What kinds of organizations does Dallas Bar Foundation fund?

Its grantmaking covers law-related education, legal services for the indigent, historical preservation, and the furtherance of justice under the law. Recent grants include support for law schools, a legal aid organization, a historical society, and professional development through the local bar association.

Does Dallas Bar Foundation accept unsolicited applications?

Yes. The Dallas Bar Foundation Grants Program is described as a competitive grant program and it accepts unsolicited applications.

What is the typical size of a William E. Collins Clerkship award?

The William E. Collins Clerkship is listed at $3,300–$4,300. The program also specifies a weekly stipend of $550, with an additional $1,000 housing allowance for a clerk placed with the Supreme Court of Texas.

What geographic area does the foundation appear to support most often?

Its recent grants are all in the United States, and the recipient cities are heavily centered in Dallas, TX. Dallas appears on multiple recent awards, alongside one grant to a Texas legal aid organization.

Dallas Bar Foundation

Name: Dallas Bar Foundation — grants, 990 financials & funding data
Creator: Kindora

ActivePublic CharityCrime & Legal-Related

dallas, TXWebsiteEIN: 23-74100311 filings on record

About Dallas Bar Foundation

To empower the existing and future legal community in Dallas through scholarships, clerkships, and charitable legal initiatives and to help preserve the historical significance of past generations of lawyers in our community.

Focus Areas

scholarships for law studentsstudent clerkships/internshipsgrants to 501(c)(3) legal and law-related organizationsFirst Amendment / media law fellowshipminority student pipeline and diversity initiativeslegal aid for the indigentlaw-related research, publications, and forumshistorical preservation and observances

Who They Fund

law studentspracticing lawyers/attorneyslegal educatorslegal historians/archivists

About Dallas Bar Foundation

Dallas Bar Foundation’s giving is anchored by legal education and the institutions that shape Dallas’s legal community. In 2025, its largest recent grant went to UNT Dallas College of Law for law education scholarships, alongside support for SMU Dedman School of Law and Texas A&M University School of Law. That pattern points to a funder that invests in students and the pipeline into the profession, while also backing the civic and historical institutions tied to the local bar. The foundation also funds legal services and public-interest work. A recent grant to Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center shows support for legal aid, and another to Dallas Historical Society reflects an interest in preserving legal history and community memory. Its stated mission emphasizes scholarships, clerkships, charitable legal initiatives, and the historical significance of past generations of lawyers in the community. The grant program structure reinforces that mix. Alongside competitive grants for law-related education, indigent legal services, and historical preservation, the foundation operates named clerkships and internships for law students, plus a leadership scholarship. Those programs connect academic training, practical experience, and mission-related service in Dallas.

What Dallas Bar Foundation Funds

Legal education is central to the foundation’s grantmaking. It gave $52,820 to UNT Dallas College of Law for law education scholarships and $39,095 to SMU Dedman School of Law for legal education scholarship, showing direct support for law students. Public-interest legal work is another clear thread. Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center received $5,910 for legal aid, aligning with the foundation’s focus on legal services for the indigent and furtherance of justice under the law. The foundation also backs professional development for lawyers. Dallas Bar Association Community Service Fund received $47,950 for legal education professional development of lawyers, indicating support for continuing education and related programming within the local bar. Historical preservation appears in its grantmaking as well. Dallas Historical Society received $50,000 for historical preservation, matching the foundation’s interest in preserving legal materials, archives, and the historical significance of the profession.

How Dallas Bar Foundation Gives

The named clerkship and internship programs show set award structures rather than open-ended gifts. The William E. Collins Clerkship provides a weekly stipend of $550, and a placement with the Supreme Court of Texas includes a $1,000 housing allowance; the stated grant size is $3,300–$4,300. Other programs run as six-week summer placements, while the Nikki DeShazo - Edward V. Smith Probate Clerkship is an 8-month placement. The recent grant list suggests the foundation makes both larger institutional awards and smaller targeted grants in the same year. Recipients are overwhelmingly concentrated in Dallas-area legal education and civic institutions. The foundation is a public charity, and the grant program is competitive and accepts unsolicited applications. The recent grants list does not show recurring recipient names across multiple years, so the visible pattern is one of repeated program areas rather than repeated grantees.

Open Grant Opportunities

Current and upcoming funding from Dallas Bar Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.

Open nowCloses Oct 16, 2026