SRLN Brief: Funding (SRLN 2015)

Funding for SRL services comes from a variety of sources, including:

• state and local government appropriations;

• federal funding including VAWA for cases involving domestic violence, Title IV-D funds for cases involving child support, and a number of other federal funding streams identified through the Legal Aid and Interagency Roundtable Toolkit created by the the Department of Justice's Office for Access to Justice;

• court - legal aid partnership grants (as is done in California) or through the Legal Services Corporation's Technology and Pro Bono Initiative Grants;

• IOLTA Programs and Bar Foundations;

• private foundation support for discrete projects;

• and the most sustainable route is when pilot or planning funds are teamed with repurposing of court staff and streamlining case flow management to provide SRL services with no ongoing fiscal note.

Getting involved in the SRLN will connect you with colleagues who have developed successful programs using a variety of these funding strategies to create sustainable SRL services.