Program and Operating Grants

Who is eligible?

• Incorporated non-profit entities
• First Nations
• Band Councils
• Organizations based outside Alberta if the proposed project will benefit the people of Alberta and has the support of the local law foundation in their home province

Who is not eligible

• Individuals
• Commercial entities
• Organizations seeking funding for programs of government departments or salaries of government employees
• Applicants seeking funding for legal advice without Approved Legal Service Provider status through the Law Society of Alberta

Eligible expenses

• Direct costs of a program or project related to the law or the justice system.
• A reasonable portion of related administration or overhead costs, including supervision, rent or premises, financial oversight and audit, insurance, IT, and evaluation.
• Meals, beverages and hospitality expenses, when needed to meet program objectives or cultural components of programming.
• Purchase or lease of a vehicle, when integral to the delivery of a funded program or project.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Individuals
• Commercial entities
• Political lobbies
• Programs of government departments or salaries of government employees
• Purchase of real estate

Eligible geographic areas

• Alberta
• Organizations based outside Alberta may apply if their project benefits Albertans and has support from their home province’s local law foundation.

• Meeting one or more of the Foundation’s objects.
• Evidence of need for the program or service, or why it is a priority.
• Capacity and expertise of the applicant to complete the project or deliver the program.
• Level of collaboration and community support, including strategic partnerships.
• Financial health of the organization, as evidenced by financial statements and a sustainability plan.

• The open call opens on September 1 and closes on September 30 each year.
• The call, including the available funding, eligibility criteria, and key dates, is announced in July.
• Applications submitted outside the open call window cannot be accepted.

• The Board makes funding decisions for all streams at a single meeting in November.
• Applicants are notified of the outcome after that meeting.
• Existing grant agreements continue according to their terms.
• Disbursements on existing multi-year grants continue, subject to satisfactory reporting from the prior period.

• Registered charity status is not required.
• Funding can support both existing programming and new programs or projects.
• Organizations do not need to be exclusively law-focused if the proposed work relates to Canadian law or Indigenous law.
• Applicants can speak with the Grants Team before submitting an inquiry.