ACBF Legal Aid Grants - Letter of Inquiry

Allegheny County Bar Foundation Legal Aid Provider Grants

Letter of Inquiry (LOI) - 2023 Cycle
The ACBF supports programs that assist in responding to the changing legal needs in the community at large and promote the public understanding, interest and support of legal-related issues. Our legal aid grants program has a new process designed to connect applicants with the legal community.

The ACBF is now offering fixed-amount grant awards to approved grantees. Each application cycle, there will be a set number of grant awards available at the same amount. This year, there are 6 grant awards available at $10,000 each.

The new grant application process involves two rounds: first, a Letter of Inquiry submitted online; second, an opportunity for invited applicants to pitch the program in-person to ACBF Fellows, who fund the grants program. Pitches will be delivered live at a private pitch event, and Fellows will vote on the programs they want to fund after hearing the pitches. Pitches will be limited to 3-5 minutes in length, and applicants are encouraged to think creatively on how to propose their program. Audio/Visual technology is not permitted for the pitches - please, no keynotes! Information from the LOI will be published for ACBF Fellows to review ahead of the pitch event to get a basic understanding of the organization and the proposed project/program.

The ACBF grant timeline will be as follows:
- August 1: Online Letter of Inquiry (LOI) form opens for submission
- Sept 12: Deadline for LOI submissions
- Mid-September: ACBF Grants Committee meets to vet applications for mission alignment
- September 25: Applicants receive notice of approval or denial to move to live pitch round
- October 25: Pitch event takes place; ACBF Fellows vote on proposals; grant recipients announced following the event
Please contact Stephanie Selya at sselya@acba.org or (412) 402-6674 with any questions.

To begin your Letter of Inquiry, click NEXT.

Background Information
Name of Organization*
Should be the same as it appears on IRS Determination letter and IRS Form 990
Employer Identification Number (EIN)*
Year Founded*
Mission Statement*
Executive Director*

PrefixFirst NameLast NameSuffix
Executive Director Email*
example@example.com
Preferred Pronouns
Contact Person (if different from Executive Director)

PrefixFirst NameLast NameSuffix
Title
Email
example@example.com
Organization Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
Mailing address different from above?
Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
Phone Number*
Please enter a valid phone number.
Fax
Please enter a valid phone number.
Website*
Current Annual Operating Budget*
Proposal Information
Grant Request Name*
If requesting general operating support, write "General Operating Support."
Summary of Request*

Provide a 1-2 sentence summary of the proposed request. Please begin the summary statement with "To support..."0/450
Total Project Cost*
Type of Support*

General Operating SupportExisting Program/Project SupportNew Program/Project support
Definitions:
- General Operating Support: unrestricted funding that can be used flexibly to support any of an organization's costs to fulfill its mission (rather than supporting a specific project or program).
- Existing Program/Project Support: funding to support all or part of an already established or ongoing program or project.
- New Program/Project Support: funding to support or enable the establishment of a new program or project.
Project Start Date*

MonthDayYear
Date
Project End Date*

MonthDayYear
Date
Narrative Information
Overview of Grant Request*

Provide a clear explanation of what your organization proposes to do. If this is a request for general operating support, please share a concise overview of the work or programming of your organization.0/3000
Context/Background Information

Share any background information about the organization or group that would provide relevant context as we learn about this specific request, at this specific time.0/3000
Project Goals*

Please share the goals of what you wish to accomplish. If applying for general operating support, list the current goals of the organization's primary programs.0/3000
Population to be served*

Please be specific in terms of number, demographics, and geographic area.0/3000

Attachments
IRS Determination Letter*

Cancelof
IRS Form 990*

Cancelof
Program/Project Budget (see below for template)*

Cancelof
Sample Program/Project Budget Template
Current Operating Budget*

Cancelof
Audited Financial Statements*

Cancelof

Certification & Submission
I certify, to the best of my knowledge, that:
1. The tax-exempt status of this Organization is still in effect,
2. This Organization does not support or engage in any terrorist activity, and
3. If a grant is awarded to this Organization, the proceeds of that grant will not be distributed or used to benefit any organization or individual supporting or engaged in terrorism, or used for any other unlawful purpose.
Signature*

Clear
Date*

MonthDayYear
Date
Name*

First NameLast Name
Title*
Please verify that you are human*
Should be Empty:

Allegheny County Bar Foundation Legal Aid Provider Grants

Background Information

Proposal Information

Narrative Information

Attachments

Certification & Submission