What kinds of legal work does The District of Columbia Bar Foundation fund?

Its active programs support eviction defense representation, access to justice work, general civil legal aid, housing-related matters, a shared legal services interpreter bank, and loan repayment assistance for legal aid attorneys working in DC. The summary also emphasizes legal representation for residents who are financially disenfranchised or otherwise underserved.

Does the foundation give unrestricted support?

Yes. The General Support Grants Program provides annual unrestricted operating support to DC legal service providers. Other programs are more targeted, including project support for eviction defense and access to justice work.

Who can receive loan repayment assistance?

The Loan Repayment Assistance Program offers interest-free, forgivable loans of up to $12,000 per year to qualified legal aid attorneys working in the District of Columbia. The program is designed to help with educational debt and support retention and recruitment in civil legal aid.

What is the foundation’s geographic focus?

Its grantmaking is local and fully concentrated in the District of Columbia. The recipient country distribution is entirely US-based, and 100% of grants go to recipients in DC.

Are grants recurring?

Yes. The recent grants list shows repeated annual awards to the same DC legal service providers across FY22, FY23, and FY24 cycles, including multiple awards to organizations such as Legal Aid Society of DC, Neighborhood Legal Services Program, Rising for Justice Inc, and Bread for the City.

District of Columbia Bar Foundation

Name: District of Columbia Bar Foundation — grants, 990 financials & funding data
Creator: Kindora

ActiveCrime & Legal-Related

WASHINGTON, DCWebsite2024673750

About District of Columbia Bar Foundation

To fund, support, and improve legal representation of people who are financially disenfranchised or who are otherwise underserved in the District of Columbia; to transform the civil legal aid network so all District residents have a fair and equal legal experience.

Focus Areas

Civil legal aidAccess to justiceHousing and eviction defenseLegal services for low-income and underserved residentsTraining and technical assistanceLoan repayment assistance for public interest attorneysCoordinated intake and referral systems

Who They Fund

underserved / low-income individuals and communitieslegal aid organizations and community legal clinicspublic interest legal practitioners

About District of Columbia Bar Foundation

The District of Columbia Bar Foundation backs civil legal help for District residents who are financially disenfranchised or otherwise underserved, with a clear emphasis on eviction defense, access to justice, and the network that delivers legal aid. Its recent grants show that this work is sustained at scale, with repeated awards to core DC legal service providers across multiple years. The Legal Aid Society of DC appears in both Access to Justice and Civil Legal Counsel Projects Program awards, including FY24 grants of $2,693,764 and $2,647,564. Neighborhood Legal Services Program is another recurring recipient, receiving more than one award under both program lines. Bread for the City also appears across years, reflecting support for organizations that combine direct legal services with broader community-facing work. The foundation’s grantmaking is not limited to one-off projects; it repeatedly funds the same organizations through annual cycles tied to defined program areas. That pattern fits a funder focused on maintaining legal representation, strengthening service capacity, and supporting coordinated delivery of civil legal aid for people in DC.

What District of Columbia Bar Foundation Funds

Eviction defense is a major thread in the foundation’s work. Through the Civil Legal Counsel Projects Program, it gave $2,647,564 to Legal Aid Society of DC for FY24 CLCPP GRANTS and $2,273,671 to Rising for Justice Inc for FY23 CLCPP GRANTS. It also supports housing-related access to justice through its Access to Justice Grants Program, including $2,693,764 to Legal Aid Society of DC for FY24 ATJ GRANTS and $859,627 to Washington Lawyers' Committee for FY24 ATJ GRANTS. Unrestricted operating support is part of the portfolio as well: the General Support Grants Program provides annual operating support to DC legal service providers. The foundation also funds workforce support through its Loan Repayment Assistance Program, which assists qualified legal aid attorneys working in the District.

How District of Columbia Bar Foundation Gives

Typical awards sit at $40,000 at the 25th percentile, $99,000 at the median, and $475,844 at the 75th percentile, while the recent grants list also shows much larger program awards in the seven-figure range. The pattern is recurring rather than one-off: the same DC legal service organizations appear in consecutive years and across multiple annual cycles. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals. Its active programs include both restricted project support and unrestricted operating support, with unsolicited applications accepted in the listed programs.

