The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to mobilize the nation’s leading lawyers as agents for change in the Civil Rights Movement. Today, the Lawyers’ Committee uses legal advocacy to achieve racial justice, fighting inside and outside the courts to ensure that Black people and other people of color have the voice, opportunity, and power to make the promises of our democracy real. The Lawyers’ Committee implements its mission and objectives by marshaling the pro bono resources of the bar for litigation, public policy, advocacy and other forms of service by lawyers to the cause of civil rights.
The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law uses grantmaking to support civil rights work across litigation, policy advocacy, public education, and community organizing. In the recent grants list, its largest award was $50,000 to Resolutions Firm LLC for general operating support, alongside a matching $50,000 grant to Generation Citizen Inc. That pattern points to a funder that backs organizational capacity as much as program activity. The foundation’s work is closely tied to legal and advocacy infrastructure. Its active grant programs include Pro Bono Co-Counsel Opportunities, externally funded legal fellowships, and the Civil Rights Solidarity Fund, which is described as a flagship philanthropic platform for flexible support. Recent grants also show support for research and policy organizations such as The Urban Institute and The Century Foundation Inc., as well as legal and justice-oriented groups in multiple states. Across the recent grants, the foundation funded operating support rather than restricted project awards. That gives a useful signal for researchers looking at how the Lawyers' Committee channels resources: it appears to prioritize resilience, legal capacity, and the institutions that advance civil rights work over time.
A clear thread in the recent grants is support for general operating capacity in civil rights, justice, and policy organizations. The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law gave $33,362 to The Urban Institute for General Operating Support and $20,000 to The Century Foundation Inc for the same purpose, indicating support for policy research and analysis alongside advocacy. In criminal-justice related work, it awarded $20,000 to Buried Alive Project and $9,070 to Georgia Justice Project Inc, both as General Operating Support. Housing and community-development work also appears in the grant list through The Access Project Inc, which received $19,550 for General Operating Support. Education-related advocacy shows up in the $50,000 grant to Generation Citizen Inc. These awards align with the foundation’s stated focus areas, including criminal justice, housing and community development, education, and economic justice.
$17K
$75.8M
$18.5M
$20.3M
Most grants fall between $17K and $25K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$17K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$25K
About 13% of grants go to recipients in NC.
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Typical grants cluster around a fairly tight range: p25 is $17,082, median is $20,000, and p75 is $25,000. The recent list also includes a few larger awards at $50,000 and a smaller tail down to $7,740. Grants in the data are almost entirely general operating support, matching the organization’s emphasis on flexible funding and organizational sustainability. The recipient list shows repeated support to the same organizations within the observed period only in the sense that each entry is a separate operating grant; the data provided do not show multi-year repeat grantees beyond the listed years. The foundation is classified as a Pure DAF Provider and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Unsolicited applications are accepted for its active grant programs.
Giving is regional and concentrated in the United States, with 100% of the listed recent grants going to U.S. recipients. California is the top state by grant count, while 13% of grants went to recipients in Washington, DC. Named recipient locations in the list include Richmond, CA; Durham, NC; Atlanta, GA; Philadelphia, PA; Buffalo, NY; and Dallas, TX. The recent grants also reach Oxford, MS; Flemington, NJ; Metairie, LA; and New York, NY. That spread suggests a multi-state grant pattern rather than a single-city focus, even though the organization itself is headquartered in Washington, DC.
The recent grants support organizations working in civil rights, criminal justice, housing and community development, education, and policy research. The foundation’s active programs also center on voting rights, election protection, digital justice / AI civil rights, economic justice, educational opportunities, and pro bono legal services.
The grant-size distribution is fairly concentrated: p25 is $17,082, median is $20,000, and p75 is $25,000. The recent list also includes several $50,000 awards, with smaller grants down to $7,740.
Yes. All three active grant programs listed for the foundation accept unsolicited inquiries or opportunities: Pro Bono Co-Counsel Opportunities, Lawyers' Committee Fellowship Programs, and the Civil Rights Solidarity Fund.
The recent grants are primarily general operating support, and the foundation’s stated philosophy includes unrestricted support, core operating support, flexible funding, and organizational sustainability. The active grant programs also point to legal advocacy, fellowship support, and flexible civil-rights funding.
The foundation gives regionally within the United States. California is the top state by grant count, 13% of grants went to recipients in Washington, DC, and the recent grants also reached recipient organizations in New York, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Texas, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Louisiana.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Law firms and lawyers interested in pro bono civil rights work; typically co-counsel arrangements on matters selected for impact and significance.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Urban Institute | Washington, DC | $16,987 | 2025 | Election Protection |
| The Urban Institute | Washington, DC | $33,362 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| The Access Project Inc | Richmond, CA | $19,550 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Southern Coalition For Social Justice | Durham, NC | $14,615 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Georgia Justice Project Inc | Atlanta, GA | $9,070 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Community Legal Services Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $7,740 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| GENERATION CITIZEN INC | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| RESOLUTIONS FIRM LLC | OXFORD, MS | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| REPAIRERS OF THE BREACH | GOLDSBORO, NC | $30,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| REBUILDING BROKEN PLACES | GOLDSBORO, NC | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| POLICE FOR INC | FLEMINGTON, NJ | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE CENTURY FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MONTRELL CARMOUCHE LLC | METAIRIE, LA | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| BURIED ALIVE PROJECT | DALLAS, TX | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| KAYA HENDERSON CONSULTING | WASHINGTON, DC | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| OPEN BUFFALO | BUFFALO, NY | $12,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
The Access Project Inc
$19,550General Operating Support
General Operating Support
RESOLUTIONS FIRM LLC
$50,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
REBUILDING BROKEN PLACES
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
POLICE FOR INC
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
MONTRELL CARMOUCHE LLC
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
KAYA HENDERSON CONSULTING
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT