The Florida Bar Foundation Inc
The Florida Bar Foundation Inc, now known as FFLA, is a public charity based in Maitland, Florida. Established in 1956, it funds legal services, develops tools and programs, and supports legal aid providers and courts to increase access to justice for people of limited means.
The Florida Bar Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Florida Bar Foundation Inc gave $94.2M across 37 grants in 2025 (avg $2.5M), mostly in Florida. 8% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $94,155,778
- +150.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 37
- +12.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,544,751
- +123.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,713,606
- Total assets
- $523,297,088
- +54.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (3 of 37, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Florida (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Florida Bar Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The website instructs new applicants to first be approved as eligible applicants before using the application links.
- Contact
Mailing address: 175 Lookout Place Ste 100, Maitland, FL 32751
Phone: (407) 960-7000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from The Florida Bar Foundation Inc
FFLA: Administration of Justice Grant Program
The Florida Bar Foundation Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
FFLA: Children's Legal Services Grant
The Florida Bar Foundation Inc
Amount
US $25,000 - US $315,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
FFLA: Florida Legal Aid Disaster Relief Initiative Grant
The Florida Bar Foundation Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who The Florida Bar Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida Inc ($7.5M). Together the top 10 received $55.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
175 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 37 grants of 175 (21%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
FFLA describes its grantmaking as supporting local and statewide civil legal aid organizations and projects in Florida. In filing year 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Florida and 1% to recipients in Connecticut.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 37 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Florida Bar Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 37 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $376K; repeat grants $2.7M. How we count
Medians: $125K first-time, $1.9M repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $6.0M (2021) to $94.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 37 grants totaling $94.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida Inc Orlando, FL | Lap - 2025 iota funding and return of unspent funds | $7,516,641 |
| Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County Inc West Palm Beach, FL | Lap - 2025 iota funding, pro bono grants and summer fellows | $7,452,872 |
| Bay Area Legal Services Inc Tampa, FL | Lap - 2025 Iota Funding | $6,636,062 |
| Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association Inc Orlando, FL | Lap/aoj/lsa - 2025 iota funding, legal services for children, pro bono grants and summer fellows | $5,863,089 |
| Florida Legal Services Inc Orlando, FL | Lap/lsa - 2025 iota funding, legal services for children, pro bono grants and summer fellows | $5,736,227 |
| Legal Aid Service of Broward County Inc Plantation, FL | Lap - 2025 iota funding and pro bono grants | $5,475,253 |
| Jacksonville Area Legal Aid Inc Jacksonville, FL | Lap - 2025 iota funding, pro bono grants and summer fellows | $5,249,827 |
| Legal Services of North Florida Inc Tallahassee, FL | Lap - 2025 iota funding, legal services for children, summer fellows and return of unspent funds | $4,180,444 |
| Catholic Charities Legal Services Archdiocese of Miami Inc Miami, FL | Lap - 2025 iota funding and legal services for children | $3,969,257 |
| Americans for Immigrant Justice Miami, FL | Lap/lsa - 2025 iota funding, summer fellows and return of unspent funds | $3,798,635 |
Ready to take the next step with The Florida Bar Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $523,297,088 | $272,653,805 | $97,663,494 | $94,155,778 | 37 | $13,696,491 |
| 2024 | $338,335,082 | $285,267,969 | $41,881,848 | $37,541,055 | 33 | $4,959,827 |
| 2023 | $90,115,024 | $70,758,745 | $13,431,626 | $10,467,966 | 37 | $432,130 |
| 2022 | $34,018,201 | $12,813,870 | $10,353,499 | $6,835,447 | 39 | $1,307,737 |
| 2021 | $35,534,740 | $11,447,403 | $9,477,509 | $5,980,771 | 29 | $1,182,067 |
| 2020 | $31,290,432 | $24,924,947 | $14,021,423 | $10,484,708 | 31 | $513,301 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
FFLA’s mission is to increase access to the justice system for people of limited means by funding legal services, developing innovative tools and programs, and supporting legal aid providers and the courts. Its programs include Children’s Legal Services, civil legal aid summer fellowships, Elder Law grants, disaster relief, Improvements in the Administration of Justice grants, IOTA distributions, and limited matching funds. Its stated work also includes training, technology, technical assistance, capacity-building, and pro bono initiatives.
