Legal Services
Forecasted
Legal Services supports legal aid organizations through North Bay services, targeted projects, and statewide and national field support to strengthen a safety net for people in need and alleviate poverty.
This grant was recently updated
No LOIs will be accepted in fall 2026 as BFF shifts from open inquiries to focused RFPs, North Bay grants, and continued statewide and national support. The new approach takes effect in November 2026, with guidelines forthcoming in the first quarter of 2027.
Funder: Bigglesworth Family Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): Not yet announced
Summary: Supports legal aid as a safety net and poverty-alleviation tool, with a renewed focus on North Bay services and sector-wide impact.
Key Information: The open Letter of Inquiry process is being replaced by three focused grantmaking tracks.
Description
The Bigglesworth Family Foundation’s Legal Services program supports legal assistance as both a safety net for people in need and a tool for alleviating poverty. Its origins lie in the founders’ examination of nonprofit responses to the 2007–2008 financial crisis, when legal services organizations worked alongside medical clinics, food banks, and shelters. Grantee Social Return on Investment reports continue to inform the foundation’s assessment of legal aid’s impact.
Following more than a decade of legal services grantmaking, the foundation is refocusing its approach. Its new structure emphasizes targeted special projects, organizations serving significant numbers of North Bay clients, and organizations supporting the wider legal services field at the state and national levels.
