BOARD OF DIRECTORS GRANT FUNDING POLICY
The Board of Directors of the Missouri Lawyer Trust Account Foundation determined that all receipts from interest on trust accounts received during the current calendar year, less expenditures authorized pursuant to the adoption of the Foundation’s 2016 budget, will be distributed among successful grant applicants during 2016 on a quarterly basis to:
- support the current civil legal services delivery system to provide legal assistance to the poor of the State of Missouri (LAP); and
- support projects to improve the administration of justice in this State (AOJ).
The Board further defined its intention to make grant awards within the above categories as follows:
- not less than 94% of available funds will be provided to the legal services programs funded by the Legal Services Corporation to provide civil legal services to low-income Missouri residents; and
- not less than 4% of available funds will be provided to projects of Missouri Bar foundations of Missouri Bar associations.
Subject to changes approved by the Board of Directors, the schedule for the 2016 grant cycle will be:
- Application availability- on or before August 1, 2015
- Application deadline- 12:00 p.m. Friday, September 25, 2015
- Grant award determinations- November Board meeting, date to be determined
- Approximate grant payment schedule (2016)- January 31, April 30, July 31 and October 31
The Board may disqualify any application for consideration submitted by an organization receiving grant funds in a prior year that failed to fully comply with grant requirements in existence at that time.
To be eligible to make application for funds from the Foundation an applicant must either be an organization that has received a determination letter (which is then currently in effect) from the Internal Revenue Service that it qualifies as an exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or be able to demonstrate that the proposed project that will utilize the funds qualifies as an activity in which a Section 501(c)(3) organization is permitted to engage. In addition, all applications for funds must be:
- submitted on forms provided by the Foundation;
- adequately responsive to information requested on the application form;
- timely submitted and received by the Foundation stated deadlines; and
- signed by an authorized representative of the organization who assures that the stated conditions for receipt of grant funds will be adhered to, including but not limited to, submission of all narrative and financial reports described within the application form.
Notice to Applicants for Grants for Legal Assistance to the Poor
Funds to be granted to Legal Services offices in Missouri shall be allocated among Missouri’s regional offices in proportion to the number of poor persons residing in each such region, according to the latest decennial national census.
Notice to Applicants for Grants for Administration of Justice (AOJ)
The Foundation reserves sole discretionary authority to determine whether specific projects advance the goal to “improve the administration of justice;” however, grant awards will not be made to:
- individuals;
- organizations designed primarily for lobbying or dissemination of religious or political views;
- organizations which maintain a Missouri sales/use tax exemption on any of its activities on the basis of being a religious organization or which maintains a Missouri property tax exemption on the basis that said property is used for religious worship;
- political organizations or campaigns;
- endowment funds or campaigns;
- scholarship funds or campaigns;
- continuing legal education programs;
- lawyers or law firms in private practice; or
- organizations principally funded by Legal Services Corporation.