Domestic Violence Legal Services: Self-Help Legal Assistance Projects Grant

Domestic Violence Legal Services: Self-Help Legal Assistance Projects Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Illinois Equal Justice Foundation
Amount: US $1,380,000
Last Updated: September 20, 2025

Summary

The Illinois Equal Justice Foundation (IEJF) provides funding to support domestic violence prevention through self-help legal assistance projects. Grants are available to Illinois-based organizations that offer legal advice and assistance to individuals navigating the legal system, particularly in noncriminal matters. The funding aims to empower survivors of domestic violence by ensuring they have access to essential legal resources. This initiative is part of the state's fiscal year 2025 budget, focusing on enhancing legal support for low-income individuals.

Overview

Domestic Violence Legal Services The Illinois Equal Justice Foundation (IEJF) is a not-for-profit corporation established in 1999, pursuant to the Illinois Equal Justice Act. The IEJF supports initiatives to increase Illinois residents’ access to the legal system. The IEJF provides grants to nonprofit legal aid providers through three state appropriations housed in the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, COVID-19-related eviction funding through the IL Department of Human Services and COVID-19-related federal funding through the Illinois Housing Developmemt Authority (IHDA). This funding is designated by the State of Illinois to support domestic violence prevention through a portion of the State’s FY 25 fiscal year (October 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025). IEJF has been charged with distributing grant funding to nonprofit organizations to assist survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence through civil legal services and legal information. This current round of funding has been provided by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). Self-Help Legal Assistance Projects Purpose The IEJF makes grants to provide Illinois residents using the court system with legal advice and brief legal assistance to help them effectively navigate the legal system. In the Self-Help Legal Assistance Project category, the IEJF will consider support for projects that meet the following definition: Self-help Legal Assistance Project: Self-Help Legal Assistance Projects are programs based at or near courthouses or in other appropriate community spaces that provide legal advice and assistance about particular substantive areas of the law to litigants or potential litigants in noncriminal or traffic matters who are unable to obtain or do not have legal representation for a dispute involving one of those particular substantive areas of the law. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, virtual projects in this category will be considered. Use of Grant Funds In the Self-Help Legal Assistance category, the IEJF will make grants to support operating costs for self-help legal assistance projects, including personnel costs.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Organizations are eligible to apply for a grant from the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation if they:Are certified and in compliance with the Illinois Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) requirements;Have a demonstrated track record in providing legal assistance or legal information services to individuals impacted by domestic violence;Are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code;Provide services to Illinois residents in one or more of the three areas set forth in the “Purposes” section. Provide services to low-income people free of charge or on a sliding scale based on income. Low-income is defined as a household income of up to 150% of the federal poverty guidelines. Applicants who charge fees for their legal services are required to provide the IEJF with a copy of their fee schedule. However, legal information for the public, and self-help legal assistance must be provided free of charge.In the Self-Help Legal Assistance Project category, the IEJF will only consider applications from Illinois-based not-for-profit organizations that:Provide self-help legal assistance free of charge.Provide legal advice or self-help assistance as described in the Purpose section of these guidelines.Provide legal advice or self-help assistance in areas of the law that include problems commonly faced by survivors of domestic/intimate partner violence (e.g., family law, housing, immigration), specifically areas of the law that affect lower-income Illinois residents.Provide legal advice or self-help assistance in a location that is accessible to the public, like a courthouse, library or community organization. Due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings, proposals that include virtual projects are permitted.Use licensed attorneys to provide services, who can be supplemented by law-students or other non-attorneys acting under the supervision of licensed attorneys, or for legal matters where accredited non-attorney representatives are permitted to provide services (e.g., immigration and tax matters), a representative accredited by the appropriate administrative agency to provide services in matters pending before that agency.This is a reimbursable grant through IDHS and all awardees must be GATA-certified and in good standing with the State of Illinois.An organization may apply for funds in more than one category. Organizations seeking support for more than one of the three purposes must submit a separate application for each category.

Ineligibility

In the Self-Help Legal Assistance category, the IEJF will not consider proposals for:Telephone-based services;Civil legal services programs’ efforts to provide legal information and self-help assistance as part of their screening and intake systems;General efforts to inform the public about the law, such as Law Day activities; the development and dissemination of law-related curricula to schools; essay contests; or other community legal education initiatives that are not designed to help people address specific legal problems; andLegal information and self-help projects involving issues of criminal law.Funds appropriated by the State of Illinois, including funds distributed by the IEJF, may not be spent on a sectarian purpose.Said funds may not be used for the purpose of lobbying; encouraging political activities, labor or anti-labor activities, boycotts, picketing, strikes or demonstrations; or investigative or legal compliance activities related to a pending dispute.A recipient may not use funds received under the Illinois Equal Justice Act to file an individual action or class action under the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act or other labor laws.No more than 15% of grants awarded by the IEJF can be used for indirect costs unless the applicant has a higher state/federal negotiated reimbursement rate. Applicants will be asked to provide a copy of NICRA if over 15%.