OFFICE OF ACCESS & INCLUSION
ABOUT OUR GRANTS
The State Bar of California’s Legal Services Trust Fund Commission distributes and monitors grants to nonprofit organizations that provide free civil legal services to indigent people in California, as well as organizations that provide legal training, legal technical assistance, or advocacy support to the organizations that provide direct legal services to indigent people.
The revenue for these grants comes primarily from three sources:
• Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts (IOLTA)
• Equal Access Fund (EAF)
• Donations and other contributions to the Justice Gap Fund
These funds are allocated among over 100 nonprofit organizations in California each grant year pursuant to criteria set forth by statute. Nonprofit organizations that provide free civil legal services to indigent Californians as their primary purpose and function can qualify to receive grants through the Office of Access & Inclusion as Qualified Legal Services Projects (QLSPs). Nonprofit organizations that provide legal technical assistance, legal training, or advocacy support to QLSPs as their primary purposes and function can qualify as Support Centers.
Important: As of November 2025, unfunded organizations seeking to apply for IOLTA and EAF grant funding as a QLSP and/or Support Center must complete the new IOLTA/EAF preapplication prior to completing the IOLTA/EAF application. “Unfunded organizations” are those without IOLTA or EAF grant funding during the year the application is submitted. Preapplication materials typically release in January and are due in late February.
The IOLTA/EAF application period opens approximately eight months before the grant year begins. For example, applications for the 2027 grant year (beginning January 1, 2027) will be available in April 2026. The deadline for submission of all application materials is usually six weeks later in mid-May. If there is sufficient interest from prospective applicants, the Office of Access & Inclusion will host a short live webinar after the release of the application materials.
For information regarding eligibility, please refer to the Business and Professions Code sections 6210-6228, the State Bar Rules, rule 3.680(E) of the State Bar Rules in the Schedule of Charges and Deadlines, and the Eligibility Guidelines for Legal Services Projects and Support Centers.
If you have questions or require further information, call (415) 538-2252 or e-mail trustfundprogram@calbar.ca.gov.
The State Bar of California’s Legal Services Trust Fund Commission distributes and monitors grants to nonprofit organizations that provide free civil legal services to indigent people in California, as well as organizations that provide legal training, legal technical assistance, or advocacy support to the organizations that provide direct legal services to indigent people.
The revenue for these grants comes primarily from three sources:
• Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts (IOLTA)
• Equal Access Fund (EAF)
• Donations and other contributions to the Justice Gap Fund
These funds are allocated among over 100 nonprofit organizations in California each grant year pursuant to criteria set forth by statute. Nonprofit organizations that provide free civil legal services to indigent Californians as their primary purpose and function can qualify to receive grants through the Office of Access & Inclusion as Qualified Legal Services Projects (QLSPs). Nonprofit organizations that provide legal technical assistance, legal training, or advocacy support to QLSPs as their primary purposes and function can qualify as Support Centers.
Important: As of November 2025, unfunded organizations seeking to apply for IOLTA and EAF grant funding as a QLSP and/or Support Center must complete the new IOLTA/EAF preapplication prior to completing the IOLTA/EAF application. “Unfunded organizations” are those without IOLTA or EAF grant funding during the year the application is submitted. Preapplication materials typically release in January and are due in late February.
The IOLTA/EAF application period opens approximately eight months before the grant year begins. For example, applications for the 2027 grant year (beginning January 1, 2027) will be available in April 2026. The deadline for submission of all application materials is usually six weeks later in mid-May. If there is sufficient interest from prospective applicants, the Office of Access & Inclusion will host a short live webinar after the release of the application materials.
For information regarding eligibility, please refer to the Business and Professions Code sections 6210-6228, the State Bar Rules, rule 3.680(E) of the State Bar Rules in the Schedule of Charges and Deadlines, and the Eligibility Guidelines for Legal Services Projects and Support Centers.
If you have questions or require further information, call (415) 538-2252 or e-mail trustfundprogram@calbar.ca.gov.