The grant application forms for the New Jersey IOLTA Discretionary Grant program for the calendar year 2011 are found in the next section labeled “Forms”. The grant application deadline is Friday, August 20, 2010. The application package (original plus two copies) must be postmarked by August 20. WE DO NOT ACCEPT HAND DELIVERIES. DO NOT USE OVERNIGHT DELIVERY SERVICES. Applications postmarked after August 20, 2010 will not be accepted.

It is too soon to determine the size of the 2011 grant pool. Our funding availability depends upon the rate of interest we earn on attorney trust account balances. Interest rates remain very, very low so far this year and are not projected to improve until 2011. There can be no assurance that the Fund will grant the maximum amount to any applicant or that repeat applicants will receive continued funding.

As before, the Basic Grant limit is $12,000 and the Major Grant limit is $150,000. Contact us if you require a diskette or if you have difficulty accessing the forms online. The completed application must be submitted on paper. We cannot accept applications via email or fax. The last page of the application provides detailed instructions for submission of the application package (how many copies, how to package them, etc.) Do not use old forms.

IOLTA grants may be awarded for the following three purposes, in order of priority:

• civil (not criminal) legal services to the poor in New Jersey,
• improvement in the administration of justice in New Jersey, and
• education of lay persons in legal and justice-related areas.

Please review the IOLTA Grant Policies, Basic Eligibility Criteria and Grant Priorities under the previous tab to determine which category fits your project best. Be certain that you can meet our financial and reporting requirements by reviewing the list of technical documents and Grant Assurances before you begin the application.

The IOLTA Board of Trustees relies primarily upon the written application for information about your project and your organization. This is a competitive grant program, therefore, complete the application carefully. You may attach additional information necessary to present a complete picture of your organization and the project for which you seek funding. Omit information that is not specifically applicable to your organization and project.

Repeat applicants: your application is reviewed as thoroughly as a new one. Your application should reflect recent work and full year 2009 service statistics as well as indicate how evaluation of your legal assistance/advocacy program ensures continued effectiveness.

All applicants: Please note the statistical summary requirements for your response to Question 6 for Major Grant applicants and Question 8 for Basic Grant applicants. Note that we seek annual statistical data in response to these questions. This allows us to compare your program to similar programs more effectively and report to the public more precisely about the use and impact of IOLTA funds.

Shortly after the application deadline, the Fund begins the process of evaluating all requests for grants. Applicants and organizations must refrain from lobbying individual members of the Board of Trustees or IOLTA Fund staff during the evaluation process. You will be contacted by IOLTA Fund staff if there are questions about your application. Final decisions for 2011 grants will be made in November. All applicants, successful and unsuccessful, will be notified of the Board’s decision before December 1, 2010.

Thank you for your interest in the IOLTA discretionary grant program. Please call me at 732-247-8222 if you any questions regarding the application, available funding, deadline or any other aspect of the IOLTA program. I welcome queries from grant writers who are uncertain about the parameters of our discretionary grant program and who seek more information.

Sincerely,

- Ellen D. Ferrise