How much funding does Justice Catalyst Access Fund - Justice Note provide?

Funding amounts vary. Check the grant details for specifics.

When is the deadline for Justice Catalyst Access Fund - Justice Note?

This grant has a rolling deadline or the deadline has not been announced.

Justice Catalyst Access Fund - Justice Note

JUSTICE CATALYST INC

Foundation Rolling (Quarterly) Grants for Nonprofits Grants for Criminal Justice

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Funding Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Grant Type

foundation

Overview

Justice Catalyst Access Fund (JCAF) - Justice Note

Program Type: Flexible, non-recourse financing mechanism for social impact litigation

Geographic Scope: United States

Eligibility:

Applicant Type: Nonprofits and law firms engaged in social impact litigation

Case Requirement: Must have fee-generating litigation portfolio with expected fee recoveries

Status: Both established and new social impact litigators supported

Jurisdiction Limitation: Some jurisdictions do not allow litigation funding; applicants in these jurisdictions may not be eligible

What JCAF Funds:

General operating funds

Staff hiring

Case investigation

Litigation-related expenses

Expanding cutting-edge charitable impact litigation caseloads

Seed funding for new or innovative social impact litigation practices

What the Justice Note Supports:

Broad portfolio of cases (entire fee-generating litigation docket or full contingency impact practice)

Generally does NOT fund single cases

Program Mechanics:

Structure: Functions as a non-recourse line of credit

Repayment: Only from successful case fee recoveries; absent recoveries, no money owed

Interest: Charged on amounts drawn down; varies based on organization type and litigation portfolio

Renewal: Recipients may apply to renew, extend, or increase borrowing capacity based on litigation outcomes and repayment performance

Forgiveness: Outstanding balances forgiven after predetermined number of years from last disbursement

Funds: Unrestricted (subject to charitable use requirement)

Draw: Recipients draw down funds when and as-needed

Key Benefits:

Flexible: Draw down funds as needed

Low Risk: Repayments collected only from successful case recoveries

Unrestricted: While repayment tied to cases, funds themselves unrestricted

Affordable: Interest rates significantly lower than commercial finance

Accessible: Serves cases and recipients that wouldn't qualify for traditional litigation financing

Mutually Supportive: Evergreen fund model allows recycling of repaid funds to support new cases

Oversight:

Control: JCAF has NO control over litigation decisions (ethical and legal limitation)

Case Exclusions: JCAF and recipient can mutually agree to exclude specific cases from portfolio

Co-counsel: Agreement solely between JCAF and organization; fee recoveries from co-counsel not implicated unless co-counsel donates fees to organization

Financial Terms:

Repayment Cap: Overall repayment capped at principal plus interest; maximum recovery portion from any given case capped

No Minimum Investment: No minimum for unrestricted grant support

Customization: Each Justice Note customized based on individual borrower needs including maximum draw amount, interest rate, and repayment terms

Contact: accessfund@justicecatalyst.org

Organization: Justice Catalyst Access Fund (501(c)(3))

How to Apply

Application Process

Step 1: Complete Intake Form

Submit JCAF Intake Form if interested in learning more

Contact accessfund@justicecatalyst.org with any questions or concerns

Evaluation Criteria:

Charitable impact

Ability to repay

Eligibility Questions to Consider:
1. Are you a nonprofit or firm that litigates cases with broad social impact?
2. Do you sometimes recover fee awards from your cases?
3. Are you interested in flexible, risk-free funding that you'll only repay if you recover fees?
4. Are you willing to repay those funds from your fee awards in successful cases?

Process Details:

JCAF evaluates both charitable impact and ability to repay

Customized terms negotiated for each recipient

Coming soon: More detailed application process information

Contact: accessfund@justicecatalyst.org

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