Q: Is my organization eligible to apply for IOLTA grant funds?

A:

The Board of Trustees will NOT make grants for:

• Political campaigns
• Organizations designed primarily for lobbying
• Activities that the local, state, or federal government has an obligation to fund
• The IOLTA program does not fund charitable activities that promote a religion or require participation in a religious activity as a condition for receipt of services. However, grants may be awarded to faith-based organizations for non-religious purposes.

 

To be eligible for an IOLTA grant, an organization must:

(a) be exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code, as amended, OR
(b) agree to use the IOLTA grant only for purposes that are charitable or educational within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code, as amended; AND
(c) be an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, marital status, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.

If awarded a grant, successful applicants are required to:
(a) execute and comply with the terms of the Grant Agreement, including performance of the project as described in the applicants IOLTA grant application;
(b) agree that the completed application will be available for public inspection;
(c) submit timely reports to the Foundation detailing the project's progress and the expenditure of IOLTA funds; AND
(d) cooperate with data collection and evaluation requests of the Foundation or its representatives.

Q: How are IOLTA grant awards funded?
A: IOLTA grants are made possible by the Interest earned On Lawyers' pooled Trust Accounts(“IOLTA”). The total grant amount available each year can vary depending on interest rates and economic conditions.

Q: How should I fill out the application?
A: Please fully answer all questions including narrative questions. Answer each question as if the reader is unfamiliar with your organization and avoid referring to answers from other questions. If a question doesn't apply, write "N/A."

Q: How should I submit my application?
A: All grants will be submitted on the Foundation’s grants management portal hosted by WizeHive. The Foundation will host an interactive introductory webinar of the grant portal on Tuesday, August 27, at 2 pm CST. Please click here to sign-up for the webinar.

Q: Do I need an account to submit an application?
A: Yes, you’ll need to create an account in the system before it will let you draft, review, and submit an application. Please create only ONE account per organization.

Q: Will my application progress be saved if I leave the page before submitting?
A: Yes, the system will save your progress. When you log back in, you can resume your application where you left off. However, to avoid any potential issues with technical glitches, we recommend drafting your responses in a separate document and then copying and pasting them into the application fields. This will ensure your work is not lost if any unexpected errors occur.

Q: What is the expected grant amount for 2025?
A: We anticipate funding being consistent with 2024 funding levels. Please keep this in mind when determining your grant request amount.

Q: Are there any character limits for the narrative answers?
A: Yes, each application question has a character limit, which is specified in each field in the grant management portal.

Q: How will my application be evaluated? Are there specific factors the grant review committee will consider when evaluating my application?

A: The Tennessee Supreme court approved the use of IOLTA funds for three purposes: (1) the delivery of legal services to the poor, (2) student loans to deserving law students, and (3) to improve the administration of justice. When the applications are evaluated, the Grant Review Committee will ensure that the requested funds meet one of these three purposes. Additionally, the committee will assess several factors, including:

• • The clarity and quality of your narrative responses.
  • Your organization's track record of success in the relevant field.
  • The overall sustainability and diversity of your funding plan.
  • Your adherence to the application format, submission guidelines, and responsiveness to follow-up questions from the Grant Review Committee.

Q: Is there a deadline for submitting the grant application?

A: Yes, the deadline for submitting your grant application through the grant management portal is 11:59 PM CST on Thursday, September 26, 2024. If you experience unexpected technical difficulties with uploading or submitting the application, the Foundation will evaluate and consider requests to submit an application after the deadline on an individual basis. Please make every effort to address your questions ahead of the deadline. We anticipate an announcement of successful grant awards in December 2024.

Q: What if I have any issues or questions regarding the grant management portal?
A: Please send an email to info@tnbarfoundation.org for any issues related to accessing and navigating the grant management portal. Foundation staff or the Foundation’s representative will get in touch with you as quickly as possible.