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Justice Catalyst Access Fund (JCAF) - Justice Note

JUSTICE CATALYST PARTNERSHIPS

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Funding Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Grant Type

foundation

Overview

Justice Catalyst Access Fund (JCAF) - Justice Note

Organization: Justice Catalyst Access Fund (VA, US) - 501(c)(3) organization

Status: Active

Program Type: Flexible, non-recourse line of credit financing for social impact litigators

Geographic Scope: United States

What is a Justice Note:
A unique mechanism that provides money to social impact litigators and organizations (nonprofits and law firms) to hire staff, investigate new cases, or otherwise expand cutting-edge impact litigation caseloads. Functioning like a non-recourse line of credit, a Justice Note provides multi-year funds to support a portfolio of cases and is repaid only if litigation results in successful case recovery fees.

Eligibility:

  • Nonprofits that litigate cases with broad social impact

  • Law firms (plaintiff-side, public interest, or contingency-based)

  • Organizations that sometimes recover fee awards from cases

  • Must be willing to repay funds from fee awards in successful cases

  • Organizations with existing or planned litigation portfolios

    • What They Support:

  • Broad portfolios of fee-generating cases (not single cases)

  • Hiring staff

  • Investigating new cases

  • Expanding litigation caseloads

  • General operating funds for litigation practice

  • Seed funding for new impact-focused litigation practices

    • Focus Areas:

  • Civil rights litigation

  • Environmental litigation

  • Worker rights/wage theft litigation

  • Housing discrimination litigation

  • Prison conditions litigation

  • Consumer protection litigation

  • Antitrust litigation

  • Other social impact litigation areas

    • Key Benefits:

  • Flexible: Draw down funds when and as-needed

  • Low Risk: Repayments collected only from successful case recoveries; absent fee recoveries, the Justice Note is forgiven after a predetermined time

  • Unrestricted: While repayment is tied to cases, funds themselves are unrestricted

  • Affordable: Interest rates significantly lower than commercial finance

  • Accessible: Finances cases and recipients that would not qualify for traditional litigation financing

  • Evergreen: Creates sustainable, perpetual funding model through recycled repayments

    • Structural Options:

  • Recoverable grant (for nonprofits)

  • Non-recourse promissory note (for law firms)

    • Financial Terms:

  • Customized maximum draw amounts based on litigation portfolio and expected fee recoveries

  • Interest charged on amounts drawn down (varies based on organization type and portfolio)

  • Repayment capped at principal plus interest on outstanding balances

  • No minimum investment size for unrestricted grant support

  • Customized repayment terms based on individual needs

    • Repayment Structure:

  • Repayments made only if and when cases resolve

  • Portion of case recovery capped per recovery agreement

  • Overall repayment amount capped at principal plus interest

  • Outstanding balances forgiven after fixed number of years from last disbursement (as specified in agreement)

  • No repayment obligation absent case recoveries

    • Geographic Restrictions:

  • Some jurisdictions do not allow litigation funding; applicants in these jurisdictions may not be eligible

    • Operational Notes:

  • JCAF has no control over litigation decisions

  • Specific cases can be excluded from portfolio by mutual agreement

  • Funds may be used for charitable purposes

  • All operational expenses covered by preexisting donors; 100% of donations fund Justice Notes

    • Contact: accessfund@justicecatalyst.org

    Website: https://www.justicecatalyst.org/access-fund

    How to Apply

    Application Process

    1. Initial Step: Complete the JCAF Intake Form
    2. Evaluation Criteria: JCAF evaluates potential recipients for both charitable impact and ability to repay
    3. Contact: If interested in learning more, reach out to accessfund@justicecatalyst.org with questions or concerns

      JCAF Intake Form Questions (Typical):

      The form assesses:
    • Organization type and mission
    • Litigation portfolio composition
    • Expected fee recoveries
    • Organizational capacity
    • Case anonymization preferences
    • Existing co-counsel arrangements

      Required Information:

    • Organization background and mission
    • Litigation docket and portfolio details
    • Case recovery history and projections
    • Lodestar information (hours and hourly rates)
    • Organizational financial information

      Post-Application:

    • JCAF reviews for charitable impact and repayment ability
    • Custom terms negotiated based on portfolio
    • Agreement specifies maximum draw amount, interest rate, and repayment terms
    • Recipients may apply to renew, extend, or increase loan amount based on outcomes

      Ongoing Reporting:

    • Recipients required to provide reporting (specifics on website)
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    Focus Areas & Funding Uses

    Fields of Work

    criminal-justicesocial-justicehuman-rights

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