[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 237 (Tuesday, December 10, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67477-67480]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26499]


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LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION


Pro Bono Innovation Fund Request for Letters of Intent To Apply 
for 2020 Grant Funding

AGENCY: Legal Services Corporation

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) issues this Notice 
describing the conditions for submitting Letters of Intent to Apply for 
2020 Pro Bono Innovation Fund grants.

DATES: Letters of Intent must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday, 
February 10, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Letters of Intent must be submitted electronically at http://lscgrants.lsc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mytrang Nguyen, Program Counsel, 
Office of Program Performance, Legal Services Corporation, 3333 K 
Street NW, Washington, DC 20007; (202) 295-1564 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

    Since 2014, Congress has provided an annual appropriation to LSC 
``for a Pro Bono Innovation Fund.'' See, e.g., Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2017, Public Law 115-31, 131 Stat. 135 (2017). LSC 
requested these funds for grants to ``develop, test, and replicate 
innovative pro bono efforts that can enable LSC grantees to expand 
clients' access to high quality legal assistance.'' LSC Budget Request, 
Fiscal Year 2014 at 26 (2013). The grants must involve innovations that 
are either ``new ideas'' or ``new applications of existing best 
practices.'' Id. Each grant would ``either serve as a model for other 
legal services providers to follow or effectively replicate a prior 
innovation. Id. The Senate Appropriations Committee explained that 
these funds ``will support innovative projects that promote and enhance 
pro bono initiatives throughout the Nation,'' and the House 
Appropriations Committee directed LSC ``to increase the involvement of 
private attorneys in the delivery of legal services to [LSC-eligible] 
clients.'' Senate Report 114-239 at 123 (2016), House Report 113-448 at 
85 (2014).
    Since its inception, the Pro Bono Innovation Fund has advanced 
LSC's goal of increasing the quantity and quality of legal services by 
funding projects that more efficiently and effectively involve pro bono 
volunteers in serving the critical unmet legal needs of LSC-eligible 
clients. In 2017, LSC built on these successes by creating three 
funding categories to better focus

[[Page 67478]]

on innovations serving unmet and well-defined client needs (Project 
Grants), on building comprehensive and effective pro bono programs 
through new applications of existing best practices (Transformation 
Grants), and on providing continued development support for the most 
promising innovations (Sustainability Grants).

II. Funding Opportunities Information

A. Eligible Applicants

    To be eligible for the Pro Bono Innovation Fund's Project, 
Sustainability, and Transformation grants, Applicants must be current 
grantees of LSC Basic Field-General, Basic Field-Migrant, or Basic 
Field-Native American grants. In addition, Sustainability Grant 
Applicants must also be a current Pro Bono Innovation Fund grantee with 
a 2018 grant award.

B. Pro Bono Innovation Fund Purpose and Key Goals

    Pro Bono Innovation Fund grants develop, test, and replicate 
innovative pro bono efforts that can enable LSC grantees to use pro 
bono volunteers to serve larger numbers of low-income clients and 
improve the quality and effectiveness of the services provided. The key 
goals of the Pro Bono Innovation Fund are to:
    1. Address gaps in the delivery of legal services to low-income 
people;
    2. Engage more lawyers and other volunteers in pro bono service;
    3. Develop, test, and replicate innovative pro bono efforts.

