Community Grants

Each year PILF awards three to five grants to not-for-profit organizations that provide legal services to communities in need. Grant amounts range from $1,000 to $15,000, depending on the availability of funds and the nature of the proposed project. Since its inception in 1980, PILF has provided over $600,000 to public interest legal organizations across the country. We are particularly interested in funding innovative projects that would not be undertaken without a grant and in helping established projects that suffer from a funding shortage.

Information on Current and Past PILF Grantees.

2007-08 Community Grant Information

Deadline: Regular Mail Postmarked by Monday, January 7, 2008 or Express/Overnight Mail Received by Monday, January 14, 2008

FAQs

Do I have to be a lawyer to apply?

Absolutely not. PILF tries to fund projects that will benefit the public interest through the mechanism of law, but this doesn't mean that we only fund direct legal services performed by people with a JD. We commonly give grants to projects that aren't performing actual legal work for which you need a license. For example, last year we funded a project designed to inform migrant sheepherders of their employment rights, and another that sought to outline alternative remedies for minors convicted of prostitution-related offenses. So long as your project serves the public interest and is sufficiently related to some aspect of the law we'll consider it equally, regardless of whether you have a law degree.

Do I need to be in or around New York City to apply?

No. Last year we considered applicant organizations from Seattle to San Antonio. Of the organizations we funded two were far afield, one in Florida and one and in Colorado, and several other applications from organizations outside the Northeast made it to the finalist round. We've found that some of the most interesting and innovative projects ideas have come from rural areas with very specialized needs, and we encourage everybody with a good project to apply!

Why are there two deadline dates for the applications?

We're sensitive to the fact that our application deadline is in the thick of the holiday season, and so we want to give our applicants as much time as possible to finish their applications. We're also aware that some of our applicants don't have the financial resources to send their application materials overnight or express. Our solution is to have two deadlines: If you want the extra time between January 7 and January 14 to work on your application, you must send it express and it must be received by January 14, 2008. However, if money is your limiting factor, you can send your application materials by regular mail and any packages postmarked on or before January 7, 2007 will be accepted, regardless of when our friends at the US Postal Service get them here. Materials received after January 14, 2008 but not postmarked on or before January 7, 2008 will not be considered.

Who makes the ultimate funding decisions?

The application evaluation process proceeds in two stages and is at all times handled by interested Columbia Law School students and faculty. In the first stage, copies of each grant application are read by several student volunteers and then rated according to our criteria. Based on these ratings and a meeting of all interested readers, 8-12 finalist applications are chosen. Once the finalists have been chosen, stage two of the selection process begins. At this point, those students and faculty who volunteer for the finalist grant reading committee read and rate each application before convening at a final meeting, at which point the final funding decisions are made.

According to what criteria are the grant applications rated?

In the interests of fairness and objectivity, PILF does not disclose the criteria by which the grant readers rate the applications. Applicants should rest assured, however, that there are specific, standardized criteria by which applications are judged and that each application is fairly considered and fully discussed at committee meetings.

Do I have any recourse if my project doesn't get funded, or is funded in an amount less than I requested?

PILF does not reconsider funding decisions at the request of applicants once they have been voted on by the finalist reader committee and endorsed by the Board of Directors. We do, however, encourage applicants to re-apply the next year if they are not funded. The committee often agonizes over which projects to fund, and an application that is denied one year may be funded in another based on the strength of the applicant pool.

When will I hear from PILF regarding my application?

PILF will send an email to all applicants to let them know that their application has been received; however, this email will not provide information regarding whether or not all the required materials have been sent. Applicants will then be notified in April as to whether or not they have been selected. Selected applicants will at that time also be told how much they have been awarded.


DONATE HOME GET INVOLVED BOARD OF DIRECTORS ANNUAL DINNER AUCTION COMMUNITY GRANTS BOOKSTORE SALARY DRIVE	Community Grants Each year PILF awards three to five grants to not-for-profit organizations that provide legal services to communities in need. Grant amounts range from $1,000 to $15,000, depending on the availability of funds and the nature of the proposed project. Since its inception in 1980, PILF has provided over $600,000 to public interest legal organizations across the country. We are particularly interested in funding innovative projects that would not be undertaken without a grant and in helping established projects that suffer from a funding shortage. Information on Current and Past PILF Grantees. 2007-08 Community Grant Information Download Application Grant Restrictions Deadline: Regular Mail Postmarked by Monday, January 7, 2008 or Express/Overnight Mail Received by Monday, January 14, 2008 FAQs Do I have to be a lawyer to apply? Absolutely not. PILF tries to fund projects that will benefit the public interest through the mechanism of law, but this doesn't mean that we only fund direct legal services performed by people with a JD. We commonly give grants to projects that aren't performing actual legal work for which you need a license. For example, last year we funded a project designed to inform migrant sheepherders of their employment rights, and another that sought to outline alternative remedies for minors convicted of prostitution-related offenses. So long as your project serves the public interest and is sufficiently related to some aspect of the law we'll consider it equally, regardless of whether you have a law degree. Do I need to be in or around New York City to apply? No. Last year we considered applicant organizations from Seattle to San Antonio. Of the organizations we funded two were far afield, one in Florida and one and in Colorado, and several other applications from organizations outside the Northeast made it to the finalist round. We've found that some of the most interesting and innovative projects ideas have come from rural areas with very specialized needs, and we encourage everybody with a good project to apply! Why are there two deadline dates for the applications? We're sensitive to the fact that our application deadline is in the thick of the holiday season, and so we want to give our applicants as much time as possible to finish their applications. We're also aware that some of our applicants don't have the financial resources to send their application materials overnight or express. Our solution is to have two deadlines: If you want the extra time between January 7 and January 14 to work on your application, you must send it express and it must be received by January 14, 2008. However, if money is your limiting factor, you can send your application materials by regular mail and any packages postmarked on or before January 7, 2007 will be accepted, regardless of when our friends at the US Postal Service get them here. Materials received after January 14, 2008 but not postmarked on or before January 7, 2008 will not be considered. Who makes the ultimate funding decisions? The application evaluation process proceeds in two stages and is at all times handled by interested Columbia Law School students and faculty. In the first stage, copies of each grant application are read by several student volunteers and then rated according to our criteria. Based on these ratings and a meeting of all interested readers, 8-12 finalist applications are chosen. Once the finalists have been chosen, stage two of the selection process begins. At this point, those students and faculty who volunteer for the finalist grant reading committee read and rate each application before convening at a final meeting, at which point the final funding decisions are made. According to what criteria are the grant applications rated? In the interests of fairness and objectivity, PILF does not disclose the criteria by which the grant readers rate the applications. Applicants should rest assured, however, that there are specific, standardized criteria by which applications are judged and that each application is fairly considered and fully discussed at committee meetings. Do I have any recourse if my project doesn't get funded, or is funded in an amount less than I requested? PILF does not reconsider funding decisions at the request of applicants once they have been voted on by the finalist reader committee and endorsed by the Board of Directors. We do, however, encourage applicants to re-apply the next year if they are not funded. The committee often agonizes over which projects to fund, and an application that is denied one year may be funded in another based on the strength of the applicant pool. When will I hear from PILF regarding my application? PILF will send an email to all applicants to let them know that their application has been received; however, this email will not provide information regarding whether or not all the required materials have been sent. Applicants will then be notified in April as to whether or not they have been selected. Selected applicants will at that time also be told how much they have been awarded. More Questions? Email VP of Community Grants Alora Thomas at tat2110@columbia.edu, or Community Grants Directors Richard Shamos (rls2125@columbia.edu) and Jeff Newton (jon2102@columbia.edu).
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