February 22, 2012
The Indiana Bar Foundation (Foundation) is a charitable foundation dedicated to strengthening access to justice and appreciation for the rule of law in Indiana. To accomplish this mission the Foundation gathers and directs resources toward three main areas: assisting people who have difficulty accessing the justice system, providing civic education for Hoosiers of all ages, and improving Indiana’s Judicial System and the legal profession. The Foundation is the leading funder of Pro Bono legal aid in Indiana. The organization is committed to the vision that all Hoosiers will have equal access to justice, regardless of their income. The Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was created in 1950 and it administers Indiana’s Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) Program on behalf of the Indiana Supreme Court. The Foundation grants approximately $1-$2 million per year to a statewide network of pro bono organizations that provide free civil legal assistance to low-income Hoosiers. With Foundation grants, local pro bono organizations match low-income Hoosiers with attorneys who provide free legal assistance in civil matters, such as protection from domestic violence and assistance with housing issues. Another key to their mission is to improve civic education in Indiana. In addition to being the administering organization for Indiana’s We the People and Project Citizen programs, the Foundation is also involved in other initiatives to promote and increase civic education for Hoosiers of all ages. The third prong of the Foundation’s mission is to help promote and improve Indiana’s system of justice and the legal profession. The Foundation does this through programs like the Laws of Aging book, the Fellows program, and the Civil Legal Needs of the Poor Study. Through these combined efforts the Foundation strives to improve and enhance the lives of all Hoosiers.