Louisville Bar Foundation
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Grants
Grant Making Policies
Guidelines for Grant Applications to the Louisville Bar Foundation
The Louisville Bar Foundation was established in 1981 as the charitable giving arm of the Louisville Bar Association. Its mission is to raise and distribute funds for the delivery of legal services to the poor and indigent; for law-related public education; and for improvement of the judiciary, the legal profession, and citizen access to the justice system. The LBF has distributed more than $2.9 million in grants to local organizations, and the endowment has increased to $3 million. The Foundation is supported by contributions from attorneys, law firms and corporations.
The LBF invests in innovative projects and initiatives through its grants process and helps to meet immediate legal needs in our community while also strengthening the pro bono and legal aid system and making longer-term systemic improvements in access to justice. Grants are awarded through a comprehensive screening and evaluation process that is overseen by our board of lawyers and judges. Organizations considering applying for a grant from the LBF are encouraged to first review the following eligibility requirements and funding priorities.
Applicants with questions about eligibility requirements, funding priorities, or the grant application process are encouraged to contact Jeffrey A. Been, Executive Director, Louisville Bar Foundation, at jbeen@loubar.org or (502) 292-6734.
Funding Priorities
The Louisville Bar Foundation accepts grant applications for projects that fulfill one or more of the following objectives:
- Projects that improve access to the legal system by persons of limited financial means, and if possible, produce a tangible product that can be distributed to the public;
- Projects that promote better access to legal information and improved perception of the justice system by minorities;
- Projects that improve the operation of, and public confidence in, the Jefferson County courts;
- Projects that provide public education about our legal system and promote a positive image of the legal profession.
Funding Cycle
Grant applicants must use the LBF Grant Application Form. Applications are accepted at any time, however the LBF Board makes funding decisions on a semi-annual basis. The following deadlines have been established for 2024:
| Applications must be received by: | For consideration by the Board in: |
| April 11, 2025 | June 2025 |
| October 10, 2025 | December 2025 |
Eligible Applicants
Grant applications are accepted from organizations that are recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or similar exempt organizations. Grants will not be made to individuals. Non-profit organizations must be in good standing with the Secretary of State’s office.
Ineligible Proposals
Absent extraordinary circumstances, the LBF does not fund grant requests for capital construction projects or endowment campaigns, nor does it purchase tickets or sponsorships for charitable dinners, golf tournaments or other special events, regardless of the nature or work of the requesting organization. No funds provided by the LBF may be used for the support of any political campaign, election activity, or other political activities that are inconsistent with the organization’s tax-exempt status.
Grant requests for otherwise qualified multi-year projects or for staff positions will be considered, but the applicant must provide specific, detailed information about plans to secure future funding for the project or position. Multi-year funding from the LBF is rare, and is restricted to several pre-selected organizations which have a long-standing relationship with the Foundation. Successive annual requests for funding by an organization may be viewed by the LBF as a multi-year request.
Grants requests for programs operated by faith-based or religious organizations will be considered for funding if the specific program run by the faith-based or religious organization is open to people of all faiths, service decisions are not based on a particular client’s faith or religion, the organization’s staff do not promote a particular faith or religion to people served, and the organization’s policies and practices do not discriminate against legally protected classes of individuals.
In accordance with the LBF’s mission to ensure equal access to justice, and in accordance with federal, state and local laws, the LBF will not fund organizations or programs that use race, color, creed, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, familial status, national origin, veteran status, or any other protected classification as a basis to deny services to qualifying individuals who seek assistance that falls within the scope of the organization’s mission.
Endorsement of Grant Application
All grant applications must be “sponsored” by an attorney who is a current member of the Louisville Bar Association. The sponsoring attorney must agree to be an active volunteer participant in the proposed project. A letter of endorsement from the sponsoring attorney must accompany the application. The LBF gives preference to projects with significant volunteer involvement by attorneys.
Grant Amounts
The LBF will distribute approximately $150,000 in grants during the 2024 calendar year. The typical grant has been in the $2,500 to $12,000 range in recent years.
Application Review and Notification Process
If an application meets the minimum requirements established by the LBF, the application will be reviewed by the Grants Committee. Applicants may be contacted for an interview and possibly a site visit. Based upon Committee review, a recommendation regarding funding will be made to the Board. The Board must approve all grant awards.
The LBF will acknowledge, in writing, the receipt of each grant application. Notification of awards will also be made in writing.
Grant Award Agreement and Report on Use of Funds
Organizations whose grant proposals are approved for funding by the LBF will be required to sign a Grant Agreement prior to the disbursement of the grant funds. For a copy of a Grant Agreement, click HERE. Grant funds are typically released to the organization within thirty days of receipt of a signed grant agreement.
Organizations that are recipients of LBF grants are required to provide a report at the close of the grant year on the status of the project, the use of grant funds, and the accomplishments toward the objectives of the funded project. For a copy of the Grant Report, click HERE.
General Conditions
All materials submitted to the LBF become the property of the LBF and will not be returned. Information contained in a grant application submitted to the LBF may be shared with third parties and outside organizations as part of the LBF’s screening and evaluation process. The LBF reserves the right to reject any and all applications, in whole or in part, in its sole discretion. The LBF receives substantially more requests than it can fund, and thus there is no guarantee that any particular organization will receive funding or any particular level of funding.
Grant Application Form
Grant proposals to the LBF are to be submitted using the LBF’s Grant Application Form. For a copy of the Grant Application Form, click HERE.
Grant Application
If your organization has a project or program that meets the Louisville Bar Foundation Funding Priorities, please download and complete an application. Scan and email your completed application and supporting materials to:
CLICK HERE to download the Louisville Bar Foundation Grant Application.
Grant Recipients
2025 Grants
This is what you make possible when you contribute $45 to the LBF when you renew your LBA membership dues.
The Louisville Bar Foundation recently awarded approximately $135,000 in grants for 12 law-related programs in the Louisville area. The contributions of individual lawyers make an impact in the community through collective gifts to the foundation. Thank you for making an annual donation to the LBF.
The LBF is the charitable giving arm of the Louisville Bar Association and it makes grants to local not-for-profit organizations for the delivery of legal services to the poor, improvement of the judicary and law-related public education.
Grants are made possible by the generosity of Louisville area lawyers and law firms. Since its founding in 1982, the Foundation has distributed more than $3.4 million in grant funds. For more information on the LBF’s grants process or to make a charitable contribution in support of the LBF’s grantmaking activities, contact Jeff Been at 292-6734 or jbeen@loubar.org.
Recent LBF Grant Awards:
CASA of the River Region
Advocacy Academy: $10,000
CASA provides advocacy services to children with active cases in Family Court. To increase the number of volunteer advocates, CASA must continually train and provide education. The LBF grant will support CASA’s Advocacy Academy program and increase its number of trainings to boost volunteers’ advocacy skillset and the understanding of interrelated child welfare, justice and medical systems.
Catholic Charities of Louisville
Fee Waiver Program: $15,000
Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services helps low-income refugees and immigrants living in Kentucky obtain legal assistance. The LBF grant will allow refugees and immigrants solve immigration and/or employment status issues so to achieve or maintain financial stability and economic independence.
Family & Children’s Place
Child Advocacy Center Training: $10,000
The Child Advocacy Center at the Family & Children’s Place is the only facility of its kind in Kentucky providing services to child victims up to age 17 with compassionate, coordinated intervention and investigation of child sex abuse. The LBF grant will be used to pay for training of multi-disciplinary team, partners and community members to promote the coordination of the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, law enforcement, Child Protective Services, advocates, clinicians and medical providers and to meet the needs of children and families experiencing abuse, neglect, human trafficking and community violence.
Goodwill Industries
Support for Expungement Services: $5,000
Goodwill helps adults with disabilities or other disadvantages achieve and maintain employment. Since 2021, Goodwill has offered expungement services designed to guide individuals through the intricate legal process. Goodwill provides support to navigate the court process. LBF grant funds will be used to offset the court and filing fees associated with the expungement process for those individuals unable to pay these costs.
