Application forms to enable an organization to apply for a grant, for calendar year 2011, from the Tennessee IOLTA (Interest On Lawyers’ Trust Accounts) program are available below. Completed applications must be submitted in hardcopy, by United States mail, postmarked no later than Friday, September 10, 2010.

PLEASE READ THIS MEMO CAREFULLY.

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

Fiscal year 2010 continued to be one of historically low interest rates, which caused a drop in IOLTA income exceeding that of fiscal year 2009. Past planning 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. A portion of that reserve will be used to supplement the amount earned through IOLTA during the last fiscal year to fund the 2011 grant awards. Be aware, however, that the total amount available to grant will be slightly less than that of 2010. Given the projected, long-term nature of the current low interest rate environment, the Foundation will maintain the remainder of the reserve for future years (which may present an even greater need for stabilization of grant amounts).

As always, there can be no assurance that repeat applicants will receive continued IOLTA funding, that individual grant awards will equal that of the past year, or that first-time applicants will receive an award. Please keep the situation in mind as your organization designs its project and determines 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 (such as home visits or law enforcement activities).

· 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 or 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 2010 awards on this site as examples).

Applications most likely to RECEIVE a grant award are those that

· Produce a well-written application 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 that IOLTA funds are not the sole source of support.

· Meet all the requirements of the application format, submission process and informational requests of members of the IOLTA 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 work to improve the administration of justice (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 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