Open nowRolling / open intake
Board Observer Program (BOP)
board governanceleadership developmentdiversity+1 more
Who can apply: Young lawyers; nonprofits may express interest in participating through the interest form.
About Philadelphia Bar Foundation
The Philadelphia Bar Foundation removes barriers to justice through programs, grants, and partnerships. We strengthen the civil legal aid ecosystem and engage the community to ensure quality legal services—so everyone can understand and exercise their right to equal justice.
Focus Areas
Civil legal aidHousing and eviction preventionDomestic & sexual violence survivor supportDisability rightsReentry and criminal justice supportImmigration & refugee servicesAccess to justice & pro bonoLegal workforce development (fellowships, internships, training)
Who They Fund
low-income individualsunderserved / marginalized communities
Funding Style
About Philadelphia Bar Foundation
The Philadelphia Bar Foundation’s grantmaking is built around civil legal aid in Philadelphia, with unrestricted operating support as a core part of its work. Its largest recent grant in the data went to Community Legal Services of Philadelphia for $101,712 in 2024, and other major awards supported Women Against Abuse, Philadelphia Legal Assistance, and Justice at Work. The foundation’s recent grant record shows steady backing for organizations that provide direct legal services to low-income people and underserved communities, especially in housing, survivor support, immigration, disability rights, and reentry. That pattern matches the foundation’s stated role in strengthening the civil legal aid ecosystem through programs, grants, and partnerships. Several of its active programs are tied to legal education and professional development, including the ACCGP Diversity Corporate Internship Program, the International Law Lyon Internship Fund, and the Judge William M. Marutani Fellowship. It also supports public interest law through related programs such as the Morris M. Shuster Public Interest Fellowship Program and the R. Nicholas Gimbel Fund for Legal Excellence. The grant list shows repeated support for Philadelphia-based legal aid organizations across multiple years, indicating a local funding strategy centered on the city’s nonprofit legal services network.
What Philadelphia Bar Foundation Funds
Civil legal aid is the foundation’s main funding area. In 2024, it gave $72,363 to Philadelphia Legal Assistance and $70,661 to Justice at Work, both listed as nonprofit legal aid grantees. The foundation also funds housing and eviction-related work. Homeless Advocacy Project received $26,351 in 2024, and Philadelphia Vip received $41,000 in 2023. Support for survivor services is another clear theme. Women Against Abuse received $78,654 in 2024, while the Women’s Law Project received $15,000 in 2023 and $11,888 in 2024. Its legal services portfolio extends to disability and immigration work as well, including $23,990 to Disability Rights Pennsylvania and $35,785 to Pennsylvania Hias Indigent Immigrant Legal Services Inc in 2024.
How Philadelphia Bar Foundation Gives
The typical grant size is modest and clustered around the mid-five-figure range: p25 is $7,957, median is $12,500, and p75 is $22,122. The recent grants list also shows larger awards at the top end, including a six-figure grant and several awards above $70,000. The foundation appears to fund on an annual, repeated basis rather than through one-off gifts only; several grantees appear in both 2023 and 2024. It is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals. Active programs include general operating support, fellowships, internships, and scholarships, and unsolicited applications are not accepted in the listed programs.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$503K
Total Assets
$6.7M
Total Revenue
$829K
Total Expenses
$1.2M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $8K and $22K, with a median of $13K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$13K
75th Percentile
$22K
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
JESSICA HILBURN-HOLMES
Accepts unsolicited proposals
Unlock Deep Analysis
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeSee Similar Funders
Free Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeExplore related grant guides
Want a Personalized Pitch for Philadelphia Bar Foundation?
Sign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Free plan available
No contracts
Cancel anytime