The Healing Place
Peer Mentor Program: $ 5,000
Many of the clients who come to The Healing Place for addiction recovery are involved in Jefferson County’s court system. The Peer Mentor Program at The Healing Place enlists men and women who have completed the program to serve as role models and mentors for those newer participants. These peer mentors provide one-on-one counseling and support. In particular, peer mentors help participants comply with court dates, court orders and other issues related to the justice system. LBF funds will support the Peer Mentor Program as it increases the chances of a participant’s successful recovery and the efficient resolution of court issues.
Kentucky Refugee Ministries
Immigration Legal Services: $20,000
Kentucky Refugee Ministries provides legal services to immigrants who have resettled in the Louisville area. Many of these immigrants need to file applications with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for permanent residence status or to petition for asylum. Due to recent developments and federal funding recissions, KRM looks to restructure how it delivers its legal services to existing and future clients. LBF grant funds will assist KRM to reposition its current service delivery model to a limited representation model while still maintaining services to current clients.
Kentucky YMCA Youth Association
Civic and Leadership Development: $5,000
Kentucky YMCA Youth Association’s conferences bridge classroom civics education with the personal understanding of our state’s branches of government. These experiential learning programs allow teens to meet their peers from throughout the state as they learn about the legislative process, understand the judicial and executive branches. The LBF grant will provide funds to make attendance and participation at these statewide conferences available to public school students in low-income communities which otherwise would not have access.
Legal Aid Society
Expungement Services Program: $30,000
Legal Aid Society has a long tradition of serving the civil legal needs of low-income individuals and families in Metro Louisville. LBF grant funds will support Legal Aid’s Expungement Services Program which provides comprehensive legal assistance to individuals seeking to clear criminal records through community clinics, pro se assistance, pro bono support and extended legal representation. This initiative removes barriers to employment, housing and education.
Louisville Bar Association
Summer Law Institute: $5,000
The Summer Law Institute is a partnership of the LBA, the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law and Bellarmine University. The program provides high school students with an opportunity to interact with prominent local attorneys, judges and professors. It is designed to attract talented, ambitious students who are interested in a career in the legal profession. LBF grant monies will cover a portion of the direct costs of the program, thereby keeping the tuition affordable.
Safe Haven
Family Support Program: $15, 800
Safe Haven is a supervised visitation site which provides a secure, neutral environment where children can safely interact with their non-custodial parents, free from fear, conflict or intimidation. The LBF grant funds will help cover intake fees and subsidize the visitation costs for parents requiring court-ordered services. This program will help families navigating custody disputes affected by domestic violence, dating violence or stalking.
UofL School of Law
Ackerson Law Clinic Eviction Defense Program: $10,000
The Ackerson Law Clinic at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law launched its Eviction Defense Program in 2024 to offer students practical experience in representing low-income clients in forcible detainer actions. Each clinic student obtains a limited license to practice under the supervision of a licensed supervising attorney. Legal services provided through the clinic are free of charge. Students gain knowledge and experience in litigation and interviewing skills, evidence collection, rules of evidence and legal research and analysis. The LBF grant funds support this program as it offers low-income clients free legal assistance while giving law students invaluable experience.
YMCA Safe Place
YNOW Mentoring Program: $5,000
YMCA Safe Place focuses on breaking the generational cycle of incarceration by providing youth who have an incarcerated or substance dependent parent with a mentoring program that engages the youth with a one-on-one trusted adult. The mentoring program is designed to help the youth overcome those barriers to success that result from the loss of adult guidance and financial stability. LBF grant funds will support a focused mentoring program for youth impacted by parental substance abuse, overdose and death.
Grant Evaluation Report
Organizations that are recipients of LBF grants are required to provide a report at the close of the grant year on the status of the project, the use of grant funds, and the accomplishments toward the objectives of the funded project.