Small Grants Available through American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging

The fifth annual Partnerships in Law and Aging Program, with funding from the Borchard Foundation Center on Law and Aging and the Marie Walsh Sharpe Endowment of the American Bar Association Fund for Justice and Education, has announced it will accept proposals through December 2, 2002.

Up to ten grants of up to $7,500 each will be awarded to bar associations, legal services providers, elder rights advocates, and other local non-profit organizations to “encourage development of new and collaborative community-based projects to enhance the legal awareness of older persons and to improve their access to the legal system.”

The Request for Proposals says the following about who is eligible to apply or be a partner:

“This Request for Proposals is open to not-for-profit, law-related groups and organizations, including state or local bar association sections and committees (e.g., elder law, legal services, senior lawyers, young lawyers, disability rights, health law, trusts and estates), Older Americans Act and other publicly funded legal services programs, elder rights advocacy groups, law schools and law-related education groups, dispute resolution programs, aging services providers, and others seeking to develop or strengthen the legal awareness and rights of older Americans.

Current and former grantees are eligible to apply for another grant, but they must demonstrate clearly how their proposal differs from the previously funded project. Note, however, that reviewers aim for overall geographic, organizational, and programmatic diversity in making funding decisions.

State and county funded agencies and other government agencies, including attorney general offices and agencies on aging, are not eligible to apply as primary grantees, but may participate as collaborating partners.

Non-profit organizations that serve older people but are not specifically law-related (e.g., health centers, educational institutions, faith-based organizations, nutrition programs, libraries) are eligible as partners.

National organizations are not eligible, but local affiliates of national organizations may apply.”

Potential applicants are directed to the full Request for Proposals and Application at www.abanet.org/aging/rfp2003.html and are urged to use the “printer friendly” version to avoid missing necessary data.