Financial Snapshot

Annual Giving

$26.1M

Total Assets

$29.6M

Total Revenue

$42.3M

Total Expenses

$31.2M

Typical Grant Size

Most grants fall between $40K and $476K, with a median of $99K.

25th Percentile

$40K

Median

$99K

75th Percentile

$476K

Geographic Reach

Local1 state funded

Funding intensity

Low

High

Headquarters

Leadership

KIRRA JARRATT

Accepts unsolicited proposals

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Recipient	Location	Amount	Year	Purpose
LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF DC	WASHINGTON, DC	$2,693,764	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF DC	WASHINGTON, DC	$2,647,564	2025	FY24 CLCPP GRANTS
NEIGHBORHOOD LEGAL SERVICES PROGRAM	WASHINGTON, DC	$2,200,028	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
BREAD FOR THE CITY	WASHINGTON, DC	$1,267,508	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
NEIGHBORHOOD LEGAL SERVICES PROGRAM	WASHINGTON, DC	$1,140,478	2025	FY24 CLCPP GRANTS
RISING FOR JUSTICE INC	WASHINGTON, DC	$1,063,145	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
BREAD FOR THE CITY	WASHINGTON, DC	$1,022,310	2025	FY24 CLCPP GRANTS
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BAR PRO BONO CENTER	WASHINGTON, DC	$937,923	2025	FY24 CLCPP GRANTS
AYUDA	WASHINGTON, DC	$937,045	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
LEGAL COUNSEL FOR THE ELDERLY	WASHINGTON, DC	$911,327	2025	FY24 CLCPP GRANTS
WASHINGTON LAWYERS' COMMITTEE	WASHINGTON, DC	$859,627	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BAR PRO BONO CENTER	WASHINGTON, DC	$802,864	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
DC VOLUNTEER LAWYERS PROJECT	WASHINGTON, DC	$801,790	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
RISING FOR JUSTICE INC	WASHINGTON, DC	$800,000	2025	FY24 CLCPP GRANTS
CHILDREN'S LAW CENTER THE	WASHINGTON, DC	$775,307	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
DC AFFORDABLE LAW FIRM	WASHINGTON, DC	$754,152	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
LEGAL COUNSEL FOR THE ELDERLY	WASHINGTON, DC	$618,270	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
CHILDREN'S LAW CENTER THE	WASHINGTON, DC	$541,931	2025	FY24 CLCPP GRANTS
TZEDEK DC INC	WASHINGTON, DC	$536,441	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
WHITMAN WALKER HEALTH	WASHINGTON, DC	$368,500	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
UNIVERSITY LEGAL SERVICES	WASHINGTON, DC	$345,750	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIV LAW SCHOOL	WASHINGTON, DC	$257,932	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
NEIGHBORHOOD LEGAL SERVICES PROGRAM	WASHINGTON, DC	$246,043	2025	FY24 CIR PILOT PROGRAM
DC KINCARE ALLIANCE	WASHINGTON, DC	$225,000	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
ADVOCATES FOR JUSTICE AND EDUCATION	WASHINGTON, DC	$206,464	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
SCHOOL JUSTICE PROJECT	WASHINGTON, DC	$203,500	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
OPEN CITY ADVOCATES	WASHINGTON, DC	$192,500	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
CHRISTIAN LEGAL AID OF DC	WASHINGTON, DC	$181,957	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
TORTURE ABOLITION AND SURVIVORS SUPPORT COALITION	WASHINGTON, DC	$180,012	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
WASHINGTON LAWYERS' COMMITTEE	WASHINGTON, DC	$149,170	2025	FY24 PRIVATE GRANTS PROGRAM
HOWARD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW	WASHINGTON, DC	$130,000	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
AMARA LEGAL CENTER	WASHINGTON, DC	$127,737	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
KIND INC	WASHINGTON, DC	$120,561	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
FIRST SHIFT JUSTICE PROJECT	WASHINGTON, DC	$114,501	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
AFRICAN COMMUNITIES TOGETHER	WASHINGTON, DC	$99,000	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
MOTHERS OUTREACH NETWORK	WASHINGTON, DC	$93,600	2025	FY24ATJ GRANTS
QUALITY TRUST FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABI	WASHINGTON, DC	$82,400	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
OPEN CITY ADVOCATES	WASHINGTON, DC	$80,000	2025	FY24 PRIVATE GRANTS PROGRAM
WASHINGTON LEGAL CLINIC FOR THE HOMELESS	WASHINGTON, DC	$80,000	2025	FY24 PRIVATE GRANTS PROGRAM
CATHOLIC CHARITIES LEGAL NETWORK	WASHINGTON, DC	$75,081	2025	FY24 PRIVATE GRANTS PROGRAM
RISING FOR JUSTICE INC	WASHINGTON, DC	$75,000	2025	FY24 PRIVATE GRANTS PROGRAM
AYUDA	WASHINGTON, DC	$75,000	2025	FY24 PRIVATE GRANTS PROGRAM
BELOVED COMMUNITY INCUBATOR INC	WASHINGTON, DC	$74,214	2025	FY24 PRIVATE GRANTS PROGRAM
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN LEGAL RESOURCE CTR	WASHINGTON, DC	$70,000	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
NETWORK FOR VICTIM RECOVERY DC	WASHINGTON, DC	$62,555	2025	FY24 ATJ GRANTS
WHITMAN WALKER HEALTH	WASHINGTON, DC	$60,000	2025	FY24 PRIVATE GRANTS PROGRAM
TZEDEK DC INC	WASHINGTON, DC	$57,650	2025	FY24 PRIVATE GRANTS PROGRAM
LEGAL COUNSEL FOR THE ELDERLY	WASHINGTON, DC	$55,000	2025	FY24 PRIVATE GRANTS PROGRAM
NEIGHBORHOOD LEGAL SERVICES PROGRAM	WASHINGTON, DC	$50,000	2025	FY24 PRIVATE GRANTS PROGRAM
LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF DC	WASHINGTON, DC	$50,000	2025	FY24 PRIVATE GRANTS PROGRAM

