Notice of Funding Availability: State Legal Aid Infrastructure & Innovation Grants
UPDATE 8/17/2023:
The California Access to Justice Commission (CalATJ) is pleased to announce that the 2023-2024 Legal Aid Infrastructure & Innovation Grant application has been released on SmartSimple. The application deadline is October 6, 2023. Early submissions will be appreciated.
By January 19, 2024, we plan to make conditional grant announcements to applicants being considered for final approval requesting grant budgets and additional information -- which should be submitted by February 2, 2024 (subject to extensions). We plan to announce the final approved grants by February 29, 2024. Funding of Grantees will start April 1, 2024, the beginning of the grant year.
The application process has not changed from last year. For information about the process and the grant program, a recorded 2022 webinar is available to view here. (The 2022 program dates mentioned in the webinar are replaced by the dates in this message.)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Please make sure you review eligibility and project requirements on the CalATJ website carefully before applying.
Visit the SmartSimple page and use your login credentials to access and submit your organization’s application. Or, if you do not yet have login credentials, click "Register." Instructional videos are available on the external landing page.
When you log in to SmartSimple, there will be a “Start a NEW Application” button on your home (landing) page. BEFORE starting a new application, click “Dashboard” in the top menu to view any draft applications and make sure a colleague has not already started an application for your organization.
If an application has not already been started, you can click “Home” in the top menu to return to the home page and start a new application.
Remember to “Save Draft” often!
If you have questions, please contact Celeste Orr at celesteorr.co@gmail.com
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For the third year, the State has appropriated $5,000,000 through the Judicial Council for the California Access to Justice Commission (CalATJ) to provide grants to nonprofit organizations that provide civil legal aid to indigent persons. These funds are to support infrastructure and innovation in organizations that provide legal services to create access to justice in civil matters. Applicants do not need to be IOLTA-funded to be eligible for these grants.
More information - including FAQs, eligibility requirements, timeline, and more - is available here. Sign up on the linked page to subscribe to news and updates regarding our grants or for more details about this grant opportunity, including notice of an upcoming webinar designed to address any inquiries. The anticipated application release date is August 17, 2023.