Expanding Efforts with Pro Bono Innovation Fund Grant
We are delighted to report that we have yet again gotten a special Pro Bono Innovations Fund (PBIF) grant from the Legal Services Corporation. LSC created the PBIF program to fund innovative projects aimed at getting private lawyers involved in legal aid work. We have received PBIF grant funding every year since the program was created, and in fact are the only program in the country to have done so. Our total awards have amounted to over $ 1 million! In order to spread our success to other parts of the country, LSC’s most recent grant awarded us even more than we applied for.
Our initial PBIF grant supported the Expanded Services Project (ESP). ESP uses pro bono lawyers to follow up with clients to find out the results of advice we have given them and to provide them extra legal help. We had already documented that such follow up increased the positive outcomes for clients from 50% to over 80%. Our newer grants, including our most recent one, have been aimed at spreading ESP and other limited scope pro bono projects throughout Legal Aid, so that pro bono is integrated in our provision of high quality holistic services to clients.
A description of the details of what we are planning to do with our newest grant can be found in the LSC announcement of our award. In addition, you can read the Daily Report’s article about the grant and our Tax Appeals Project.