Project Grants Call

– NOTICE –
PROJECT GRANTS CALL
NOW OPEN

Table of Contents

The Law Foundation of BC has created a $5 million grant fund to support one-time projects to advance access to justice for people and communities in British Columbia.

ELIGIBILITY

The Foundation will fund time-limited projects that improve access to justice for people and communities in BC through the creation of new programs or the expansion of existing ones.

Applications are expected to fit one of the following project types to be eligible for funding:

  1. Legal research projects that engage and centre communities most impacted by the research issues identified;
  2. Projects intended to expand, deepen or sustain the impact of existing programs. These projects could make program improvements in areas including but not limited to capacity, accessibility, and/or innovation; and
  3. Pilot projects.

To be eligible for funding, projects must also fall within one or more of the Foundation’s five statutory mandate areas:

  • Legal aid
  • Legal education
  • Legal research
  • Law reform
  • Law libraries

For more information on the Foundation’s mandate areas please click HERE.

The following will not be eligible for funding:

  • Projects that are not time-limited;
  • Individual court cases or litigation;
  • Major capital or infrastructure projects;
  • The development of by-laws, governance documents, or contracts; and
  • Projects seeking to start a new organization.

GRANT SIZE AND DURATION

Organizations can apply for up to $250,000 total. Grant-seekers will be prompted to indicate project duration. We anticipate projects will last between one and three years. Projects are not likely to start before fall 2025.

GRANTING PRIORITIES AND ASSESSMENT

Priority will be given to projects that have significant potential to improve access to justice in BC and that are aligned with the focus areas of the Foundation’s Strategic Plan. Specifically, this includes projects that seek to:

  • Advance justice system transformation and law reform;
  • Strengthen structural inclusion and systemic access to justice for under-served and equity-denied groups; and
  • Support low-income people and under-served and equity-denied groups to access and receive effective, networked, appropriate, culturally sensitive, and creative legal and advocacy services.

In assessing applications, the Foundation will also consider the following:

  • The demonstrated need for the project;
  • If the project is focused on supporting or serving a specific community or communities, how it will include and be accountable to those communities in its design and implementation;
  • How well-positioned the grant-seeker is to undertake the project given their skills, relationships, and understanding of the unique challenges and/or opportunities within a community;
  • Whether the project will benefit rural and remote communities; and
  • The clarity and feasibility of the project and budget as proposed.

WHO CAN APPLY

We welcome applications from existing non-profit organizations and collaborative entities/groups if they operate in BC and/or for the benefit of people living in BC.

The Foundation recognizes that organizations are collaborating to increase access to justice in BC. The Foundation welcomes projects that are collaborations between two or more organizations; however, the Foundation also welcomes projects from individual organizations.

Grant-seekers do not need to be registered charities.

HOW TO APPLY

Grant-seekers will complete an application using SmartSimple, the Foundation’s grant management system: lawfoundationbc.smartsimple.ca. Foundation staff may reach out to individual groups for additional details as needed. 

Organizations new to the Foundation’s SmartSimple system will need to create an account: 

  • After clicking on the Register button, please select Organization as your registration type.
  • Please then select Yes to the question “Are you applying for funding from the Law Foundation of BC?”
  • From there, you can enter your organization and key contact information. If you do not have an organizational address, simply enter “N/A” for all address fields during account set-up (please avoid providing any personal/home addresses).

The application questions can be viewed in PDF format without a SmartSimple account

This PDF is provided for reference only as the Foundation uses the SmartSimple online grant management system to receive grant applications.

If you have technology barriers, or a specific accessibility need, please reach out to a staff member at the Foundation to coordinate an alternative application method. You can contact one of our staff members at the information below.

TIMELINE

To be considered for funding, applications must be submitted in SmartSimple by 12 PM Pacific Time on Friday, March 21, 2025.

Decisions will be communicated to grant-seekers by fall 2025. 

HAVE QUESTIONS?

We are here to support you. You can get in touch with staff in any of the following ways:

Info Session

We hosted an optional information session over Zoom on February 18th, 2025 to provide an overview of the funding call and answer grant-seekers’ questions about the application process. 

You can find the slide deck HERE.

Please let us know by email if there are additional ways we can support you.

Email Us

We are happy to answer your questions via email as well. Please email accesstojustice[at]lawfoundationbc.org Envelope Icon with your message.