Some problems require a legal remedy but many low income residents do not have access to civil justice. Employment, housing, residency status, benefits etc. may be blocked unless or until a legal issue is resolved. The Foundation sees legal aid as a bridge to social justice, without which people cannot move forward with their lives.
FAQ Types: General
What do you mean by “direct legal services”?
Examples of direct legal services are organizations that have attorneys on staff who provide legal aid to their clients. The breadth of services includes but is not limited to helping an individual or family with immigration problems, landlord/tenant issues, family law/domestic violence, juvenile dependency, senior/end of life issues, accessing federal benefits, or representing victims of predatory lenders, housing discrimination, wage exploitation etc.
There are organizations on your grants list that don’t seem to be legally related; why is that?
When the Foundation made the decision to focus its grantmaking almost exclusively on legal services beginning in 2015, it was clear a number of long time grantee organizations would no longer be eligible under the new guidelines. Those organizations received either final grants or two year “phase out” grants.
Our project does not have its own 501(c)(3) status but works under a fiscal sponsor. Are we eligible for a grant?
Yes. If the project is within guidelines you are eligible to apply for funding; we would need the fiscal sponsor’s organizational budget, revenue source list, board list and tax exempt letter. In addition, we will need the budget, revenue source list, and information about the leadership of the fiscally sponsored project as part of your completed application packet.
I submitted my completed application by the deadline; when will it be reviewed?
We will do our best to have your proposal ready for board review at the next regularly scheduled board meeting. However, sometimes additional due diligence is required or unforeseen circumstances arise that result in our having to move proposals to future dockets. If this happens, we would let you know as soon as possible.
I have a question about my application. Whom should I contact?
If you are calling to check on the status of your application, you can contact Angela Hom, Administrative Assistant, at ahom@vlsrr.org or 415-512-0500. If you have a question that relates to your request, you can contact Nancy Wiltsek, Executive Director, at nwiltsek@vlsrr.org or (415) 512-0577. If you have a question about the Online Grants Manager System, you can contact Heidi Emmel, Online Grants Consultant, by email at hkemmel@vlsrr.org
Will you review all applications that are submitted by the deadline?
Yes. However, in some instances, additional due diligence is required or unforeseen circumstances arise that result in our having to move certain proposals to a future docket. If your proposal is delayed, we will let you know and keep you updated.
Can I mail our proposal?
No, all applications must be submitted online through our Online Grants Manager System.
Can I email our proposal?
No, all applications must be submitted online through our Online Grants Manager System.
Can we submit a request for $50,000 for our systemic anti-racism work?
We welcome all requests to address systemic racism that are in the legal services/legal advocacy sphere but please note that the $50,000 grants awarded in July 2020 were one-time grants to a select group of organizations (those with BIPOC leadership and a long standing relationship with the Foundation).