The American Bar Endowment strengthens the justice system by funding law-related research, education, public service and programs that expand access to justice, improve the justice system, and raise public understanding of legal rights and responsibilities. Much of its charitable funding is generated by dividends donated by members who participate in ABE-sponsored insurance.
The American Bar Endowment’s largest recent grants go to two Chicago institutions: the American Bar Foundation and the ABA Fund for Justice and Education, each receiving $3,830,000 in 2025 after $3,637,363 apiece in 2024. That pattern points to a funder that uses major annual support to anchor legal research and public service infrastructure, while also making smaller grants to organizations working on access to justice, legal education, and legal rights awareness. Across its recent grant list, the endowment backs both national legal institutions and local direct-service groups. The American Bar Foundation support is unrestricted and tied to law-related research, while funding to the ABA Fund for Justice and Education supports public service and educational programs. Other recent grants reach legal aid providers, immigration legal organizations, and groups working with children, families, and victims of crime. Typical awards cluster around $25,000, but the portfolio also includes larger support such as $40,000 to Legal Aid of Nebraska and $24,100 to the Memphis Public Interest Law Center. The endowment’s giving is shaped by law-related purposes rather than a single practice area. Its stated emphasis includes access to justice, justice system improvement, legal education and research, public legal education, and pro bono and legal services delivery.
In access-to-justice work, the American Bar Endowment awarded $25,000 to Pro Bono Net in 2025 for general support, and $40,000 to Legal Aid of Nebraska in 2024. These grants fit a broader pattern of funding organizations that help people navigate legal needs and improve service delivery. Immigration-related legal work also appears in the recent grant list. The endowment gave $25,000 to The Right to Immigration Institute in 2025, $25,000 to California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice in 2025, and $25,000 to Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project in 2024. The foundation also supports organizations focused on children, families, and legal services for vulnerable groups. Recent awards include $25,000 to National Association of Counsel for Children and $20,500 to National Center for Victims of Crime Inc, showing attention to legal issues affecting children, survivors, and families. Research and legal-sector capacity are part of the mix as well, with $21,601 to Montclair State University in 2024 and $25,000 to Ideas42 in 2025 for general support.
$9.3M
$224M
$30.4M
$14.3M
Most grants fall between $21K and $25K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$21K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$25K
DANA HILL
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Recent grants cluster tightly around a $25,000 norm: the reported p25 is $20,500, the median is $25,000, and the p75 is also $25,000. That indicates many awards are set at a standard level, with a smaller set of larger institutional grants. The pattern is recurring rather than one-off. The American Bar Foundation and the ABA Fund for Justice and Education each received major unrestricted grants in both 2024 and 2025, showing sustained annual support. The foundation is a regular funder and also makes program-related investments. It funds with a thematic, law-related approach and includes unrestricted and general operating support in its recent grantmaking. Unsolicited applications are accepted for some active programs, including Opportunity Grants and the American Bar Foundation support.
Giving is national, with all recent grants in the United States. The top state by grant count is Massachusetts, while 12% of grants go to recipients in Illinois, the headquarters state. Recent recipient locations include New York, New York; Oakland, California; Washington, DC; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Omaha, Nebraska. The concentration in Chicago-based institutions is notable, but the broader portfolio reaches legal and public-interest organizations across multiple regions.
Its stated focus includes access to justice, justice system improvement, legal education and research, public legal education, and pro bono and legal services delivery. Recent grants also show support for legal research, immigration legal services, children and family rights, and public service programs tied to the legal profession.
Yes. The American Bar Foundation and the ABA Fund for Justice and Education each received major unrestricted grants in 2024 and again in 2025. That repeated pattern shows annual support to core institutions, alongside smaller grants to other organizations.
The reported grant-size distribution centers on $25,000. The p25 is $20,500, the median is $25,000, and the p75 is $25,000, so many awards land at that level even though some institutional grants are much larger.
Yes for some programs. The Opportunity Grants program accepts unsolicited applications, and the American Bar Foundation support is also listed as accepting unsolicited requests. Other funding relationships, such as certain long-standing partner grants, are not open to unsolicited applications.
