The Florida Bar Foundation, now operating as FFLA (Funding Florida Legal Aid), is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Maitland, Florida. Founded in 1956 by the Florida Bar Board of Governors and the Florida Supreme Court, the organization increased 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. In December 2023, the organization officially rebranded to FFLA to better reflect its mission and raise public awareness of its work.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$338.3M
+275.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$37.5M
+258.6% YoY
Grant Count
33
-10.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$1.1M
+302.1% YoY
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.
Primary funding areas include:
- Legal assistance for the poor — including children's legal services, community economic development, and disaster relief
- Equal Justice Works Fellowships — two-year fellowship programs
- Engle Grant Program — funding for qualified legal aid organizations in the middle district of Florida to assist litigants in obtaining court representation
- COVID-19 Relief — funds to retain or hire personnel providing direct legal assistance to low-income clients for legal issues caused by or related to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Legal Research Services — coordinating and subsidizing online legal research services to legal assistance grantees through centralized statewide contracts
- Case Management Systems — partial subsidies to grantees for online case management systems
- Pro Bono Support — funding for pro bono partnerships and initiatives
Grantmaking
Grant Range
** $10,000 to $315,000 (varies by program)
How to Apply
** Grant applications are submitted through the organization's grant portal at https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=fbf
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Florida statewide, with particular emphasis on serving low-income individuals and families throughout the state. Specific programs target different regions, including the middle district of Florida through the Engle Grant Program.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Total Assets: $338.3 million (as of June 2024)
Annual Giving: $40+ million (2024)
Total Revenues: $285.3 million (2024)
Total Expenses: $41.9 million (2024)
Expense Allocation (2023-24):
- Charitable activities: 96.2% of total expenses
- Administration: 3.2% of total expenses
- Fundraising: 0.6% of total expenses
Staff: 12 employees
Tax-Exempt Status: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; tax-exempt since June 1962
EIN: 59-1004604
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $338,335,082 | $90,115,024 | $34,018,201 |
| Revenue | $285,267,969 | $70,758,745 | $12,813,870 |
| Expenses | $41,881,848 | $13,431,626 | $10,353,499 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $4,959,827 | $432,130 | $1,307,737 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
169 grants across all recorded years
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
Rolling / Open
FFLA: Children's Legal Services Grant
THE FLORIDA BAR FOUNDATION INC
Amount
US $25,000 - US $315,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
FFLA: Florida Legal Aid Disaster Relief Initiative Grant
THE FLORIDA BAR FOUNDATION INC
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County Inc ($2,894,165), Americans for Immigrant Justice ($2,848,780), Community Legal Services of Mid-florida Inc ($2,842,256).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AMERICANS FOR IMMIGRANT JUSTICE MIAMI, FL | LAP/LSA | $2,848,780 |
| BAY AREA LEGAL SERVICES INC TAMPA, FL | LAP/LSA | $2,508,872 |
| BREVARD COUNTY LEGAL AID INC ROCKLEDGE, FL | LAP | $639,434 |
| CATHOLIC CHARITIES LEGAL SERVICES ARCHDIOCESE OF MIAMI INC MIAMI, FL | LAP | $1,462,707 |
| COAST TO COAST LEGAL AID OF SOUTH FLORIDA INC PLANTATION, FL | LAP/LSA | $649,706 |
| COMMUNITY JUSTICE PROJECT INC MIAMI, FL | LAP | $313,888 |
| COMMUNITY LAW PROGRAM INC ST PETERSBURG, FL | LAP/LSA | $519,330 |
| COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES OF MID-FLORIDA INC ORLANDO, FL | LAP/AOJ | $2,842,256 |
| CUBAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION PRO BONO PROJECT INC MIAMI, FL | LAP/LSA | $774,398 |
| DADE LEGAL AID MIAMI, FL | LAP/LSA | $1,448,647 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Murray Silverstein — President
Dominic MacKenzie — Executive Director (leading the organization since 2014)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MURRAY B SILVERSTEIN ESQ | PRESIDENT | 3 | — |
| ROBERTO R PARDO ESQ | PRESIDENT - ELECT | 3 | — |
| ASHLEY N SYBESMA ESQ | FIRST VICE PRESIDENT | 3 | — |
| MARIA C GONZALEZ ESQ | SECOND VICE PRESIDENT | 1.5 | — |
| HON SUZANNE VAN WYK | IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT | 3 | — |
