Alberta Law Foundation’s Grant Program – Canada

Deadline: 17-Aug-23

Interested organizations are now being encouraged to apply for the Alberta Law Foundation’s Grant Program.

Foundation Objectives

• Conducting research into and recommending reform of law and the administration of justice
• Establishing, maintaining, and operating law libraries.
• Contributing to the legal education and knowledge of the people of Alberta and providing programs and facilities for those purposes.
• Providing assistance to native people’s legal programs, student legal aid programs, and programs of like nature.
• Contributing to the costs incurred by the Legal Aid Society of Alberta to administer a plan to provide legal aid.

Priorities

• Research and Law Reform
  • Research must be conducted for the purpose of recommending reform of the law, legal policy or the administration of justice in Alberta.
• Law Libraries
  • The Foundation funds only law libraries which are accessible by the public.
  • The Foundation will fund collections and limited capital and operating costs but will not fund salaries of library personnel employed by government.
• Public Legal Education
  • The Foundation Directors believe it is important to provide PLE to a broad spectrum of Albertans, however, not at all costs.
  • PLE should not include university or professional legal education.
• Native Peoples Programs, Student Legal Aid Programs and Programs of Like Nature
  • “Native Peoples Legal Programs” may include initiatives in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action relevant to the Foundation’s mandate, research to reform the laws and the administration of justice affecting Indigenous people; public legal education and information designed for or directed toward Indigenous audiences; or direct legal advice and support services provided to Indigenous individuals.
  • “Student Legal Aid Programs” include programs whereby legal information and assistance is provided by students from the Faculty of Law at an Alberta University, under the supervision of a licensed Alberta lawyer.
  • “Programs of Like Nature” include, but are not limited to, programs providing legal advice, information and referral offered by Community Legal Clinics; court-based legal information and advice programs coordinated by Pro Bono Law Alberta and provided by volunteer lawyers; court support programs providing one-on-one information and support regarding court processes and procedures, forms completion, administrative claims and processes.

Activities

• Universities/Colleges/School Boards
  • Members of any university faculty and organizations associated with a university faculty must submit their projects through the faculty Dean.
  • The Foundation does not contribute to core program costs or course development, which should be the normal duty of the professor or instructor.
  • Honoraria for lawyers presenting public legal education workshops are not normally funded by the Foundation.
• Law Student Legal Assistance Programs must:
  • Have a Board of Directors or be under the responsibility of the Dean of the Faculty of Law. No student or non-student employees other than the student Executive Director will sit on the board.
  • Have a qualified supervising lawyer or lawyers.
• Conferences
  • A conference that is deemed to be a professional development activity for a particular group of professionals will not be funded by the Foundation.
  • All funded conferences must be open to the general public.
  • The Foundation does not normally fund the costs of delegates to conferences. This includes travel costs for individuals to attend conferences in other provinces or countries.
• National or International Activities
  • International projects are not normally funded, especially if administered from outside Alberta.
  • National programs or projects administered outside of Alberta must demonstrate a clear direct benefit to Albertans and have a commitment of funding from their own law foundation, or at least their strong written support.
• Materials to be made available to the public
  • Materials created with funding from the Foundation must be made available to the public free of charge or may be sold on a nominal or cost recovery basis only.
• Canadian Bar Association Alberta applications must be submitted through the provincial office.
• Audio, video and film productions must have a well-defined target audience and a committed distribution system.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants do not need to be registered charities. Applicants have to be incorporated as a non-profit entity or be a First Nation or Band Council. An applicant may be a subdivision of an incorporated entity, or operate as an unincorporated association as long as it has a board of directors or equivalent supervisory body.
• A project can benefit either a single community or several – what matters is that the proposed project is benefiting people in Alberta.
• Organizations based outside Alberta can apply to the Foundation for a grant if the proposed project will benefit the people of Alberta, and the program or project has the support of the local law foundation in your home province.

Ineligible

As a rule, the Foundation will not provide funding for the following purposes:

• Individuals;
• Commercial entities;
• International projects, except in exceptional circumstances;
• Sponsorships or donations;
• Endowment grants;
• Fellowships or sabbatical leaves;
• Political lobbies;
• Programs of government departments;
• Activities that have as the primary object the provision of social services;

For more information, visit Alberta Law Foundation.