Its giving is national, but Massachusetts is the top state by grant count. Illinois, the headquarters state, accounts for 12% of grants, and recent recipient cities include Chicago, New York, Oakland, Washington, New Orleans, and Omaha.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN BAR FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $3,940,342 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ABA FUND FOR JUSTICE & EDUCATION | CHICAGO, IL | $3,937,076 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY | ALLENTOWN, PA | $322,609 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT | WASHINGTON, DC | $231,830 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND | BOSTON, MA | $155,407 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MOUNT VERNON LADIES' ASSOCIATION OF THE UNION | MOUNT VERNON, VA | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER PITTSBURGH | PITTSBURGH, PA | $84,451 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHABAD LUBAVITCH OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY INC | ALLENTOWN, PA | $54,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN IMMIGRATION COUNCIL | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE ARC OF THE CAPITAL AREA | AUSTIN, TX | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CENTER FOR JUSTICE AND HUMAN DIGNITY (CJHD) | OLYMPIA, WA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SANTA FE DREAMERS PROJECT | SANTA FE, NM | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DETROIT JUSTICE CENTER | DETROIT, MI | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| INTEGRATIVE COMMUNITIES DBA THE SOCIAL IMPACT CENTER | RESEDA, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ASYLUM SEEKER ADVOCACY PROJECT (ASAP) | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| REDEMPTION EARNED INC | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| KIDS IN NEED OF DEFENSE (KIND INC) | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT | PITTSBURGH, PA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ECONOMIC JUSTICE INSTITUTE INC | MADISON, WI | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PUBLIC INTEREST LAW CENTER OF NEW JERSEY DBA NEW JERSEY APPLESEED | NEWARK, NJ | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TULSA BALLET THEATER INC | TULSA, OK | $23,964 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL CENTER FOR STATE COURTS | WILLIAMSBURG, VA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL JUDICIAL COLLEGE | RENO, NV | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| KANSAS UNIVERSITY ENDOWMENT ASSOCIATION | LAWRENCE, KS | $16,636 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY | LEXINGTON, KY | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| VERMONTS CAMP TAKUMTA | SOUTH HERO, VT | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HUMANE SOCIETY OF ROCHESTER AND MONROE COUNTY PCA INC | FAIRPORT, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FEEDING AMERICA | CHICAGO, IL | $12,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THOMAS MORE UNIVERSITY | CRESTVIEW HLS, KY | $10,419 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY | KANAB, UT | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TRUST | JENKINTOWN, PA | $5,577 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN BAR FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $3,830,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED,SUPPORTS LAW-RELATED PROJECTSAND PROGRAMS |
| ABA FUND FOR JUSTICE & EDUCATION | CHICAGO, IL | $3,830,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED,SUPPORTS LAW-RELATED PROJECTSAND PROGRAMS |
| CALIFORNIA COLLABORATIVE FOR IMMIGRANT JUSTICE | OAKLAND, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MOUNT VERNON LADIES' ASSOCIATION OF THE UNION | MOUNT VERNON, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HOME IS HERE NOLA | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PARTNERS FOR JUSTICE | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| IDEAS42 | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CODE THE DREAM | DURHAM, NC | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE RIGHT TO IMMIGRATION INSTITUTE | WALTHAM, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PRO BONO NET | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNSEL FOR CHILDREN | DENVER, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEIGHBORHOOD CHRISTIAN LEGAL CLINIC INC | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $23,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL CENTER FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME INC | ARLINGTON, VA | $20,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| START SMALL THINK BIG INC | NEW YORK, NY | $20,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WOMEN ON THE RISE GA | HAPEVILLE, GA | $20,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION | BETHESDA, MD | $17,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DC REFERS | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHABAD LUBAVITCH OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY | ALLENTOWN, PA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ABA FUND FOR JUSTICE & EDUCATION | CHICAGO, IL | $3,637,363 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED, SUPPORTS LAW-RELATED PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS |
AMERICAN BAR FOUNDATION
$3,940,342GENERAL SUPPORT
ABA FUND FOR JUSTICE & EDUCATION
$3,937,076GENERAL SUPPORT
JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY
$322,609GENERAL SUPPORT
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT
$231,830GENERAL SUPPORT
FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND
$155,407GENERAL SUPPORT
MOUNT VERNON LADIES' ASSOCIATION OF THE UNION
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER PITTSBURGH
$84,451GENERAL SUPPORT
CHABAD LUBAVITCH OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY INC
$54,000GENERAL SUPPORT
AMERICAN IMMIGRATION COUNCIL
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE ARC OF THE CAPITAL AREA
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CENTER FOR JUSTICE AND HUMAN DIGNITY (CJHD)
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SANTA FE DREAMERS PROJECT
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DETROIT JUSTICE CENTER
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
INTEGRATIVE COMMUNITIES DBA THE SOCIAL IMPACT CENTER
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ASYLUM SEEKER ADVOCACY PROJECT (ASAP)
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
REDEMPTION EARNED INC
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
KIDS IN NEED OF DEFENSE (KIND INC)
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ECONOMIC JUSTICE INSTITUTE INC
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PUBLIC INTEREST LAW CENTER OF NEW JERSEY DBA NEW JERSEY APPLESEED
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TULSA BALLET THEATER INC
$23,964GENERAL SUPPORT
NATIONAL CENTER FOR STATE COURTS
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NATIONAL JUDICIAL COLLEGE
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
KANSAS UNIVERSITY ENDOWMENT ASSOCIATION
$16,636GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
VERMONTS CAMP TAKUMTA
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HUMANE SOCIETY OF ROCHESTER AND MONROE COUNTY PCA INC
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FEEDING AMERICA
$12,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THOMAS MORE UNIVERSITY
$10,419GENERAL SUPPORT
BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TRUST
$5,577GENERAL SUPPORT
AMERICAN BAR FOUNDATION
$3,830,000UNRESTRICTED,SUPPORTS LAW-RELATED PROJECTSAND PROGRAMS
ABA FUND FOR JUSTICE & EDUCATION
$3,830,000UNRESTRICTED,SUPPORTS LAW-RELATED PROJECTSAND PROGRAMS
CALIFORNIA COLLABORATIVE FOR IMMIGRANT JUSTICE
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MOUNT VERNON LADIES' ASSOCIATION OF THE UNION
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HOME IS HERE NOLA
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PARTNERS FOR JUSTICE
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
IDEAS42
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CODE THE DREAM
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE RIGHT TO IMMIGRATION INSTITUTE
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PRO BONO NET
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNSEL FOR CHILDREN
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NEIGHBORHOOD CHRISTIAN LEGAL CLINIC INC
$23,500GENERAL SUPPORT
NATIONAL CENTER FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME INC
$20,500GENERAL SUPPORT
START SMALL THINK BIG INC
$20,500GENERAL SUPPORT
WOMEN ON THE RISE GA
$20,500GENERAL SUPPORT
CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION
$17,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DC REFERS
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CHABAD LUBAVITCH OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ABA FUND FOR JUSTICE & EDUCATION
$3,637,363UNRESTRICTED, SUPPORTS LAW-RELATED PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS
Current and upcoming funding from American Bar Endowment that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Applications are accepted for new, innovative programs serving the immediate legal needs of the public, with a focus on vulnerable and underserved populations and justice-system improvement.
Deadline: The 2026 grant cycle is now closed. The 2027 grant cycle will open in Summer 2026.
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