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Chicago Bar Foundation

Annual Giving
$7.0M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $7+ million
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Contact organization for timeline
  • Grant Range: Varies by program (average $82,000 for organizational support grants since 2015)
  • Geographic Focus: Cook County, Illinois

Contact Details

Website: https://chicagobarfoundation.org
Phone: 312.554.1204
Email: cbf@chicagobarfoundation.org
Address: 321 South Plymouth Court, Suite 3B, Chicago, IL 60604

Grant Inquiries:
Melanie MacBride, Chief Grants & Operations Officer
Phone: 312.554.1206
Email: mmacbride@chicagobarfoundation.org

Overview

The Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF) is the largest voluntarily supported bar foundation in the United States and serves as the charitable arm of the Chicago Bar Association. Founded over 70 years ago, the CBF has awarded more than $50 million in grants, with over $45 million distributed since 1999. The foundation brings the legal community together through advocacy, funding, and innovation to improve access to justice for people in need and to make the legal system more fair, equitable, and effective. Through their annual Investing in Justice Campaign, which has raised over $20 million since 2007, and strategic partnerships with government entities, the CBF provides over $7 million annually to support dozens of pro bono and legal aid organizations serving the Chicago area.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Organizational Support Grants: General operating support for established organizations

  • Average of $82,000 per grant (based on historical data)
  • Fund effective, well-managed organizations improving access to justice
  • Consider systemic impact, areas of law, communities served, and number of people impacted

Special Project Grants: Support for innovative initiatives

  • Focus on projects that make the legal system more fair, accessible, and efficient
  • Must have broad impact on courts and justice system
  • Funding from Cook County, U.S. District Court, Bankruptcy Help Desk Foundation, and City of Chicago

Small Discretionary Grants: Rolling basis

  • Support legal-adjacent nonprofits
  • One-time endeavors like mergers or new project launches

YPB-YLS Grants: Youth education initiatives

  • Fund projects educating vulnerable youth about legal rights and responsibilities
  • Provide civic-related education and diversity initiatives
  • Create volunteer opportunities for Young Lawyers Section and Young Professionals Board members

Fellowship and Scholarship Programs:

  • Moses Scholarship: $60,000 awarded once every three years
  • Sun-Times Public Interest Law Fellowship Program
  • Kimball R. Anderson and Karen G. Anderson Public Interest Law Fellowship
  • PILI Internship Program: Covers stipends for three summer and two school-year interns

Priority Areas

  • Increasing access to free and affordable legal assistance for people in need
  • Making courts more user-friendly and accessible for people without lawyers
  • Supporting pro bono services
  • Innovative court-based projects
  • Housing stability and eviction prevention
  • Consumer debt issues
  • Mortgage foreclosure assistance

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations that predominantly serve persons outside of Cook County
  • Individuals
  • Law school clinics/programs

Governance and Leadership

Executive Director: Bob Glaves - Served since October 1999 (25+ years), former civil litigator and former President of National Conference of Bar Foundations. According to Glaves, "The CBF understands that strong legal aid organizations are an integral component of ensuring equal access to justice."

Board Officers:

  • President: Thomas V. Panoff (Sheppard)
  • 1st Vice President: Elizabeth P. Lewis (McDermott Will)
  • Treasurer: Nancy S. Gerrie (Ret.)

Board Structure: 6 Officers, 30 Directors, 1 Counsel, Young Professionals Board with 3 Officers and 33 Board Members, plus 11 staff members.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Organizations interested in funding should contact Melanie MacBride, Chief Grants & Operations Officer, for application information. The CBF conducts a comprehensive screening and evaluation process with board members and Young Professionals Board members making site visits to organizations applying for funding.

Decision Timeline

Specific timelines are not publicly available. Contact the CBF directly for current deadlines and decision timeframes.

Success Rates

Application numbers and specific success rates are not publicly disclosed. The CBF provides consistent support to more than 30 organizations annually.

Reapplication Policy

Information about reapplication policies is not publicly available. Contact the organization directly for guidance.

Application Success Factors

Based on CBF's stated priorities and grantmaking approach:

  • Demonstrate clear impact on Cook County's most vulnerable residents
  • Show how your work aligns with CBF's two core goals: increasing access to legal assistance and making the legal system more user-friendly
  • Provide evidence of being well-managed with proper financial oversight (audits, Form 990 filings)
  • Articulate systemic impact beyond individual cases
  • Highlight innovative approaches to improving access to justice
  • Show collaboration with other legal aid organizations or court systems
  • Organizations applying should be prepared for site visits from board members

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • The CBF is a major funder with over $7 million in annual grants, making them one of the most significant legal aid funders in the United States
  • They prioritize general operating support for established organizations, providing critical unrestricted funding
  • Geographic restriction is strict - organizations must primarily serve Cook County residents
  • Site visits are part of the evaluation process, so be prepared to host board members
  • The foundation values both proven solutions and innovative approaches, offering different grant types for each
  • Strong preference for organizations addressing housing, debt, and consumer issues, as evidenced by their $7 million CCLAHD initiative
  • Having at least one licensed attorney on staff is typically required unless exceptional circumstances exist

References

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