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Who We Are

About the DC Bar Foundation

The DC Bar Foundation is the leading funder of civil legal aid in the District of Columbia. We are committed to the vision that residents of the District have equal access to justice, regardless of income. Our mission is to fund, support, and improve legal representation of people who are financially disenfranchised or who are otherwise underserved in the District of Columbia.

The Bar Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, was established in 1977 to provide a vehicle for lawyers and law firms to contribute to legal services organizations in the District of Columbia. In 1985, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals established the District’s IOLTA program, which the Foundation administers. In 2006, the Council of the District of Columbia appropriated funds for civil legal services grants and a poverty lawyer loan repayment assistance program, designating the DC Bar Foundation as administrator.

The Bar Foundation awards grants to the District’s legal services organizations that provide free civil legal services to low-income and underserved people in the District. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $175 million in grants.

The collective pursuit of racial justice and racial equity by the Foundation's leadership, staff, and extended family is critical to the transformation we seek in DC’s civil legal aid network.

 

By racial justice, we mean transforming society to eliminate racial hierarchies and advancing collective liberation so that all communities have the dignity, resources, power, and self-determination to thrive fully. And by racial equity, we mean the process of moving towards the vision of racial justice, including measurable milestones and outcomes.

To support this effort, we have developed a Racial Equity and Inclusive Language Style Guide, which you can read here.

QUICK LINKS
Our Strategic Vision

Core Values, Strategic Vision, Goals & Strategis

DC Social Justice Transformations Network

Who we are, how to register, when our next convening is, and more!

Who We Serve

The need for civil legal aid, and how the DC Bar Foundation helps.

Reports

Evaluation reports, annual reports, financials, all in one location.

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