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Responsive Grants Program

The Responsive Grants Program

The Law Foundation of Ontario funds a wide variety of programs and projects related to its statutory objects: legal education and legal research; legal aid; and the establishment, maintenance and operation of law libraries. Grants must be consistent with these legislated objects and with the LFO Vision & Mission.

We welcome applications from a wide range of organizations. To be eligible, your proposal must fit within one of our statutory objects, must benefit the people of Ontario, and must be a not-for-profit venture.If your proposal meets these minimum requirements, please review the rest of this section carefully.

In the event that you decide to proceed with an application, we recommend that you first review all information in this section , including the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions). If you still have questions that are not answered, feel free to call or email us.

For information on Fellowships, please go to the Fellowships section of this site.

IMPORTANT NOTICE – February 3, 2010: The information set out below remains in effect until further notice. The LFO’s Granting Guidelines, including the application schedule, have been significantly revised. Please review this section carefully for more information on our new requirements.

Our revenues are derived from the interest that accumulates on lawyers` and paralegals` mixed trust accounts. The LFO has been able to sustain its grant funding levels for a considerable length of time, despite the recession. However, prolonged and historic lows in interest rates have caused a dramatic decline in the LFO`s revenues, and it has become necessary to make significant changes to our regular granting program.

The major changes being implemented are changes to our application schedule and the maximum amounts for grants. The LFO continues to welcome innovative proposals that fit within its statutory objects. We remain committed to treating all applications fairly. In addition, from time to time, new granting programs may become available, so applicants are also encouraged to visit this website periodically for updates.

General Information about the Responsive Grants Program

Grants must be consistent with the LFOlegislated objects, Vision & Mission and Guiding Principles.
In addition to supporting programs and projects which originate in the legal community, the LFO supports law-related projects/programs from the broader community.
The LFO is particularly interested in programs and projects which show creativity and innovation.
The LFO encourages applications that propose partnerships and/or demonstrate an effort to secure additional or matching funding.
Grants are normally made to organizations rather than individuals. For example, the LFO does not accept requests from individuals for scholarship or bursary assistance.
Grants are intended to benefit the people of Ontario. In certain cases, grants may be made to organizations or programs that originate outside of the province which show a benefit to the people of Ontario.
Grants will not be made for commercial ventures or government-run programs or projects.
Grants will not be approved to support litigation or costs directly related to lobbying, advocating or promoting a particular position on a legal or public policy issue.

Responsive Grants Application Process

All granting decisions are made by the LFO Board of Trustees.

LFO staff are available to answer additional questions as you prepare your application.

As part of the application process, applicants are required to:

Submit an application using the LFO’s Responsive Grants Application Form
Provide sufficiently detailed information regarding the proposed use of funds
Respond to any requests from LFO staff for additional information in a timely fashion

Among many other considerations, the LFO will be looking for applications to demonstrate:

that the proposed work clearly fits within the LFO’s objects, Vision, Mission and Guiding Principles;
that the requesting organization has the skills and experience to plan and carry out the project; and
that the applicant is ready to be fully accountable to the LFO for monies granted.

We encourage all applicants (especially first-time applicants) to contact LFO staff for advice on the application process. Once your application has been received, LFO staff may contact you for further information as part of the assessment process. The more that the LFO understands about your organization and your proposed program or project, the better assistance we can provide. Please remember, however, that LFO staff must remain impartial and cannot advocate on your behalf to the LFO board.

Application Schedule for Responsive Grants As of February 2010, the LFO has changed its application process for Small and Major Grants, and has also changed the maximum amounts for both types of applications. The following schedule and maximum amounts for Small and Major Grants are now in effect and remain in effect until further notice:

Small Grants - up to $15,000 (Two application cycles per year)

Application Deadline #1	March 31
Decision By	Early June
Application Deadline #2	September 15
Decision By	Early December

Major Grants - up to $100,000 (One application cycle per year)

Letter of Intent Deadline *	March 31
Decision By	Early May
Full Application Deadline *	June 15
Decision By	Early December

* Important Note: Only Letters of Intent that are approved in May will be invited to submit a full application in June. However, an invitation to submit a full application is not a guarantee that you will receive funding in December.

Click here for the Application Form and Instructions (one document sets out all requirements for Small Grants, Letters of Intent, and Major Grants).
On occasion, grant applications may be sent to an outside expert for review on a confidential basis.
Please remember, there is no guarantee that your application will go forward on any specific Board meeting date.
Successful grant applicants will receive a Letter of Agreement which will contain Grant Terms & Conditions. We recommend that you review the terms of this Agreement before you submit a Letter of Intent or any application for funding.