| JOSEPH D HUDGINS | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| A DAX BELLO ESQ | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| JOSHUA T CHILSON ESQ | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| HON EDWIN A SCALES III | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| HON JEFFREY T KUNTZ | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| MICHAEL R TEIN ESQ | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| VINCENT F CUOMO | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| JAMES P SCHWARZ | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| GEORGE W TINSLEY SR | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| LAURA BOECKMAN ESQ | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| IAN M COMISKY ESQ | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| JOHN F HARKNESS JR ESQ | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| RET JUSTICE JAMES EC PERRY | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| RAYMOND R REID JR ESQ | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| HON HUGH A CARITHERS JR | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| MIN CHO ESQ | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| KATIE FACKLER ESQ | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| HON STEFANIE C MOON | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| ROBERT W MURPHY ESQ | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| RET JUSTICE PEGGY QUINCE | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| AYANA K BARROW ESQ | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| SARA COURTNEY BAIGORRI ESQ | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| BRIAN E CURRIE ESQ | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| JOSEPH J KADOW ESQ | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| KYLE W ROBISCH ESQ | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| STEVEN A SALZER ESQ | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| DOMINIC C MACKENZIE | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO | 50 | $211,396 |
| ROBERT H HEIDT | DIRECTOR OF FINANCE | 50 | $118,985 |
| JASMINE LEE-GAUMIER | CONTROLLER | 50 | $106,963 |
| LUSHAWN PHILLIPS | IOTA PROGRAM DIRECTOR | 50 | $103,715 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In December 2023, the Florida Bar Foundation officially rebranded as FFLA (Funding Florida Legal Aid) to better communicate its mission to audiences outside the legal community. According to President Murray Silverstein, the new name "succinctly describes what we do, making it easier for everyone to understand the role we play," while the organization's mission, staff, board members, and operations remained unchanged.
FFLA grant to Legal Aid Service of Broward County helped 1,770 in needThe organization achieved a Four-Star rating from Charity Navigator with a 94% overall score, reflecting strong performance in accountability, finance, impact measurement, and leadership.
Recent grant awards have supported diverse populations including disaster survivors, children, veterans, and the elderly. The organization has also invested in student loan forgiveness programs for attorneys at legal aid organizations and continued to facilitate access to legal research tools and case management systems for its grantees.
FFLA grant to Legal Aid Service of Broward County helped 1,770 in needSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
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. Primary funding areas include: • **Legal assistance for the poor** — including children's legal services, community economic development, and disaster relief • **Equal Justice Works Fellowships** — two-year fellowship programs • **Engle Grant Program** — funding for qualified legal aid organ…
How do I apply for a grant from The Florida Bar Foundation Inc?
**Grant Range:** $10,000 to $315,000 (varies by program) **Decision Timeline:** 2-3 months for competitive grants **Primary Program:** IOTA General Support Grants, administered through funds swept from interest earned on trust accounts (IOTA accounts) that attorneys use to store client money. **Recent Grant Activity:** • Distributed approximately $32 million in December to about 34 groups offering free representation to Floridians in need • Distributed $3.7 million in pro bono support in 2023 •…
Where does The Florida Bar Foundation Inc make grants?
Florida statewide, with particular emphasis on serving low-income individuals and families throughout the state. Specific programs target different regions, including the middle district of Florida through the Engle Grant Program.
What size grants does The Florida Bar Foundation Inc award?
In 2024, The Florida Bar Foundation Inc awarded 33 grants totaling $37.5M — an average of about $1.1M per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
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 2020–2024.
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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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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