District of Columbia Bar Foundation

About District of Columbia Bar Foundation

Focus Areas

Who They Fund

About District of Columbia Bar Foundation

What District of Columbia Bar Foundation Funds

How District of Columbia Bar Foundation Gives

Financial Snapshot

Typical Grant Size

Geographic Reach

Leadership

Deep Analysis

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Funding Style

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Where District of Columbia Bar Foundation Makes Grants

Frequently Asked Questions About District of Columbia Bar Foundation

What kinds of legal work does The District of Columbia Bar Foundation fund?

Does the foundation give unrestricted support?

Who can receive loan repayment assistance?

What is the foundation’s geographic focus?

Are grants recurring?

Open Grant Opportunities

Civil Legal Counsel Projects Program (CLCPP Grants)

General Support Grants Program

Access to Justice Grants Program (ATJ Grants)

Recent Grants

District of Columbia Bar Foundation

About District of Columbia Bar Foundation

Focus Areas

Who They Fund

About District of Columbia Bar Foundation

What District of Columbia Bar Foundation Funds

How District of Columbia Bar Foundation Gives

Financial Snapshot

Typical Grant Size

Geographic Reach

Leadership

Unlock Deep Analysis

See Similar Funders

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Want a Personalized Pitch for District of Columbia Bar Foundation?

The Grant Brief

Funding Style

Topics

Where District of Columbia Bar Foundation Makes Grants

Frequently Asked Questions About District of Columbia Bar Foundation

What kinds of legal work does The District of Columbia Bar Foundation fund?

Does the foundation give unrestricted support?

Who can receive loan repayment assistance?

What is the foundation’s geographic focus?

Are grants recurring?

Open Grant Opportunities

Civil Legal Counsel Projects Program (CLCPP Grants)

General Support Grants Program

Access to Justice Grants Program (ATJ Grants)

Recent Grants