C. Funding Opportunities

1. Project Grants
    The goal of Pro Bono Innovation Fund Project Grants is to leverage 
volunteers to meet a critical, unmet and well-defined client need. 
Consistent with the key goals of the Pro Bono Innovation Fund, 
applicants are encouraged to focus on engaging volunteers to increase 
free civil legal aid for low-income Americans by proposing new, 
replicable ideas. Applicants are strongly encouraged to research prior 
Pro Bono Innovation Fund projects to replicate and improve upon them. 
LSC is particularly interested in applications that propose to 
replicate projects LSC has previously funded with Sustainability 
Grants. Our Sustainability Grants have included:
     Community-based partnerships, like the Medical-Legal 
Partnership of Community Legal Aid, Inc. (MA) or the school-based 
clinic of Legal Aid of West Virginia, Inc., that work with law firms to 
provide legal services where clients are located;
     Court-based partnerships, like those at Legal Action of 
Wisconsin, Inc., and Legal Services Law Line of Vermont, Inc., that use 
pro bono volunteers to provide same-day, in-court representation and 
legal assistance;
     An ``emeritus'' project at The Legal Aid Society of 
Cleveland that provides transitioning and retired attorneys with varied 
and substantive opportunities to support the LASC's advocates and 
clients;
     A neighborhood-based project at Legal Aid of Western 
Missouri that engages transactional attorneys to assist clients in 
distressed and underserved communities.
    Project Grants can be either 18 or 24 months.
2. Transformation Grants
    The goal of Pro Bono Innovation Fund Transformation Grants is to 
support LSC grantees in comprehensive assessment and restructuring of 
pro bono programs through new applications of existing best practices 
in pro bono delivery. Each Transformation Grant will support a rigorous 
assessment of an LSC grantee's pro bono program and the identification 
of best practices in pro bono delivery that are best suited to that 
grantee's needs and circumstances. Transformation Grants are targeted 
towards LSC grantees whose leadership is committed to restructuring an 
entire pro bono program and incorporating pro bono best practices into 
core, high-priority client services with an urgency to create a high-
impact pro bono program. This funding opportunity is open to all LSC 
grantees but is primarily intended for LSC grantees who have been 
unsuccessful applying for Project Grants or who have never applied for 
a Pro Bono Innovation Fund grant in the past.
    New in 2020: Transformation Grants can be either 24 or 36 months.
3. Sustainability Grants
    Pro Bono Innovation Fund Sustainability Grants are available to 
current Pro Bono Innovation Fund grantees who received 2018 grants. The 
goal of Sustainability Grants is to support further development of the 
most promising and replicable Pro Bono Innovation Fund projects with an 
additional 24 months of funding so grantees can leverage new sources of 
revenue for the project and collect meaningful data to demonstrate the 
project's results and outcomes for clients and volunteers. Applicants 
for Sustainability Grants will be asked to propose an ambitious 
strategy that reduces the Pro Bono Innovation Fund contribution to the 
project over the Sustainability Grant term.

D. Available Funds for 2020 Grants

    The availability of funds for Pro Bono Innovation Fund grants for 
FY 2020 depends on LSC's appropriation. LSC is currently operating 
under a Continuing Resolution for FY 2019 which funds the federal 
government through December 20, 2019. The Continuing Resolution 
maintains funding at $415 million. Pro Bono Innovation Fund grant 
decisions for FY 2020 will be made in the summer of 2020. LSC 
anticipates knowing the total amount available for Pro Bono Innovation 
Fund grants before August.
    In FY 2019, Congress appropriated to LSC $4.5 million for the Pro 
Bono Innovation Fund. LSC awarded $4.3 million in direct grants to 
support fifteen Pro Bono Innovation Fund projects with a median award 
of $289,812.
    LSC will not designate fixed or estimated amounts for the three 
different funding categories and will make grant awards for the three 
categories within the total amount of funding available. There is no 
maximum amount for Pro Bono Innovation Fund requests that are within 
the total funding available.

E. Project and Grant Term

    Pro Bono Innovation Fund grant awards can have grant terms of 18, 
24, or 36 months, depending on the type of grant.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  18 Months        24 Months        36 Months
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Project Grants...............................................         [radic]          [radic]                X
Transformation Grants........................................               X          [radic]          [radic]
Sustainability Grants........................................               X          [radic]                X
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Applicants for Project Grants can apply for either an 18- or a 24-
month grant. Applicants for Transformation Grants can apply for either 
a 24- or a 36-month grant. Applicants for Sustainability Grants can 
apply for a 24-

[[Page 67479]]

month grant only. Applications must cover the full proposed grant term. 
The grant term is expected to commence on October 1, 2020.

III. Grant Application Process and Letter of Intent To Apply 
Instructions

A. Pro Bono Innovation Fund Grant Application Process

    LSC is committed to reviewing all Pro Bono Innovation Fund grant 
applications in a timely and thorough manner. Applicants must first 
submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) to Apply for Funding to LSC by February 
10, 2020 to be considered for a grant. After review by LSC Staff, LSC's 
President makes the final decision on which applicants will be asked to 
submit a detailed, full application due to LSC in April. Applicants 
will be notified of invitations to submit a full application by March 
2020. Once LSC has received a full application from a selected 
applicant, the application will undergo a rigorous review by LSC staff 
and external subject matter experts. LSC's President makes the final 
decision on funding for the Pro Bono Innovation Fund.

B. Late or Incomplete Applications

    LSC may consider an LOI after the deadline, but only if the 
Applicant has submitted an email to [email protected] 
explaining the circumstances that caused the delay prior to the 
applicable deadline. Communication with LSC staff, including assigned 
Program Liaisons, is not a substitute for sending an explanatory email 
to [email protected]. At its discretion, LSC may consider 
incomplete applications. LSC will determine the admissibility of late 
or incomplete applications on a case-by-case basis.

