Legal Services
Legal Services supports legal aid providers and sector-strengthening organizations through operating, project, and tool-access grants to improve service delivery and help alleviate poverty.
Funder: Bigglesworth Family Foundation
Due Dates: October 26, 2026 (Spring 2027 LOI window opens) | November 23, 2026 (LOI deadline) | December 7, 2026 (Application window opens) | January 25, 2027 (Full application deadline) | November 9, 2026 (Spring 2026 grantee self-report) | April 19, 2027 (Fall 2026 grantee self-report)
Funding Amounts: Most Legal Services grants: $10,000–$30,000; Access Grants: $1,000–$3,500
Summary: Supports legal aid as a safety net and poverty-alleviation tool through operating, innovative project, and sector-supporting grants.
Key Information: A Letter of Inquiry is required each cycle, including for previous grantees; full applications require an invitation.
Description
The Bigglesworth Family Foundation’s Legal Services Program supports legal aid as both a safety net service and a tool for alleviating poverty. The program grew from the founders’ examination of nonprofit responses to the 2007–2008 financial crisis, including the work of legal services providers alongside medical clinics, food banks, and shelters. Its emphasis on legal aid reflects the foundation’s assessment of anti-poverty impact and grantees’ Social Return on Investment reports.
The portfolio supports general operations, innovative and replicable projects, and organizations that strengthen the legal services sector. Priorities include providers offering unique community services, organizations serving “legal deserts,” models that can benefit peer organizations, and work supporting recruitment, retention, technical assistance, and advocacy. Access Grants help closely aligned organizations obtain existing tools that improve service delivery.
