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The Law Society

Archived Adult Education/Learning Age discrimination Education and learning Gender equality and sexual orientation Human rights and equality Human rights and justice People with disabilities Racial equality Refugees and asylum seekers Antrim & Newtownabbey Ards & North Down Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Belfast City Causeway Coast and Glens Derry City and Strabane England Fermanagh and Omagh Great Britain Lisburn and Castlereagh Mid and East Antrim Mid Ulster Newry, Mourne and Down Northern Ireland Scotland Wales Medium (up to £60,000) Small (up to £10,000)

Overview

The Law Society supports projects that promote:

  • Human rights
  • Access to justice
  • Legal education

Funding Available

Grants are normally in the range £5,000 - £15,000. If you ask for more than this any grant will be scaled down to below £15,000. They may regard your asking for a very large amount as an indication that the project and your hopes for funding it, are unrealistic, and reject it on that basis.

Grants are usually on a one-off basis, but can occasionally be spread over two or three years.

Funding Criteria

They will take into account the following:

  • The degree of need you have demonstrated, and how crucial a grant from the Charity is for your organisation (taking into account, for example, the size of your organisation, whether you have an established fundraising operation, and the amount of income generated)
  • how many people are likely to be helped through the project
  • whether other charities or public bodies are active in the same field as the organisation or help through similar projects
  • whether funding will also be required from other sources and the likelihood of this being obtained
  • whether the project would particularly promote the needs of excluded, under-represented or disadvantaged groups and minorities
  • whether the organisation has a good track record in running the kind of project concerned and is able to do so (and manage its other operations) cost-effectively
  • whether the project is of too localised or limited a nature – they aim to help projects covering as wide an area and as many people as possible
  • whether the overriding requirement of 'public benefit' has been met, taking account of the guidance issued by the Charity Commission

To see previous grantees see the website