The Access To Justice Foundation

Charity Number: 1126147

Annual Expenditure: £7.3M
Throughout England And Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland

Contact Info

Website: www.accesstojusticefoundation.org.uk

Phone: 020 4552 8400

Email: enquiries@atjf.org.uk

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £6.7 million (2022)
  • Success Rate: 17% (Pro Bono Grants 2024: 10 awarded from 58 applications)
  • Decision Time: Varies by programme
  • Grant Range: £10,000 - £200,000 depending on programme
  • Geographic Focus: UK-wide (England, Wales, Scotland)

Contact Details

Website: www.accesstojusticefoundation.org.uk

Email: enquiries@atjf.org.uk

Phone: 020 4552 8400

Address: London, UK

Overview

The Access to Justice Foundation (ATJF) was established in 2008 by the Advice Services Alliance, Bar Council, CILEx, and the Law Society to receive and distribute financial resources for pro bono legal assistance. Registered as a charity in England and Wales (No. 1126147) and Scotland (No. SC048584), the foundation is the UK's only national charity solely focused on providing funding and support for access to legal advice. In the financial year ending December 2023, the foundation had a total income of £10.7 million and distributed £7.1 million in charitable activities. The foundation is the designated recipient of Pro Bono Costs under Section 194 of the Legal Services Act 2007. Their mission is to create a society where everyone has access to justice, particularly the 14 million people living in poverty who cannot afford legal support. CEO Clare Carter emphasizes that “without increased and sustained investment, we risk failing the people, places, and communities who need us most.”

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

1. Improving Lives Through Advice

  • Amount: £30 million over 5 years (funded by National Lottery Community Fund)
  • Scope: Supporting approximately 75 organisations across England
  • Focus: Core, flexible funding for social welfare legal advice for people, places, and communities most in need
  • Status: Currently active

2. Improving Outcomes Through Legal Support (IOTLS)

  • Amount: £100,000 - £200,000 per organisation
  • Total Fund: £10 million over 21 months (ending March 2025)
  • Scope: 59 organisations across England and Wales
  • Focus: Sustaining and improving access to early social welfare and family legal advice, specialist casework, and tribunal support
  • Application Statistics: 221 applications received requesting £35+ million
  • Status: Funded by Ministry of Justice

3. Pro Bono Grants

  • Amount: Up to £50,000 over 2 years (maximum £25,000 per year)
  • Recent Round: £500,000 distributed to 10 organisations (2024-2026)
  • Focus: 2024 round specifically targeted supporting access to justice for disabled people
  • Application Statistics: 58 applications received requesting £2.6 million
  • Status: Round closed

4. Supporting Social Justice Solicitors (Workforce Development)

  • Amount: £114,000 total fund
  • Scope: 15 organisations across UK supporting 19 students
  • Duration: Two years
  • Focus: Developing and sustaining the workforce at social welfare legal advice organisations

Priority Areas

The foundation funds organisations providing free legal advice in:

  • Social Welfare Law: Housing, welfare benefits, debt, employment, community care, mental health, and disability
  • Family Law: Including domestic violence and abuse cases
  • Immigration and Asylum: Supporting refugees and asylum seekers
  • Disability Rights: Particularly emphasized in recent funding rounds (51% of advice seekers experience long-standing illness/disability)
  • Pro Bono Services: Coordination of pro bono activity, running pro bono clinics, and developing partnerships with legal firms

What They Don't Fund

  • Universities: They explicitly do not fund universities applying for support with their services
  • Partnership Applications: They don't accept partnership applications for some programmes
  • Non-Charitable Organisations: Applicants must be registered with the Charity Commission (England/Wales), OSCR (Scotland), or Charity Commission for Northern Ireland

Governance and Leadership

Senior Leadership Team

Clare Carter, Chief Executive

An experienced lawyer with a track record in the free legal advice sector, Carter focuses on long-term sustainable funding. She has stated: "We are seeing increases in demand like we've never seen before – sometimes by 50%. It is really unprecedented. Demand is massively outstripping supply."

Martha de la Roche, Insights & Engagement Director

Builds relationships with partners and stakeholders; previously worked in partnerships across access to justice organisations.

Colin Miller, Finance & Operations Director

Provides oversight for finance and operations; previously worked for Open Society Foundations and U.S. civil service.

Board of Trustees

Gavin Mansfield KC (Chair)

Barrister and Head of Littleton Chambers, specializing in employment and partnership disputes.

Simon Davis

Former Head of Commercial Litigation at Clifford Chance and past President of the Law Society of England and Wales.

