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Pennsylvania Interest On Lawyer Trust Account Board

Annual Giving
$30.0M

Pennsylvania Interest On Lawyer Trust Account Board

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $30+ million
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Annual grant cycle
  • Grant Range: Varies by program (zone grants to multi-million dollar statewide grants)
  • Geographic Focus: Statewide (Pennsylvania only)
  • Eligible Applicants: Pennsylvania-based 501(c)(3) legal aid organizations and law schools

Contact Details

Main Office:

  • Address: PO Box 62445, 601 Commonwealth Ave, Harrisburg, PA 17106-2445
  • Phone: 717-238-2001
  • Toll-Free: 888-PA-IOLTA (888-724-6582)
  • Fax: 717-238-2003
  • Email: paiolta@pacourts.us
  • Website: www.paiolta.org

Grants Manager:

Overview

The Pennsylvania Interest On Lawyer Trust Account (IOLTA) Board is a not-for-profit organization operating under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Established to support civil legal services for Pennsylvania's poor and disadvantaged, the Board has distributed more than $295 million in grants since its inception. In 2024, the IOLTA Board provided more than $30 million in financial support to 33 legal aid organizations, Pennsylvania's nine law schools, and the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation.

The Board operates as Pennsylvania's largest funder of civil legal aid, generating revenue through interest earned on attorneys' IOLTA accounts and attorney registration fees. Under Pennsylvania Rule of Professional Conduct 1.15, attorneys must deposit nominal and short-term fiduciary funds in interest-bearing IOLTA accounts, with the interest transferred to the Pennsylvania IOLTA Board. Executive Director Stephanie Libhart emphasizes the Board's commitment to partnering with institutions that "understand and support our mission" to secure equal access to justice.

The Board is governed by nine directors appointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and meets four times per year throughout the Commonwealth.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

1. Statewide Legal Services Grant

  • Annual grant to Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, Inc. (PLAN)
  • PLAN subcontracts funding to eight legal aid organizations providing full-range civil legal aid
  • Also funds six specialized projects focused on specific areas of law or special-needs clients

2. Specialized Legal Services Grant Program (Zone Grants)

  • Supports targeted services for disabled, non-English speaking communities, and domestic violence victims
  • Funding allocated to geographic zones based on proportion of people living in poverty
  • Applicants compete within their respective zones
  • Applications closed December 13, 2024 for grant year beginning July 1, 2025

3. Law School Clinical and Externship Programs

  • Grants to all eight Pennsylvania law schools operating clinical/externship programs
  • Supports free civil legal assistance provided by law students

4. Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP)

  • Three-year grants administered by Pennsylvania Bar Foundation
  • Funded by pro hac vice admission fees
  • Benefits attorneys employed full-time by IOLTA-funded legal services organizations

5. Special Programs

  • Bank of America Grant Program: Six-year program for foreclosure prevention and community redevelopment legal assistance (from 2014 DOJ settlement)

Priority Areas

All IOLTA grants must focus on civil legal services for low-income Pennsylvanians where basic human needs are at stake:

  • Housing and eviction prevention (including "tangled titles" for low-income homeowners)
  • Foreclosure prevention and community redevelopment
  • Domestic violence protection and support
  • Public benefits access
  • Healthcare access
  • Employment rights
  • Consumer protection
  • Utility assistance (helping domestic violence survivors establish affordable, reliable utility service)
  • Assistance for institutionalized persons
  • Services for disabled individuals
  • Immigration and language access issues

Income Requirement: Services must be provided to Pennsylvanians living at or below 187.5% of the Federal Poverty Level.

What They Don't Fund

IOLTA Board funding may NOT be used for:

  • Fee-generating cases
  • Defense of criminal prosecutions
  • Actions attacking criminal convictions
  • Political activities
  • Capital expenditures
  • Lobbying
  • Abortion-related representation
  • Organizations outside Pennsylvania
  • Organizations that don't meet the 50% primary purpose test (see eligibility)

Governance and Leadership

Executive Director:

  • Stephanie S. Libhart: Served as Assistant Executive Director for four years before promotion to Executive Director in 2013. Libhart stated that "as the largest funder of civil legal aid in the Commonwealth, we consider it essential to partner with a financial institution that understands and supports our mission."

Board Structure:

  • Nine-member Board of Directors, all appointed by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
  • Meets four times per year in eastern, middle, and western Pennsylvania
  • Each member serves on one or two of four subcommittees
  • Meetings last from one-half to one full day

Recent Leadership:

  • Irwin W. Aronson served as 2018 Chair of the Pennsylvania IOLTA Board

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Pennsylvania IOLTA Board operates an annual grant cycle with specific deadlines for each grant category.

