MBF AWARDS $2.6 MILLION IN GRANTS FOR LEGAL AID PROGRAMS ACROSS MASSACHUSETTS FOR 2022/2023 GRANT CYCLE

The MBF recently awarded $2.6 million to 89 legal aid programs conducted by 65 nonprofit organizations across the state through its annual Interest on Lawyers' Trust Account (IOLTA) grants program. Despite a significant decline in revenues from Massachusetts IOLTA funds, MBF Trustees elected to draw from reserves and from its Fellows Fund to ensure this year’s funding remained essentially level with last year.

The MBF is one of three charitable entities that distributes funds from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's IOLTA program. MBF IOLTA Grants provide funding for direct legal services including support for homelessness prevention, domestic violence programs, education and healthcare advocacy, and immigration assistance. Grants to improve the administration of justice include court-connected mediation, conciliation, and lawyer of the day programs.

“Given the demand and urgency for civil legal services in the wake of the pandemic, the MBF Trustees felt it was critical to keep funding as close to previous levels as possible,” explained MBF President Angela McConney. "The MBF is grateful to the Massachusetts IOLTA Committee for its careful cultivation and stewardship of IOLTA funds, as well as to the MBF Fellows, whose generous financial contributions have helped fill in the gap for this year’s grantmaking.”

Over 75 MBF Fellows volunteered their time and talent to help review applications, conduct site visits, and help ensure the thoughtful and equitable distribution of Massachusetts IOLTA funds.

Click here for a complete listing of the 2022/2023 IOLTA grant recipients.