The Boston Bar Foundation (BBF) today announced grants totaling $1.1 million
to 25 Massachusetts community organizations providing a wide variety of core
legal services -- from domestic violence and immigration to housing and
homelessness. The $1.1 million represents an almost $50,000 increase in core
legal services grants, compared with F.Y. '10.
"Even as we envision expanding our support for innovative projects benefiting
the community, access to justice continues to be an essential part of our
mission," said BBF President John D. Donovan. "The grants we announce today
would not be possible without the generosity of lawyers, law firms, and business
people who value the BBF's unique place in this community."
37 per cent of the funds used to disburse the grants announced today will
come from the BBF John & Abigail Adams Benefit held earlier this year, and
also from BBF reserves. The remainder will come from Interest on Lawyers Trust
Accounts, a traditional source of funding for legal aid nationally.
The BBF received applications requesting a total of $1,668,669 from forty
organizations.
"We scrutinize each and every grant application we receive," said Joel B.
Sherman, Co-Chair of the 13 member BBF Grants Committee, and a Director at
Goulston & Storrs. "Our goal is to maximize the impact of a limited sum of
money."
The lawyers serving on the BBF Grants Committee have an in-depth
understanding of the community as well as the credibility, capability and
capacity of grant applicants. "We have an obligation to ensure that money
granted by the BBF is put to work prudently," said Sherman.
The following organizations received BBF grants ranging from $5,000 to
$385,000:
- Boston Medical Center Corporation
- Brazilian Immigrant Center
- Casa Myrna Vazquez, Inc.
- Centro Presente, Inc.
- Children's Law Center Of Massachusetts Inc.
- Urban Revival, Inc. d/b/a City Life/Vida Urbana
- Community Legal Services and Counseling Center, Inc.
- East Boston Ecumenical Community Council, Inc. (EBECC)
- Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS)
- Irish International Immigration Center
- Lawyers Clearinghouse
- Lawyers Committee For Civil Rights Under Law (LCCR)
- Legal Advocacy and Resource Center, Inc. (LARC)
- Massachusetts Advocates for Children (MAC)
- Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI)
- Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety & Health (MassCOSH)
- MetroWest Legal Services, Inc.
- Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc.
- Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project (PAIR)
- Prisoners Legal Services
- RESPOND, Inc.
- Shelter Legal Services Foundation, Inc.
- Tri-City Community Action Program, Inc. (Tri-CAP)
- Victim Rights Law Center (VRLC)
- Women's Bar Foundation (WBF)