Sara Fowler

CILEX Lawyer, NHS senior leader, and current CILEX President, passionate about “equitable access to justice.”

James Willan KC

Barrister from Essex Court Chambers, specializing in commercial law.

Des Pullen

Former Group HR Director of Associated British Foods plc with 15 years of senior HR experience.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Applications are programme-specific and typically managed through dedicated online portals. The foundation currently operates with fixed application rounds rather than rolling applications. Interested organisations should:

  1. Monitor the grants page at atjf.org.uk/grants for announcements of new funding rounds
  2. Register interest when calls open
  3. Attend information sessions (the foundation often hosts Q&A webinars via Zoom for major programmes)
  4. Submit applications through specified online systems by stated deadlines

Decision Timeline

Timelines vary by programme:

  • Improving Outcomes: Applications closed May 2023, awards announced for July 2023 start
  • Pro Bono Grants 2024: Applications closed July 19, 2024 at 4pm; awards announced for programme running until September 2026

The foundation typically receives applications significantly exceeding available funds, requiring several weeks to months for assessment.

Success Rates

Success rates vary considerably by programme and are generally competitive:

  • Pro Bono Grants 2024: 17% success rate (10 grants from 58 applications)
  • Improving Outcomes: 27% success rate (59 grants from 221 applications)

Demand consistently outstrips available funding across all programmes.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy was found in public documentation. Unsuccessful applicants should contact the foundation directly for guidance on reapplying to future rounds.

Application Success Factors

Direct Guidance from the Foundation

The foundation emphasizes:

  • Transparency and trust: They work on the basis of trust with funded organisations
  • Flexibility: Where possible they offer unrestricted funding, recognizing that organisations “often know how best to spend funds to continue their work, develop and support those most in need”
  • Minimizing operating costs: Committed to maximizing direct support to the sector
  • Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Committed to EDI principles in all aspects of their work

Recent Successful Organisations (2024 Pro Bono Grants)

  1. Disability Rights UK: Establishing new pro bono legal advice service for Disabled People's Organisations
  2. Disability Advocacy Project: Expanding volunteer lawyer training for disability benefit appeals (85%+ success rate)
  3. Asylum Support Appeals Project: Recruiting and training pro bono lawyers to represent disabled people in asylum system
  4. South Essex Law Clinic: Developing disability-focused Legal Health Check-Up with improved accessibility
  5. Citizens Advice branches in Braintree, South Essex, Oxford, and St Albans
  6. Zacchaeus 2000 Trust (Z2K): Expanding pro bono welfare benefits appeals (92% success rate)
  7. Mary Ward Legal Centre, Tower Hamlets Law Centre, Legal Advice Centre, Advocate

What Makes Applications Stand Out

  • High-impact outcomes: Successful applicants demonstrate strong success rates (e.g., 85-92% in appeals)
  • Clear need: Aligning with current strategic priorities (e.g., supporting disabled people in 2024)
  • Partnership development: Plans to recruit and train pro bono volunteers from legal profession
  • Accessibility: Demonstrating commitment to making services accessible to vulnerable populations
  • Sustainability: Showing how funding will develop long-term capacity

Evidence and Data

The foundation values:

  • Demonstration of demand for services
  • Evidence of existing partnerships with the legal profession
  • Clear articulation of how funding will be used to maximize impact
  • Understanding of the communities served

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Alignment is critical: The foundation operates themed funding rounds with specific focus areas (e.g., disabled people in 2024). Applications must directly address the stated priorities of each programme.
  1. Competition is intense: With success rates of 17-27%, applications must be exceptionally strong. The foundation receives 3-4 times more requests than available funding.
  1. Focus on pro bono and early advice: The foundation prioritizes expanding access to free legal advice, particularly through pro bono partnerships and early intervention in social welfare law matters.
  1. Geographic coverage matters: Demonstrate how your organisation serves England, Wales, or Scotland (depending on programme). Some programmes are England-only, others are UK-wide.
  1. Charitable status required: Ensure your organisation is registered with the appropriate charity regulator before applying. Universities are explicitly excluded from most programmes.
  1. Build relationships: Attend foundation webinars and information sessions. The foundation values working on the basis of trust with funded organisations.
  1. Demonstrate flexibility and trust: The foundation prefers to offer unrestricted or flexible funding, so show how your organisation will use resources effectively to serve those most in need.
  1. Monitor timing carefully: The foundation operates fixed grant rounds with specific deadlines. Applications are typically only open for 2-3 months when rounds launch.

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References