The 2025 filing’s largest grants went to Florida legal aid organizations. The grantees describe their work in their own terms: Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida provides no-cost legal services to vulnerable people in Central Florida; the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County provides free civil legal advice, representation, and education to vulnerable and at-risk people in the county; and Bay Area Legal Services provides legal counsel to individuals and nonprofit groups with limited access to legal services. Other large recipients included organizations serving Orange County, Broward County, Northeast Florida, and North Florida. Catholic Charities Legal Services of the Archdiocese of Miami describes its work as immigration legal aid for people without sufficient means to obtain representation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation reported 37 itemized grants totaling $94,155,778. Grants ranged from $100,000 to $7,516,641, with a median of $1,713,606. The largest awards included $7,516,641 to Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida, $7,452,872 to the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, and $6,636,062 to Bay Area Legal Services. The stated purposes included IOTA funding, legal services for children, pro bono grants, summer fellowships, and administration-of-justice work.
The organization’s 2023 filing narrative describes other activities during 2023–24, including Children’s Legal Services, community economic development, Equal Justice Works fellowships, disaster relief, student loan forgiveness for attorneys at legal aid organizations, and grants to support direct legal assistance. It also describes subsidizing legal research and case-management services for grantees, and supporting pro bono partnerships. These descriptions concern the programs and activities reported for that period.
For the Administration of Justice program, FFLA describes funding projects that support effective and expeditious court operations. The Children’s Legal Services program funds legal assistance for needy children in areas affecting their safety, well-being, and development. Disaster relief funding is described as emergency support for organizations providing legal services to communities affected by disasters.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Roberto R. Pardo as president, Ashley N. Sybesma as president-elect, Maria C. Gonzalez as first vice president, and Hon. Hugh A. Carithers Jr. as second vice president. Murray B. Silverstein is listed as immediate past president. The filing also lists A. Dax Bello, Joshua T. Chilson, Joseph D. Hudgins, Hon. Paetra T. Brownlee, and Hon. Thomas D. “Bo” Winokur as directors.
The Florida Bar Foundation Inc is led by Dominic C. Mackenzie, Executive Director & CEO on every filing since 2020; 2 of 34 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Dominic C. Mackenzie
Executive Director & CEO
On filings since 2020
50 hrs/week
$185K (2020) → $221K (2025)
Roberto R. Pardo Esq.
President
First Vice President → President - Elect, 2024
President - Elect → President, 2025
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lushawn Phillips
Iota Program Director
On filings since 2024
50 hrs/week
$104K (2024) → $112K (2025)
Edwin A. Scales III
Director
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joseph D. Hudgins
Director
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Min Cho Esq.
Director
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ret Justice Peggy Quince
Director
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brian E. Currie Esq.
Director
On filings since 2021
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ian M. Comisky Esq.
Director
On filings since 2021
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sara Courtney Baigorri Esq.
Director
On filings since 2021
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven A. Salzer Esq.
Director
On filings since 2021
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James P. Schwarz
Director
On filings since 2022
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joshua T. Chilson Esq.
Director
On filings since 2022
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Vincent F. Cuomo
Director
On filings since 2022
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Katie Fackler Esq.
Director
On filings since 2023
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael R. Tein Esq.
Director
On filings since 2023
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert W. Murphy Esq.
Director
On filings since 2023
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stefanie C. Moon
Director
On filings since 2023
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
A. Dax Bello Esq.
Director
On filings since 2024
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ayana K. Barrow Esq.
Director
On filings since 2024
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joseph J. Kadow Esq.
Director
On filings since 2024
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kyle W. Robisch Esq.
Director
On filings since 2024
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Deborah Giles
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Douglas H. Reynolds Esq.
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joe Jacquot Esq.
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Magdalena A. Ozarowski Esq.
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paetra T. Brownlee
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Patrick S. Montoya Esq.
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Raychelle Tasher Esq.
