Notice2021-26028
Pro Bono Innovation Fund Request for Pre-Applications for 2022 Grant Funding
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
November 30, 2021
Issuing agencies
Legal Services Corporation
Abstract
The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) issues this Notice describing the conditions for submitting a Pre-Application for 2022 Pro Bono Innovation Fund grants.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 227 (Tuesday, November 30, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 227 (Tuesday, November 30, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67977-67979]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-26028]
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LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION
Pro Bono Innovation Fund Request for Pre-Applications for 2022
Grant Funding
AGENCY: Legal Services Corporation.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) issues this Notice
describing the conditions for submitting
[[Page 67978]]
a Pre-Application for 2022 Pro Bono Innovation Fund grants.
DATES: Pre-Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday,
January 21, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Pre-Applications must be submitted electronically via LSC's
unified grants management system, GrantEase.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Caroline Shriver, Grants Program
Coordinator, Office of Program Performance, Legal Services Corporation,
3333 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20007; (202) 302-4335; or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4d3d3f222f222322242323223b2c392422230d213e2e632a223b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8ffffde0ede0e1e0e6e1e1e0f9eefbe6e0e1cfe3fceca1e8e0f9">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
Since 2014, Congress has provided an annual appropriation to LSC
``for a Pro Bono Innovation Fund.'' See, e.g., Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2017, Public Law 115-31, 131 Stat. 135 (2017). LSC
requested these funds for grants to ``develop, test, and replicate
innovative pro bono efforts that can enable LSC grantees to expand
clients' access to high quality legal assistance.'' LSC Budget Request,
Fiscal Year 2014 at 26 (2013). The grants must involve innovations that
are either ``new ideas'' or ``new applications of existing best
practices.'' Id. Each grant would ``either serve as a model for other
legal services providers to follow or effectively replicate a prior
innovation. Id. The Senate Appropriations Committee explained that
these funds ``will support innovative projects that promote and enhance
pro bono initiatives throughout the Nation,'' and the House
Appropriations Committee directed LSC ``to increase the involvement of
private attorneys in the delivery of legal services to [LSC-eligible]
clients.'' S. Rep. 114-239 at 123 (2016), House Rep. 113-448 at 85
(2014).
Since its inception, the Pro Bono Innovation Fund has advanced
LSC's goal of increasing the quantity and quality of legal services by
funding projects that more efficiently and effectively involve pro bono
volunteers in serving the critical unmet legal needs of LSC-eligible
clients. In 2017, LSC built on these successes by creating three
funding categories to better focus on innovations serving unmet and
well-defined client needs (Project Grants), on building comprehensive
and effective pro bono programs through new applications of existing
best practices (Transformation Grants), and on providing continued
development support for the most promising innovations (Sustainability
Grants). In 2021, LSC created a second track for Project Grants to
address grantees' desire to develop and implement innovative solutions
to pro bono challenges that are beyond direct legal services.
II. Funding Opportunities Information
A. Eligible Applicants
To be eligible for the Pro Bono Innovation Fund's Project,
Sustainability, and Transformation grants, Applicants must be current
grantees of LSC Basic Field-General, Basic Field-Migrant, or Basic
Field-Native American grants. In addition, Sustainability Grant
Applicants must also be a current Pro Bono Innovation Fund grantee with
a 2019 or 2020 grant award.
B. Pro Bono Innovation Fund Purpose and Key Goals
Pro Bono Innovation Fund grants develop, test, and replicate
innovative pro bono efforts that can enable LSC grantees to use pro
bono volunteers to serve larger numbers of low-income clients and
improve the quality and effectiveness of the services provided. The key
goals of the Pro Bono Innovation Fund are to:
1. Address gaps in the delivery of legal services to low-income
people;
2. Engage more lawyers and other volunteers in pro bono service;
3. Develop, test, and replicate innovative pro bono efforts.
C. Funding Categories
1. Project Grants
The goal of Pro Bono Innovation Fund Project Grants is to leverage
volunteers to meet a critical, unmet and well-defined client need.
Consistent with the key goals of the Pro Bono Innovation Fund,
applicants are encouraged to focus on engaging volunteers to increase
free civil legal aid for low-income Americans by proposing new,
replicable ideas. The Pro Bono Innovation Fund has two Project Grant
types, Direct Service and Non-Direct Service. Direct Service projects
are focused on engaging volunteers to increase free legal assistance
for eligible clients. Non-Direct service projects propose to strengthen
core aspects of pro bono delivery systems and may not result in direct
pro bono client services within the grant timeframe (i.e., develop
suite of substantive training materials, create on-demand videos for
volunteers, etc.).
Applicants are strongly encouraged to research prior Pro Bono
Innovation Fund projects to replicate and improve upon them. LSC is
particularly interested in applications that propose to replicate
projects LSC has previously funded with Sustainability Grants. Project
Grants can be either 18 or 24 months.