Eligibility Requirements:

Organizations must meet ALL of the following criteria:

  • Be a not-for-profit Pennsylvania Corporation
  • Be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
  • Operate primarily within Pennsylvania
  • Have as primary purpose the provision of civil legal services without charge

Primary Purpose Test: An organization meets this requirement if it expends at least 50% of its total audited resources (including the audited value of pro bono legal services) on the delivery of free civil legal representation.

For Zone Grants: Organizations compete within the geographic zone where proposed services would be delivered. View zone boundaries on the IOLTA Funding Zone Map at www.paiolta.org.

Contact for Application Questions: Jim Swoyer, Grants Manager at James.Swoyer@pacourts.us

Decision Timeline

  • Application Deadline: December 13 (for grant year beginning the following July 1)
  • Grant Period: July 1 - June 30 annual cycle
  • Board Meetings: Four times per year throughout Pennsylvania
  • Approval: All grants require approval from the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Grantee Reporting Requirements:

  • Quarterly reports due: October 31, January 30, April 30, July 31
  • Annual audit reports due by October 15
  • Budget amendment requests due by May 31

Success Rates

Success rate data and application statistics are not publicly disclosed. However, the competitive nature of zone grants is acknowledged, with multiple organizations competing for funding within each geographic zone.

In 2024, 33 legal aid organizations and 9 law schools received funding, suggesting a relatively limited pool of successful applicants focused on established legal aid providers.

Reapplication Policy

Specific reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants are not publicly available. Contact Jim Swoyer at James.Swoyer@pacourts.us for information about reapplication procedures.

Application Success Factors

Based on publicly available information about IOLTA Board funding priorities and funded projects:

1. Strong Focus on Basic Human Needs The Board consistently emphasizes funding projects where "basic human needs, such as shelter, food, medicine and safety, are at stake." Successful applicants demonstrate clear connection between legal services and meeting fundamental survival needs.

2. Serve Target Populations Zone grants specifically support specialized services for:

  • Disabled individuals
  • Non-English speaking communities
  • Domestic violence victims Recent funded examples include Pennsylvania Utility Law Project's three-year grant addressing barriers domestic violence survivors face with utility services ($145,000 IOLTA investment leveraging $649,000 in client benefits, with $500,000 recurring annually).

3. Geographic Alignment For zone grants, organizations compete within specific geographic zones based on poverty distribution. Understanding your zone's demographics and unmet legal needs is critical. Access the IOLTA Funding Zone Map to verify your service area.

4. Demonstrate Impact and Leverage Successful applicants show how IOLTA funding leverages additional benefits. Example: Neighborhood Legal Services in Allegheny County's "tangled titles" project for low-income homeowners demonstrates clear community impact.

5. Meet the 50% Threshold Organizations must prove at least 50% of total audited resources (including pro bono value) support free civil legal representation. This strict primary purpose test ensures funding supports dedicated legal aid providers.

6. Alignment with Court Mission As an entity operating under Supreme Court jurisdiction, the Board values projects that "improve the administration of justice in Pennsylvania" beyond individual client services.

7. Established Pennsylvania Presence The Board funds established Pennsylvania legal aid infrastructure (33 organizations and 9 law schools in 2024), suggesting preference for proven entities rather than new organizations.

8. Clinical/Educational Value (for Law Schools) All eight Pennsylvania law schools receive funding for clinical and externship programs, indicating value placed on training next generation of legal aid attorneys.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Pennsylvania-specific focus: Only organizations operating primarily within Pennsylvania and incorporated in Pennsylvania qualify. No out-of-state applicants.

  • Income restriction is strict: Services must target Pennsylvanians at or below 187.5% of Federal Poverty Level—not general low-income populations.

  • Zone competition matters: For discretionary grants, you compete only against organizations in your geographic zone, not statewide. Understanding zone-specific poverty demographics and gaps in service is critical.

  • The 50% rule is non-negotiable: At least half your audited resources must support free civil legal representation. Organizations with significant fee-generating work or non-legal services likely won't qualify.

  • Supreme Court approval required: All grants require Pennsylvania Supreme Court approval, indicating high level of oversight and accountability expectations.

  • Long-term relationships valued: The Board has distributed over $295 million since inception to a relatively stable network of legal aid providers. Breaking into this network as a new organization may be challenging.

  • Leverage and impact matter: Successful projects demonstrate multiplication effects—Pennsylvania Utility Law Project's $145,000 grant leveraged $649,000 in benefits, showing 4.5x return.

  • Mission alignment with executive leadership: Executive Director Stephanie Libhart emphasizes partnerships with entities that "understand and support our mission." Your organization's commitment to civil legal aid access must be evident and central.

References

All sources accessed December 2025.

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