Indigent Criminal Defense Fund
Funding Amount
Varies
Deadline
August 1, 2026
116 days left
Grant Type
foundation
Overview
Indigent Criminal Defense Fund
Funder: San Diego County Bar Foundation (SDCBF)
Geographic Scope: San Diego County, California (serves North County, Central/Downtown San Diego, and East County)
Mission: The Indigent Criminal Defense Fund was created by the San Diego County Bar Foundation to further and support indigent criminal defense programs, projects and activities in San Diego County.
- Provide legal defense programs for indigent individuals
- Deliver high quality and effective legal representation to accused people who cannot afford to hire an attorney
- Serve populations including: - Homeless individuals and families - Homeless veterans - Juveniles and at-risk youth - Wrongly convicted criminal defendants - Those facing criminal charges without resources
Focus Areas
The fund supports organizations that:- Criminal defense assistance and consultation
- Homeless Court programs and sessions
- Homeless youth legal advocacy projects
- Post-graduate law student fellowships for wrongful conviction cases
- Criminal record expungement services
- Restorative Community Conferencing as alternative to juvenile court
- Preparation of homeless defendants for superior court
Specific Program Support
Recent grants have funded:- Made possible by grants from the San Diego County Bar Association
- Funded through extra funds from the Private Conflict Counsel program
Funding Source
- Part of SDCBF's two-fund grant system
- Award cycles are annual
- Has awarded substantial amounts to support criminal defense programs
Background
- Phone: 619-231-7015
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: sdcbf.org
- Application Portal: https://sdcbf.org/grant-programs/
Contact Information
How to Apply
Application Process
1. Review Grant Guidelines - Visit https://sdcbf.org/grant-programs/ to read complete guidelines
2. Submission Timeline
- Applications due: August 1 annually
- Award cycle announced typically in March following the August submission deadline
3. Submission Format
- Submit application through https://sdcbf.org/grant-programs/
4. Review Process
- Independent board of leading local attorneys and businesspeople reviews applications
- Grant Review Committee carefully reviews each application
- Selection based on eligibility, need, and alignment with fund mission and guidelines
5. Award Notification
- Recipients announced typically in March following the August submission deadline
Focus Areas & Funding Uses
Fields of Work
Categories
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