Application forms for a 2012 IOLTA (Interest On Lawyers’ Trust Accounts) grant for activities carried out within the state of Tennessee are available below. Completed applications must be submitted in hardcopy, by United States mail, postmarked no later than Friday, September 9, 2011.

PLEASE READ THIS MEMO CAREFULLY.

The IOLTA awards program is made possible from the interest earned on the pooled trust checking accounts of participating lawyers. The amount available to grant varies annually. It is based on many ungovernable factors, including the business cycle and interest rates.

The last year continued to be one of extremely low interest rates. However, past action by the Board of Trustees of the Tennessee Bar Foundation (administrator of the IOLTA program by designation of the Tennessee Supreme Court), created a reserve fund of IOLTA monies. The interest earned during the last fiscal year will be supplemented by a portion of that reserve to make up the 2012 grant awards. Due to the projected, long-term nature of current rates, the Foundation will maintain the rest of the shrinking reserve for future years. So, please note that the total amount available to grant for 2012 will be approximately $150,000 less than that of 2011.

As always, there can be no assurance that a repeat applicant will receive continued IOLTA funding, that an individual grant award will equal that of the past year, or that a first-time applicant will receive any award. Keep this in mind as your organization determines whether or not to submit an application and the amount of funds to request.

In addition, the following list of issues should be considered by every applicant: 

Applicants most likely to be DENIED a grant award are those that

· Request funds to be used for an obligation of government (law enforcement activities, school attendance).

· Show a poorly structured governing board (few members, numerous members employed in the same industry).

· Show thin financial resources (IOLTA funds proposed as the sole source of funding, lack of indication of at least efforts to secure other support).

· Request an amount of funds that far exceeds grant awards to similar organizations (see the list of 2011 awards on this site as examples).

Applicants most likely to RECEIVE a grant award are those that

· Provide a well-written narrative (all applications should be reviewed before submission by an interested party other than the grant writer).

· Show a history of success in the field of interest.

· Employ a strong staff.

· Show IOLTA funds are not the sole source of support.

· Meet all the requirements of the format, submission process and informational requests of members of the Grant Review Committee.

Each application is available in two formats:

      1.  As a “fillable” form (MS Word)
      2.  As a PDF document (Adobe Reader)

The organization/grant writer must select and download the application, as described below, that most closely fits the organization or services the organization proposes to offer.  Questions from grant writers who are uncertain about the parameters of IOLTA funding or are unsure which format to select are urged to call me at 800/634.2516 or 615/242.1531.

A – Improve the Administration of Justice Organizations tangential to the legal system that seek to have direct, secondary or eventual beneficial impact on legal processes (generally do not employ attorneys).	MS Word PDF
B – Provide Legal Services (LSC Funded Model) Organizations partially funded by the Legal Services Corporation that employ staff attorneys to provide free civil legal assistance to the indigent and may coordinate pro bono services.	MS Word PDF
C – Provide Legal Services (Staff Attorney Model) Organizations that employ staff attorneys to provide free civil legal assistance to the indigent.	MS Word PDF
D – Provide Legal Services (Pro Bono Model) Organizations that coordinate the services of private attorneys who provide free civil legal assistance to the indigent.	MS Word PDF