Strengthening Legal Services for Immigrants in Chicago

An opportunity to build resilience for immigrant legal services

As immigrants and refugees seek to establish themselves in the Chicago region, access to quality legal services is critical for defining their future. For those who rely on legal aid, experienced representation significantly increases the likelihood of positive outcomes in these cases. Given the vast policy changes of recent years and a history of underinvestment in this field, Walder Foundation understands the importance of having organizations that can expertly navigate the complicated immigration system to provide the best possible support to immigrants and refugees. Through a request for proposals for Strengthening Legal Services for Immigrants in Chicago, Walder Foundation aims to support nonprofit immigration legal service providers in the region with the resources needed to improve the quality of services, build skilled teams, strengthen internal capacity, and ensure long-term resilience.

Walder Foundation’s Migration and Immigrant Communities program supports organizations that recognize immigrants’ valuable contributions and assist immigrants and refugees who are looking to improve their lives and fulfill their dreams. Through this funding opportunity, Walder Foundation will focus on legal service providers working on critical immigration issues, including asylum, consular processing, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), employment authorization, family-based petitions, naturalization/citizenship, removal defense, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), T-Visas, U-Visas, and Violence Against Women Act petitions. Grant funding will focus on supporting legal services providers’ programmatic operations that are catalytic to their long-term sustainability.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Grants between $40,000 and $200,000 will be awarded to organizations for projects that work to develop the capacity of immigration legal service providers. Grants up to three years will be considered with an outlined plan and timeline. Approximately, $1.5 million in grant awards will be provided. Organizations led by immigrants and refugees are especially encouraged to apply.

Grants will be awarded based on a number of factors including feasibility, community impact, and the potential for sustainability. Funding will be prioritized for those organizations whose work serves traditionally under-resourced populations or communities, and focuses on sustainable practices in legal services. The amount of the grant will be determined by the size of the project relative to the organizational budget along with how well the project aligns with the grant criteria (see below).

Collaborative efforts and partnerships will be considered at the higher end of the grant award limit and letters of support and Memorandum of Agreement will be needed, as described below.

Examples of projects may include:

  • Innovative ideas and approaches to attract and retain attorneys in the field.

  • Planning for the growth and development of legal aid services.

  • Partnerships to contract with legal service providers, both private and public, for mobile clinics and/or complex cases.

  • Support for DOJ-accredited staff and attorneys who provide legal aid to individuals with low income.

  • Support for staff to conduct intakes, preliminary screenings, case management, and referral services.

  • Training opportunities and technical assistance.

  • Mentorship and supervision support for new staff and attorneys.

  • Technology and database upgrades that improve the efficiency of representing clients, such as maintaining records, tracking caseloads, and ensuring client privacy.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

  • Applicant must be a governmental unit or a registered Section 501(c)(3) organization classified as a Selection 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) public charity, or a project within a fiscal sponsor organization that meets this requirement.

  • Organizations must be located in the Chicago region* and their work focused on the needs of the Chicago metropolitan community.

  • Organizations must be recognized by the Department of Justice, and/or an attorney-staffed organization.

  • Missions must prioritize and serve immigrant, refugee, and asylum-seeker communities.

What we will not fund through this grants program:

  • Non-immigration legal services

  • Policy research

  • Capital projects

  • Fundraising events

*The Chicago region is defined as the Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Lake, McHenry, Kane, Kendall, and Will.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The following will be used to determine which organizations will be prioritized for grant awards

Urgency for unmet need

  • Does the proposal focus on strengthening quality legal service delivery in your organization?

  • Is the proposal a unique solution or opportunity to address a problem in your organization, the communities and collaborators you work with, the immigrant and refugee communities you serve, or have impact in the field?

Potential for sustainable impact

  • Will the project target an unaddressed need or gap in the organization?

  • Will the intervention(s) have a lasting impact?

  • Does the proposal support the long-term sustainability of legal services?

Collaboration with community

  • Does the organization/project reflect, engage, and value input from its community(ies)?

  • Is the project informed by equity or does it take a racial justice approach?

  • Is the project inclusive and accessible?

  • Have all consequences, including potential unintended consequences, been addressed to mitigate any possible harm?

  • Does this project attempt to expand the reach of the work?

Feasibility/scope

  • Does this project align with the organization’s mission?

  • Is the project feasible considering the resources, time and capacity needed?

  • Does this project appreciably contribute to the sustainability of the organization and its stakeholders?

Walder Foundation is committed to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. We encourage applicants from underrepresented backgrounds and/or projects that improve outcomes for those from underrepresented backgrounds.

TIMELINE

Applications due: JUNE 23, 2022 by 5 p.m. CT

Grant notification: SEPTEMBER 2022

APPLICATION PROCESS

To apply, you will need to create an account in foundationConnect, Walder Foundation’s grants management system. To create an account, you will need your organization’s EIN.

1. Create an account in foundationConnect and save an application 

Click on the link below and choose Create New Account:

Strengthening Legal Services for Immigrants in Chicago

You will receive a confirmation email from grants@walderfoundation.org. Click on the link in the email to verify your email address. You will receive a second email from grants@walderfoundation.org. Click the link in the second email to create your password, sign in to your account, and start and save a new application. To save an application, complete the first field, Project Title (you can change this later), and then choose Save. If you do not enter and save a Project Title, your application will not save.

IMPORTANT: If you do not start your application immediately after creating your password, you will need to return to this page and click the link above to be directed to the application form.

Walder Foundation Grantee Portal

If you are already registered in our grants management system, click on the link above and choose “Sign In” to be directed to the application.

2. Continue to work on and submit your application

Once you have saved an application, use the link below to resume work and submit your application:

Walder Foundation Grantee Portal

 

You will be able to log in any time (up until the deadline) to work on your application and save your progress. We recommend creating your account early to familiarize yourself with the system and the application form.

>> VIEW A SAMPLE PROPOSAL FORM

An automated email confirmation is generated upon submission of the application. If you do not receive a confirmation within 24 hours of submitting your application, please check your spam folder and then contact: grants@walderfoundation.org

PROPOSAL QUESTIONS

Within the Uploads-Additional Documents section of your application, upload a Microsoft Word document or a PDF that includes responses to the questions below. Your responses should be no more than three pages in total.

  1. Describe the organization’s experience providing immigration legal services, the types of cases managed, and when the organization was recognized and accredited by the Department of Justice or when it hired its first attorney.

  2. Describe the organization’s immigration legal services functions and staff roles assigned to each (case managers, attorneys, paralegals, etc.)

  3. Provide information on the oversight and supervision of the cases managed, and provide the number of cases managed per year and per staff.

  4. Describe the types of training provided for new and existing staff in legal services.

  5. Provide an update on how the organization has been impacted by policy changes, new arrivals, Afghan evacuees, and/or refugee resettlement.

  6. Describe the challenges and opportunities you foresee in the implementation of your proposed activities.

  7. Describe how staff is included in decision-making processes at the organization.

  8. Provide an overview of health and wellness practices and culture-building activities.

  9. If you are applying for funding for collaborative efforts, please include letters of support and a Memorandum of Agreement (these materials will not count towards the three-page limit).

 

CONTACT INFORMATION

For inquiries about the content of your application, send an email to immigration@walderfoundation.org.

For inquiries about the grants management system, send an email to grants@walderfoundation.org.