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas D. Bo Winokur
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ashley N. Sybesma Esq.
President - Elect
Second Vice President → First Vice President, 2024
First Vice President → President - Elect, 2025
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hugh A. Carithers Jr.
Second Vice President
Director → Second Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Maria C. Gonzalez Esq.
First Vice President
Director → Second Vice President, 2024
Second Vice President → First Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Murray B. Silverstein Esq.
Immediate Past President
President-Elect → President, 2024
President → Immediate Past President, 2025
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (32)
- Former: George W. Tinsley Sr. (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: John F. Harkness Jr. Esq. (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Raymond R. Reid Jr. Esq. (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Ret Justice James Ec Perry (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Suzanne Van Wyk (2020–2024) — Immediate Past President
- Former: Jeffrey T. Kuntz (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Laura Boeckman Esq. (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Jasmine Lee-Gaumier (2024) — Controller
- Former: Robert H. Heidt (2024) — Director of Finance
- Former: Carl J. Domino Esq. (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Connie Bookman (2020–2023) — Immediate Past President
- Former: John P. Cardillo Esq. (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Kevin P. McCoy Esq. (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Lou Ann Powell (2020–2023) — Deputy Director & CFO
- Former: F. Scott Westheimer Esq. (2023) — Director
- Former: Dori Foster-Morales Esq. (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Gregory W. Coleman Esq. (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Lara J. Tibbals Esq. (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Stephen R. Senn Esq. (2020–2022) — Immediate Past President
- Former: J. Samantha Vacciana Esq. (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Patricia Babcock (2022) — Director
- Former: Carlos Halley (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Hala Sandridge (2020–2021) — Immediate Past President
- Former: Reginald K Whitehead (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Lorna E. Brown-Burton (2021) — Director
- Former: Renee Elise Thompson (2021) — Director
- Former: Angela C. Vigil (2020) — Director
- Former: Daniel H Thompson (2020) — Director
- Former: Juliette E Lippman (2020) — Immediate Past President
- Former: Michelle Suskauer (2020) — Director
- Former: Steven C. Dupre' (2020) — Director
- Former: Thomas R Oldt (2020) — President-Elect
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $221K, to Dominic C Mackenzie (Executive Director/CEO). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Florida Bar Foundation Inc
How much does The Florida Bar Foundation Inc give each year?
The Florida Bar Foundation Inc gave $94.2M across 37 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $37.5M across 33 grants.
What is The Florida Bar Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Florida Bar Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $1,713,606, and its average grant was $2,544,751, across 37 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Florida Bar Foundation Inc that year got $376K on average.
Where does The Florida Bar Foundation Inc give grants?
The Florida Bar Foundation Inc gives mostly in Florida: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Miami, FL (7 grants), Orlando, FL (4 grants), Tallahassee, FL (4 grants) and Plantation, FL (2 grants).
Does The Florida Bar Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 37 grants with a stated purpose on The Florida Bar Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Lap - 2025 Iota Funding" (7 grants), "Lap - 2025 Iota Funding and Pro Bono Grants" (6 grants) and "Lap - 2025 Iota Funding and Return of Unspent Funds" (3 grants).
Who are The Florida Bar Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Florida Bar Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida Inc ($7,516,641), Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County Inc ($7,452,872) and Bay Area Legal Services Inc ($6,636,062), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 23% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Florida Bar Foundation Inc?
The Florida Bar Foundation Inc reported $523.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $272.7M.
What does The Florida Bar Foundation Inc fund?
FFLA’s mission is to increase access to the justice system for people of limited means by funding legal services, developing innovative tools and programs, and supporting legal aid providers and the courts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Florida Bar Foundation Inc?
The website instructs new applicants to first be approved as eligible applicants before using the application links. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Florida Bar Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Florida Bar Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 59-1004604. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 16, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 7, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 21, 2026)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Florida Bar Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Florida Bar Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-florida-bar-foundation-inc-morg_f291fd7418574f8fae231f97d670eace
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_591004604_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Florida Bar Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-florida-bar-foundation-inc-morg_f291fd7418574f8fae231f97d670eace},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Florida Bar Foundation Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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