Are You Aware of the Numerous Lives That You Will Change in 2025?
From the Grants and Pro Bono Committee
Norman L. Pernick, Cole Schotz, P. C. Chair, Grants and Pro Bono Committee
This is my favorite time of year, because all of the hard work that the Foundation and the Grants & Pro Bono Committee( the“ Committee”) do seeking donations, soliciting grant applications from across the country, and reviewing applications and deciding priorities, comes to fruition in October and November with the approval of grants and the disbursement of funds to organizations servicing so many in need across the country. The College and the Foundation are again poised to continue to change so many lives due to your generosity. We are now in the middle of the Foundation’ s campaign to raise funds for 2026 grants, and we hope that by seeing the direct effect across the country that the funds you contribute make that you will again donate generously to the College’ s effort.
2025 Pro Bono Grants. Once again, the College and the Foundation were able to award a record- $ 647,600- in grants to pro bono legal service programs that provide assistance to the most vulnerable. This year, because of the generosity of the Fellows and the support of the Foundation, the College and Foundation awarded grants to another record 55 organizations, funding programs in 24 states plus the District of Columbia. They include grantees in metropolitan areas
small and large, including San Diego, Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Boston, Boise, ID, Logan, UT, and Easton, MD. The proposed grantees include 9 new grantees who have not previously received a grant from the Foundation. A full list of our 2025 pro bono grantees is available here.
The grantees are usually local bankruptcy pro bono programs formed by or supported by the bankruptcy bar and bankruptcy judges in that locale. The programs reflect a variety of ways to expand services. Some grantees provide for training and recruitment of additional volunteers to take on pro bono cases. Other applicants request support for selfhelp or pro se clinics to educate and advise unrepresented individuals in bankruptcy court. Grantees may seek funding for tools to expand the reach of the grantees to serve clients and volunteers, such as bankruptcy software programs, preparation of how-to videos, or tools to provide for website integration. Some provide in person and virtual trainings to volunteers and communications with clients. With a few rare exceptions, the grants do not fund paid lawyers delivering services to clients( although the grants may support the administrative aspect of running and coordinating volunteer and pro bono efforts).
As part of our grant process, we ask the agencies that receive the College’ s funds to tell us their stories of people that they have helped. I am sure you will agree with me after reading just a few of these from our
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