Guiding Principles

The Foundation exists to benefit the people of Ontario in Canada and the world.
The Foundation addresses social and economic issues through its support of programs that increase access to justice.
The Foundation encourages excellence in the legal profession.
The Foundation is committed to enhancing the public’s experience with the law.
The Foundation enables organizations that have the capacity to play a leadership role by being vibrant, progressive, and self-critical; and is interested in work that over time will be regenerative.
The Foundation encourages collaboration in pursuit of access to justice: by itself partnering with others; through actively promoting partnerships among grantees; and by supporting collaboration between the legal profession and the public at large.
The Foundation encourages and promotes new thinking about current and emerging legal issues.
The Foundation supports non-commercial and not-for-profit activity.
The Foundation values learning, transparency and accountability, both in its own work and in that of the organizations it supports.

Acknowledging a Responsive Grant

Please see the For Grantees section for more information on acknowledging a responsive grant.

Responsive Grants: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

I am applying for funding for an event that is scheduled to take place before your scheduled decision date. Is there any way I can get an early decision?: We cannot provide early decisions to any applicants. Because we have limited funding available for project grants, we will not be able to fund all meritorious proposals. We are committed to treating all applications fairly, and so need to consider all applications at the same time. We encourage applications to be submitted well in advance of the planned event date.
My grant proposal may cost more than $15,000. Can I submit applications to both the Small Grant and Major Grant deadlines to increase my chances of getting funding?: We recommend that you submit one application per project. Please review the revised Granting Guidelines, including the new application schedule, and choose the process that best meets your needs.

Do we have to be a registered charity in order to apply for a grant?: No, you need only be non-profit corporation, university or community college. If you are a non-profit with charitable status, please include your registered charity number on your application.
I am a student applying to law school. Can I apply to the Law Foundation for a scholarship?: The Law Foundation of Ontario does not provide scholarships directly to students. A number of Ontario law schools have created scholarships with the funding they receive from us – we suggest that you contact law schools directly for scholarship information.
Can an individual apply for a grant, e.g. for research?: No, applications need to be made by a non-profit organization, a university or a community college.
Can an unincorporated committee apply for a grant?: Yes, if administration of the grant can be done through an appropriate accountability structure, e.g. through a law firm in trust, or an incorporated non-profit.
Does a proposed project have to benefit more than one geographic community in order to meet the Foundation’s requirement to “provide a benefit to Ontario”?: A project can benefit either a single geographic community or several – what matters is that a benefit is provided somewhere in the province.
Can an organization outside Ontario apply to the LFO for a grant?: Yes, organizations based outside Ontario can apply to the LFO for a grant if the proposed project offers a benefit to the people of Ontario.

Is there a limit on the number of applications we can make to the Law Foundation?: We recommend that you submit one application per project. Please review all of the information in this section, including the application schedule, and choose the process that best meets your needs.
Do you have a fixed amount of available funding that is allocated to specific geographic regions?: No. Applications from any area of the province are welcome.
Do you have a fixed amount of funding allocated to each of your four statutory objects (legal research, legal education, legal aid, law libraries)?: No.
We have an idea for a pilot project that could be 3 years long. Do we have to apply for all 3 years’ worth of funding at once, or do we have to apply at the start of each year?: You do not have to apply on an annual basis for a project that will last longer than one year. You could submit a single application for the 3-year pilot project, or you could apply in phases. For example, if you have an idea for a large project but can’t develop the full project plan until a needs assessment or background research is done, you could start with a smaller application first for the initial development phase, which could be used to then develop the larger application for the full project.
Do you require an applicant to find funding from other sources?: We encourage partnerships with other funders but it is not a requirement. We encourage all applicants to contribute in-kind services.
If we have identified other potential funders for our project idea, do you require us to provide confirmation of their commitment before you will consider our application to you?: No, you do not need to have a commitment from your other funder(s), but you should indicate in your application to us which other funder(s) you are approaching, the amount you are requesting from them, and the status of your application to them.
Do you require an applicant to have other partners involved in the implementation of the project?: No, an applicant can apply as the sole project implementer. However, we like to encourage community partnerships and networking, so if your project idea lends itself well to such partnerships, we encourage you to look into those possibilities.

If, in your application, you indicate the intent to partner with another community organization, you should include a written statement of commitment from the partner(s).

