proposed work is not for a commercial venture
Requesting organization has the skills and experience to plan and carry out the project
Applicant is ready to be fully accountable to the Foundation for monies granted

All applications should ensure that the specific amount requested reflects a demonstrated need for the activities and a reasonable budget for the proposed activities. The Foundation’s experience is that a Major Responsive grant of up to $100,000 is sufficient to support many kinds of projects. Accordingly, to apply for more than that amount, the applicant should demonstrate the unique, transformative, and potential large scale impact of their project.

Grant amount

Application and deadline

To apply

Complete the application form and submit it by the deadline to: grants@lawfoundation.on.ca

Download the application form in Word format here: Responsive Application Form

Deadlines

Small grants (two application cycles per year)

Application deadline #1 March 31, 5:00 p.m. EST
Decision by end of June
Application deadline #2 September 1, 5:00 p.m. EST
Decision by end of December

Major grants (one application cycle per year)

Letter of Intent deadline March 31, 5:00 p.m. EST
Decision by end of May
Full application deadline will be provided in the invitation
Decision by end of December

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?

I am a student applying to law school. Can I apply to the Foundation for a scholarship?

Can an individual apply for a grant?

Can an unincorporated committee apply for a grant?

Does a proposed project have to benefit more than one geographic community in order to meet the Foundation’s requirement to “provide a benefit to Ontario”?

Can an organization outside Ontario apply to the Foundation for a grant?

We want to apply for a grant jointly with another organization – can we do this?

Application process

My grant proposal may cost more than $15,000. Can I submit applications to both the Small grant and Major grant processes to increase my chances of getting funding? Is there a limit on the number of applications we can make to the Foundation’s Responsive grants program?

My organization needs funding to support core activities, not a project. Can I apply to the Responsive grants program?

What happens after my Letter of Intent is received?

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

Do you have a fixed amount of funding allocated to each of your four statutory objects (legal research, legal education, legal aid, law libraries)?

We have an idea for a pilot project that could be three years long. Do we have to apply for all three years’ worth of funding at once, or do we have to apply at the start of each year?

You do not have to apply on an annual basis for a project that will last longer than one year. You could submit a single application for the three-year pilot project, or you could apply in phases. For example, if you have an idea for a large project but can’t develop the full project plan until a needs assessment or background research is done, you could start with a smaller application first for the initial development phase, which could be used to then develop the larger application for the full project.

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?

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

Eligible costs

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?

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?

We are developing an idea for a large project one component of which we think might fall within your mandate. Can we apply to the Foundation for just that portion of the project?

We are developing an application for a pilot project. To help us secure future funding, evaluation results showing the pilot to be successful would be extremely helpful. Can we include the cost of an evaluation in our application?

Yes, the cost of evaluation is an eligible project expense because we believe evaluation results are of value not just to the Foundation but also can help grantees to improve the program and in seeking out other funding sources. Remember, too, that an evaluation does not need to be an expensive, time-consuming undertaking. The evaluation plan should be commensurate with the size and nature of the project being funded.

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

Does the Foundation fund conferences or symposiums?

University/college applications

Note that the Foundation provides an annual comprehensive grant to each Ontario Faculty of Law. The grants fund projects and programs that fall within the Foundation’s funding guidelines including providing experiential learning for students, responding to access to justice needs of vulnerable communities, and fostering diversity in the legal profession. As such, and since the Foundation has been experiencing reduced revenues, it generally does not provide additional funding for law school initiatives.

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

I am a university researcher and am working on a book on a legal issue. Can I apply to the Foundation for funding to cover my research and writing costs?

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

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?

After a grant application is approved

Our grant application has been approved – what happens next?

What is the payment schedule?

The payment schedule is developed taking into consideration the information provided in the work plan included in the grant application, and often also 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 hold-back instalment (typically 10% of the total grant) 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 requirements & templates webpage for more information about reporting requirement.

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Introduction