The Louisiana Bar Foundation (LBF), awarded more than $12.6 million in grants to assist women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities, the newly unemployed, and those facing loss of their homes with civil legal aid issues. Civil legal aid is free legal advice, representation, or other legal assistance provided to low-income and vulnerable people who cannot otherwise afford legal help. Access to civil legal aid makes communities stronger by helping people that need it most.
LBF is part of a statewide network of local nonprofits and civil legal aid organizations who serve the region’s poorest citizens. These funds will provide services that go to the very heart of the health, safety, and security issues many citizens experience. LBF President Deidre Deculus Robert explains, “The LBF plays a critical role managing the funds allocated and entrusted to them by the Louisiana Supreme Court and others, they carry out the principle of providing representation and advocacy by funding organizations and agencies that provide that support to those in need who do not have the resources themselves to secure that support.”
The grants for this year are listed below. The agencies that serve all of Louisiana are listed first in the statewide section. The remainder of the grants are listed by geographical area. Some agencies serve more than one geographical region of Louisiana and/or receive a grant in more than one funding category.
* denotes an agency that serves more than one geographical region of Louisiana
+ denotes an agency that received a grant in more than one funding category
To view grants by funding category, go to https://raisingthebar.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/grants-flyer-823.pdf
STATEWIDE $1,524,034
Innocence Project New Orleans $30,000
Louisiana Center for Law and Civic Education $77,000
Louisiana State Bar Association Young Lawyers Division $17,000
NO/AIDS Task Force dba CrescentCare $79,200
+Disability Rights Louisiana $123,181
The Ella Project $15,000
Jock Scott Community Partnership Grants $225,000
Kids’ Chance Scholarships $38,000
Lagniappe Law Lab $484,713
Louisiana Appleseed $279,940
Pro Hac Vice $95,000
Speak Out for Justice! Focus On Civil Legal Aid $10,000
Access to Justice Fund Grants $50,000
ACADIANA $4,956,606
*Acadiana Legal Service Corporation $4,284,035
+*Catholic Charities – Diocese of Baton Rouge $200,836
*Chez Hope, Inc. $121,137
*Faith House, Inc. $70,791
*Frontline Legal Services, Inc. $60,000
Lafayette Bar Foundation $144,807
The Extra Mile-Lafayette $75,000
BAYOU REGION $7,817,846
*Acadiana Legal Service Corporation (St. Mary Parish only) $4,284,035
+*Catholic Charities – Diocese of Baton Rouge $200,836
+*Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans $65,000
*Chez Hope, Inc. $121,137
*Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes only) $3,028,838
The Haven, Inc. $118,000
CAPITAL AREA $3,942,163
+Baton Rouge Children’s Advocacy Center $50,181
+*Baton Rouge Bar Foundation $228,806
+*Catholic Charities – Diocese of Baton Rouge $200,836
*Chez Hope, Inc. $121,137
*Frontline Legal Services, Inc. $60,000
*Justice and Accountability Center of Louisiana $157,365
*Metro Centers for Community Advocacy $95,000
*Southeast Louisiana Legal Services $3,028,838
CENTRAL AREA $5,228,652
*Acadiana Legal Service Corporation $4,284,035
*Beauregard Community Concerns $49,483
+*Catholic Charities – Diocese of Baton Rouge $200,836
*Catholic Charities of North Louisiana $78,600
Central Louisiana Pro Bono Project, Inc. $93,744
*D.A.R.T. (Domestic Abuse Resistance Team) $72,915
*Faith House, Inc. $70,791
Family Justice Center of Central Louisiana $67,492
Fostering Community-Rapides $75,000
*Project Celebration, Inc. $105,000
*The Wellspring Alliance for Families $130,756
GREATER NEW ORLEANS $4,410,318
+*Catholic Charities – Diocese of Baton Rouge $200,836
+*Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans $65,000
Family Violence Program of St. Bernard $35,000
First Grace Community Alliance $40,000
*Frontline Legal Services, Inc. $60,000
*Justice and Accountability Center of Louisiana $157,365
+Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights $64,000
+Loyola University New Orleans College of Law $123,456
*Metro Centers for Community Advocacy $95,000
Project SAVE, a program of Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans $133,426
*Southeast Louisiana Legal Services $3,028,838
*The Pro Bono Project $407,397
NORTHEAST $5,086,979
*Acadiana Legal Service Corporation $4,284,035
+*Catholic Charities – Diocese of Baton Rouge $200,836
*Catholic Charities of North Louisiana $78,600
*D.A.R.T. (Domestic Abuse Resistance Team) $72,915
Northeast Louisiana Bar Foundation $107,656
*Project Celebration, Inc. $105,000
*T.E.A.M.S. Training, Education and Mediation for Students $32,181
*The Wellspring Alliance for Families $205,756
NORTHSHORE $3,702,993
+*Baton Rouge Bar Foundation $228,806
+*Catholic Charities – Diocese of Baton Rouge $200,836
+*Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans $65,000
*Frontline Legal Services, Inc. $60,000
Safe Harbor $20,000
*Southeast Louisiana Legal Services $3,028,838
Southeast Spouse Abuse Program dba Southeast Advocates for Family Empowerment (SAFE) $26,000
STARC of La, Inc $10,000
*The Pro Bono Project $407,397
Youth Service Bureau of St. Tammany $39,000
NORTHWEST $4,775,122
*Acadiana Legal Service Corporation $4,284,035
*Catholic Charities of North Louisiana $78,600
*Project Celebration, Inc. $105,000
Shreveport Bar Foundation $275,306
*T.E.A.M.S. Training, Education and Mediation for Students $32,181
SOUTHWEST $4,524,802
*Acadiana Legal Service Corporation $4,284,035
*Beauregard Community Concerns $49,483
Jeff Davis Communities Against Domestic Abuse $25,000
Oasis A Safe Haven for Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence $30,000
Southwest Louisiana Bar Foundation $106,284
Southwest Louisiana Law Center $30,000