Eligible Costs

I understand that you do not fund on-going programs that are already established. What about an expansion to an existing program, or trying out a new way of delivering the same program?

Yes, the Foundation would consider a proposal to pilot the adaptation of an existing program (for example in another geographic area) or to pilot a new way of delivering an existing program.

Will you fund core operating costs associated with a project? If so, do you fund on the basis of a set percentage of total project costs?

Yes, we will fund core operating costs if they can be shown to be directly related to the project. Rather than cover such costs on the basis of a flat percentage, we prefer to fund on the basis of actual need, so your application should demonstrate the connection between the project and the expense.

I understand that the Foundation will not fund capital expenditures. Are office furniture or computer equipment considered to be capital expenditures?

We will not fund capital expenditures for immoveable assets (i.e. buildings). Usually, applicant organizations will be expected to include equipment or office furniture expenses as in-kind contributions. In addition, modifications to accommodate a project employee with a disability may also be eligible.

We are developing an idea for a large project, one component of which we think might fall within your mandate. Can we apply to the Foundation for just that portion of the project?

Yes.

We are applying for funding to offer workshops on legal topics to people with low incomes. Can we include costs for bus tokens and babysitting expenses?

Yes.

We are developing an application for a large project that would be piloted over 2 years. To help us secure future funding, evaluation results showing the pilot to be successful would be extremely helpful. Can we include the cost of an evaluation in our application to the Law Foundation for seed funding?

Yes.

We heard that the LFO wants applicants to evaluate the effectiveness of the projects that receive grants. We’re a small non-profit and don’t have the resources or expertise to do evaluations. Can this expense be included in the application?

Yes, the cost of evaluation is an eligible project expense because we believe evaluation results are of value not just to the LFO but also can help grantees to improve the program and in seeking out other funding sources. Remember, too, that an evaluation does not need to be an expensive, time-consuming undertaking. The evaluation plan should be commensurate with the size and nature of the project being funded.

We would like to apply for a grant for a conference – what costs are eligible for LFO funding?

The following kinds of costs would be considered normal for a conference event:

Venue
Audio-visual equipment, including webcasts
Basic catering
Travel & accommodation expenses for speakers (at economy rates)
Travel subsidies to enable students, low-income registrants, or representatives from community organizations to attend the event (attendees must be residents of Ontario)
Translation
Development & printing of conference materials
Promotion of the event
Coordination of participant registrations
Development & dissemination of conference proceedings

If you have other expenses that may be incurred, you should consult with LFO staff before including them in your grant application.

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I am a faculty member at an Ontario university and would like to apply to you for a research project. Does my application have to be submitted by the university, or can I submit it directly to you?: You can submit your application to us directly or through your school (whether university or college). However, if you submit your application to us directly, we request that you include confirmation that your department/faculty head is aware of your application.
I am a university researcher and am working on a book on a legal issue. Can I apply to the LFO for funding to cover my research and writing costs?: The LFO does not fund individual books.
In order to carry out this research project, I will need two course releases. Can I include the cost of a replacement instructor to cover my course releases?: Because teaching is a core responsibility of any university, we will not fund course releases. However, we will fund other expenses associated with the proposed research, including the hiring of students as research assistants.
The LFO has stated that it will not fund on-going expenses or capital acquisitions. Are library collections an exception?: Yes.
Will the LFO fund legal collections in libraries other than law schools?: Yes, the LFO would consider funding legal collections in libraries that are open to the public or that are in a university or community college.

Our grant application has been approved – what happens next?: You will be asked to review and sign a standard Letter of Agreement (posted on this website), which may also have special conditions added that are specific to your grant. In general, the first instalment is paid soon after receipt of the signed Letter of Agreement, and remaining instalments are paid in accordance with the schedule drawn up to suit your particular project.
What is the payment schedule?: The payment schedule is developed in consultation with the grantee. In general, the LFO makes payments in advance, in accordance with each grantee’s needs, and subject to any special conditions of approval being met. The Foundation makes every effort to accommodate special requirements (for instance, where significant expenses have to be incurred at an early stage of the project).

For all projects, the final payment is a small hold-back instalment that is paid out on receipt of the final report.
What are your reporting requirements?: Reporting requirements are tailored to the circumstances of each project. All grantees are required to submit budget-to-actual financial reports. In addition, grantees may be asked to submit interim progress reports. All grantees are required to submit a final report in order to receive payment of the final grant instalment. Instalment payments are always conditional upon receipt of required reports, in accordance with the schedule established between the Foundation and the grantee.