About Chicago Bar Foundation
As the charitable arm of the Chicago Bar Association, the CBF’s mission is to improve access to justice by increasing access to free and affordable legal assistance for people in need and making the courts and legal system more user-friendly, fair, and accessible for people without lawyers.
Focus Areas
Access to justiceLegal aid and pro bono servicesCourt-based advice desks and self-help servicesHousing and debt legal aid (CCLAHD)Fellowships, scholarships, and loan repayment for public interest attorneysLegal services incubator / small business and middle-market legal access (JEP)Advocacy for funding and policies supporting legal aid
Who They Fund
nonprofit organizations / granteeslegal aid programs and justice-focused organizationsgrantee staff and volunteers (e.g., JusticeCorps participants)
About Chicago Bar Foundation
The Chicago Bar Foundation’s grantmaking is organized around access to justice in Chicago and Cook County, with large, repeated awards to the legal aid infrastructure that serves low-income and disadvantaged residents. In 2025, CARPLS received $2,209,850, and Legal Aid Chicago received $1,459,066, both for a mix of general operating, project, and government-related support. Those awards sit alongside similarly large grants to the Center for Conflict Resolution, Law Center for Better Housing, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, and other Chicago-based legal service organizations. The foundation’s work is not limited to one grant program or one kind of legal help. It supports civil legal services, court-based assistance, pro bono capacity, and system navigation for people without lawyers, with an emphasis on making the legal system more user-friendly and accessible. Housing-related legal aid appears as a recurring thread, including support for eviction defense and debt matters through Cook County legal aid partnerships. Because The Chicago Bar Foundation is the charitable arm of the Chicago Bar Association, its grantmaking also reflects a professional and institutional role in the local legal ecosystem. Its recent awards show sustained backing for organizations that provide direct services while also strengthening the broader network that delivers free and affordable legal help.
What Chicago Bar Foundation Funds
Housing and debt legal aid is a clear focus. The Chicago Bar Foundation gave $1,071,005 to Law Center for Better Housing in 2025 for general operating support and a government/project grant, and it also supported Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing with $535,833 in 2023 for general operating, project, and government/project support. Court-based and dispute-resolution services are another priority. In 2025, the foundation awarded $1,306,184 to the Center for Conflict Resolution for general operating support, government/project grant, and project support. It also backed Chicago Volunteer Legal Services with $769,909 in 2025 and $741,669 in 2024, both for combinations of operating and project support. The foundation also invests in legal aid organizations serving people with disability and elder-law needs. Center for Disability & Elder Law received $561,941 in 2025 and $436,315 in 2024, both tied to operating and project support. These awards show a mix of direct service funding and organizational support across several legal access niches.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$9.5M
Total Assets
$10.1M
Total Revenue
$15.4M
Total Expenses
$12.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $18K and $115K, with a median of $40K.
25th Percentile
$18K
Median
$40K
75th Percentile
$115K
Geographic Reach
Local3 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
ROBERT GLAVES
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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