About Connecticut Bar Foundation
CBF is a non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating system change that advances civil justice for all, regardless of power or resources, to achieve a more just and equitable society. CBF advances civil justice by stewarding funding, volunteers, programming, data, innovation, and collaboration to lead and partner in integrated approaches to improving the administration of civil justice.
Focus Areas
Civil legal aid for low-income residentsHousing and eviction preventionDomestic violence and protective ordersImmigration and services for unaccompanied childrenChildren's legal servicesVeterans legal servicesLaw school scholarships and legal educationSystem-level access to justice initiatives
Who They Fund
law students (scholarship recipients)individuals seeking civil legal aid/clients of legal services
About Connecticut Bar Foundation
Connecticut Bar Foundation directs most of its grantmaking toward civil legal aid providers that serve low-income Connecticut residents, with the largest recent awards going to Connecticut Legal Services, New Haven Legal Assistance, and Greater Hartford Legal Aid. The foundation’s funding is tied to access to justice work across the state, including operating support for legal service organizations, right-to-counsel efforts, and programs that help people facing housing instability, domestic violence, and other civil legal problems. Its recent awards show sustained support for core legal aid infrastructure rather than isolated projects. Connecticut Legal Services received more than $11.3 million in 2025, while New Haven Legal Assistance and Greater Hartford Legal Aid each received multi-million-dollar grants across multiple years. The foundation also supports organizations focused on children, veterans, fair housing, and legal rights advocacy, including the Center for Children's Advocacy, Connecticut Veterans Legal Center, Connecticut Fair Housing Center, and Connecticut Legal Rights Project. The foundation’s program structure includes annual legal services grants, the Right to Counsel initiative, and state-administered programs for temporary restraining orders and eviction defense. It also supports scholarships and specialized funds connected to legal education, reentry, and post-exoneration assistance.
What Connecticut Bar Foundation Funds
Civil legal aid is the clearest throughline in Connecticut Bar Foundation’s giving. In 2025, it granted $860,754 to the Center for Children's Advocacy in Hartford to provide legal services, and $823,549 to Connecticut Veterans Legal Center in West Haven for the same purpose. These awards sit alongside larger operating grants for statewide legal aid organizations that handle representation and brief legal assistance. Housing and eviction prevention are another major focus. The foundation gave $281,490 to Connecticut Fair Housing Center in Hartford in 2025 to provide legal services, and it supported Open Communities Alliance in Hartford with $125,135 for legal services. The grant list also shows continued backing for tenant-related work through programs connected to Right to Counsel. Children’s legal services and disability-related advocacy appear as well. The Children’s Law Center of Connecticut in Hartford received $295,382 in 2025, while Connecticut Legal Rights Project in Middletown received $794,441 in 2025 for legal services.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$26.3M
Total Assets
$54.7M
Total Revenue
$43.3M
Total Expenses
$28.3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $71K and $772K, with a median of $385K.
25th Percentile
$71K
Median
$385K
75th Percentile
$772K
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
About 100% of grants go to recipients in CT.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
BRUCE HILTUNEN STARTED MAY 23
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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