Deadline: 2 October 2017
The Law Foundation of Ontario invites applications from nonprofit organizations across Canada to the Access to Justice Fund (ATJF) in the area of family law, including child protection.
This is a unique opportunity to further access to justice for families through innovative projects. Family law, including child protection, is an important area of focus for the Foundation because many people experiencing family problems struggle to use the law to improve their lives and address those problems.
Grants made from the ATJF are to be used to support public access to justice. While the phrase “access to justice” cannot have a single meaning, it is closely linked to the promotion of equity, fairness, and the elimination of barriers to justice (whether physical, psychological, financial, linguistic or social). It can include access by low-income or marginalized persons to information and services.
Grant Amount
Major grants of over $15,000 up to $250,000
Eligibility Criteria
Preference will be given to applications that address one (or more) of the following:
- Constitute novel or “breakthrough” innovations that could dramatically improve access to justice or outcomes for families
- Use technology to reach people more effectively
- Pilot programs that have a reasonable chance of finding ongoing funding (while the Foundation does not generally provide funding to government or legal aid agencies, the foundation is interested in ideas that have the support of those system partners)
- Will provide meaningful insights into outcomes in family law matters, particularly applied research that will provide insights into what is working and where improvements could be made. Any research proposal must demonstrate concrete benefit to community members.
- The Foundation is particularly interested in applications that address needs, including but not limited to:
- Supports for self-represented litigants
- Complex family law needs that intersect with other areas of law (e.g. refugee, immigration, criminal law, and child protection)
- Areas where no or very limited public funding is available for services (e.g. divorce)
- Child protection, in particular efforts to respond to the over-representation of certain populations, including Indigenous families, Black families, and Latin and Hispanic families
- Ensuring access to relevant help for all families, including LGBTQ families
- Poverty reduction strategies and links to family law
- Public legal education and information (PLEI) that assists the public in taking steps to identify, address, and resolve their family law disputes (Please note that the foundation is unlikely to fund the development of PLEI unless the application demonstrates that the proposed PLEI adds to and does not duplicate existing PLEI in the jurisdiction)
How to Apply
Applicants can apply via given website.
Eligible Country: Canada
For more information, please visit Access to Justice Fund.