2. Transformation Grants
The goal of Pro Bono Innovation Fund Transformation Grants is to
support LSC grantees in comprehensive assessment and restructuring of
pro bono programs through new applications of existing best practices
in pro bono delivery. Each Transformation Grant will support a rigorous
assessment of an LSC grantee's pro bono program and the identification
of best practices in pro bono delivery that are best suited to that
grantee's needs and circumstances. Transformation Grants are targeted
towards LSC grantees whose leadership is committed to restructuring an
entire pro bono program and incorporating pro bono best practices into
core, high-priority client services with an urgency to create a high-
impact pro bono program. This funding opportunity is open to all LSC
grantees but is primarily intended for LSC grantees who have been
unsuccessful applying for Project Grants or who have never applied for
a Pro Bono Innovation Fund grant in the past. Transformation Grants can
be either 24 or 36 months.
3. Sustainability Grants
Pro Bono Innovation Fund Sustainability Grants are available to
current Pro Bono Innovation Fund grantees who received a 2019 or 2020
Project grant. The goal of Sustainability Grants is to support further
development of the most promising and replicable Pro Bono Innovation
Fund projects with an additional 24 months of funding so grantees can
leverage new sources of revenue for the project and collect meaningful
data to demonstrate the project's results and outcomes for clients and
volunteers. Applicants for Sustainability Grants will be asked to
propose an ambitious strategy that reduces the Pro Bono Innovation Fund
contribution to the project over the Sustainability Grant term.
Sustainability Grants are for 24 months.
D. Available Funds and Additional Consideration for 2022 Grants
The availability of funds for Pro Bono Innovation Fund Grants for
FY2022 depends on LSC's final appropriation amount. LSC currently is
operating under a Continuing Resolution for FY2022, which funds the
Federal government through December 3, 2021. The Continuing Resolution
maintains Pro Bono Innovation Fund at the FY2021 level of $4,750,000.
LSC anticipates publicizing the total amount available for Pro Bono
Innovation Fund
[[Page 67979]]
Grants when Congress enacts the FY2022 appropriation. Pro Bono
Innovation Fund Grant decisions for FY2022 will be made in the summer
of 2022.
LSC will not designate fixed or estimated amounts for the three
different funding categories and will make grant awards for the three
categories within the total amount of funding available.
E. Grant Terms
Pro Bono Innovation Fund awards can have grant terms of 18, 24, or
36 months, depending on the category of grant.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18 months 24 months 36 months
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Project Grants............................................... [radic] [radic] X
Transformation Grants........................................ X [radic] [radic]
Sustainability Grants........................................ X [radic] X
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Applicants for Project Grants can apply for either an 18- or a 24-
month grant. Applicants for Transformation Grants can apply for either
a 24- or a 36-month grant. Applicants for Sustainability Grants can
apply for a 24-month grant only. Applications must cover the full
proposed grant term. The grant term is expected to commence on October
1, 2022.
III. Grant Application Process
A. Pro Bono Innovation Fund Grant Application Process
This year, the Pro Bono Innovation Fund application process will be
administered in LSC's unified grants management system, GrantEase.
Applicants must first submit a Pre-Application to LSC in GrantEase by
January 21, 2022 to be considered for a grant. After review by LSC
staff, LSC's President decides which applicants will be asked to submit
a full application. Applicants will be notified of approval to submit a
full application by early March, 2022. Full applications are due to LSC
in the GrantEase system on May 9, 2022. Once received, full
applications will undergo a rigorous review by LSC staff and other
subject matter experts. LSC's President makes the final decision on
funding for the Pro Bono Innovation Fund.
B. Late or Incomplete Applications
LSC may consider a request to submit a Pre-Application after the
deadline, but only if the Applicant has submitted an email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e191938e838e8f8e888f8f8e978095888e8fa18d9282cf868e97"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1363617c717c7d7c7a7d7d7c6572677a7c7d537f60703d747c65">[email protected]</span></a> explaining the circumstances that caused the
delay prior to the Pre-Application deadline. Communication with LSC
staff, including assigned Program Liaisons, is not a substitute for
sending a formal request and explanation to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c6b6b4a9a4a9a8a9afa8a8a9b0a7b2afa9a886aab5a5e8a1a9b0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d6a6a4b9b4b9b8b9bfb8b8b9a0b7a2bfb9b896baa5b5f8b1b9a0">[email protected]</span></a>.
At its discretion, LSC may consider incomplete applications. LSC will
determine the admissibility of late or incomplete applications on a
case-by-case basis.
C. Multiple Pre-Applications
Applicants may submit multiple Pre-applications under the same or
different funding category. If applying for multiple grants, applicants
should submit separate Pre-applications for each funding request.
D. Additional Information and Guidelines
Additional guidance and instructions on the Pro Bono Innovation
Fund Pre-Application and Application processes, will be available and
regularly updated at <a href="https://www.lsc.gov/grants-grantee-resources/our-grant-programs/pro-bono-innovation-fund">https://www.lsc.gov/grants-grantee-resources/our-grant-programs/pro-bono-innovation-fund</a>.
Dated: November 24, 2021.
Jessica Lynne Wechter,
Special Assistant to the President.
[FR Doc. 2021-26028 Filed 11-29-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7050-01-P
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