C. Letters of Intent To Apply for Funding Requirements and Format

    The LOI should succinctly summarize the information requested for 
the category of funding the applicant seeks. A complete LOI consists 
of:
    1. A narrative that responds to the questions for the funding 
category. The narrative should be submitted as a PDF entitled 
``Organization Name_2019 LOI''.
    2. A completed LOI Budget Template. The LOI Budget should be 
submitted as an Excel document entitled ``Organization Name_2019 LOI 
Budget''.
    Applicants must submit the LOI via email to 
[email protected]. The email should include the narrative and 
budget form as two separate attachments following the naming 
conventions described above.
    The LOI narrative should be a PDF document. The narrative must not 
exceed 5 double-spaced pages or approximately 1,300 words in Times New 
Roman, 12-point font. The LOI narrative must be paginated. The budget 
form should be a completed LOI Budget Template, no changes or additions 
should be made to the template form. Applicants who do not follow the 
above formatting requirements for the Narrative submission may be 
subject to scoring penalties.
    Applicants may submit multiple LOIs under the same or different 
funding category. If applying for multiple grants, applicants should 
submit a separate LOI in a separate email for each funding request.
1. Project Grants
    The LOI Narrative for Project Grants should respond to the 
following questions.
    a. Project Description. Please provide a brief description of the 
proposed project that includes:
     The specific client need and challenge or opportunity in 
the pro bono delivery system that the project will address.
     The goals and objectives of the project, the activities 
that make up the project, and how those activities will link to and 
achieve the stated goals and objectives.
     Strong indication of volunteer interest in and support for 
the project.
     The expected impact of the project. This should include a 
brief explanation of the changes and outcomes that will be created as a 
result of the project.
     The proposed strategies that are innovative or the best 
practices being replicated, including a brief discussion of how these 
strategies or best practices were identified.
    b. Project Staff, Organizational Capacity, and Project Partners. 
Please briefly identify and describe the project team and project 
partners including:
     The qualifications and relevant experience of the proposed 
project team, any proposed partner organizations, and your 
organization.
     The role of your organization's executive management in 
the design and implementation of the project.
    c. Budget and Timeline. Please state whether you are proposing an 
18- or 24-month project and provide the following information about the 
estimated project costs:
     Estimated total project cost. This includes the estimate 
for the Pro Bono Innovation Fund requested amount and other in-kind or 
cash contributions to support the project. Your narrative should 
provide a breakdown of the major project expenses including, but not 
limited to, personnel, project expenses, contracts or sub-grants, etc., 
and how each expense supports the project design.
     For expenses related to personnel, please indicate how 
many and which positions will be fully or partially funded by the 
proposed grant.
     A list of any anticipated contributions, both in-kind and 
monetary, from all partners involved in the project.
     A list of key partners who will receive Pro Bono 
Innovation Fund funding, including their roles and the estimated dollar 
amount or percent of budget assigned to each partner.
2. Transformation Grants
    The LOI Narrative for Transformation Grants should respond to the 
following questions.
    a. Transformation Strategy. Please explain why you are seeking a 
Transformation Grant for your organization. In your response, please 
include:
     An honest assessment of the challenges with your 
organization's current pro bono efforts that inhibit your ability to 
innovate or replicate modern pro bono best practices.
     A brief description of your plans for a comprehensive and 
strategic assessment of your pro bono program.
     At least three specific and important improvements to your 
organization's pro bono program that you would like to achieve in the 
first year of a 24- or 36-month Transformation Grant.
    b. Guiding Coalition. Please describe the core team who would be 
responsible for the pro bono transformation effort in your 
organization. In your response, please state:
     The qualifications and relevant experience of each 
proposed team member.
     Whether a majority of your executive and senior managers 
agree that your organization's pro bono program needs significant 
improvements.
     The role your organization's executive director and/or 
senior managers would play in a pro bono transformation effort.
    c. Budget. Please state whether you are seeking a 24- or 36-month 
term and describe what you would like the Transformation Grant to fund 
over the proposed grant period. In your response, please include the 
following information about the anticipated costs

[[Page 67480]]

associated with a transformation effort for your pro bono program:
     The estimated total cost and a clear description of what 
the grant will fund. Your narrative should provide a breakdown of the 
major expenses including, but not limited to, personnel, project 
expenses, contracts or sub-grants, etc., and how each expense supports 
the transformation effort to improve your pro bono program.
     For expenses related to personnel, please indicate how 
many and which positions will be fully or partially funded by the 
proposed grant.
     For contracts, please describe whether you intend to use 
consultants, implement new technology systems, conduct business process 
analysis, etc. and how this supports improvements to you pro bono 
program.
3. Sustainability Grants
    The LOI Narrative for Sustainability Grants should respond to the 
following questions.
    a. Justification for Sustaining the Pro Bono Innovation Project. 
Please describe why you are seeking a Sustainability Grant. In your 
response, please discuss the following:
     The impact of the Pro Bono Innovation Fund project to 
date, supported by data and analysis as to whether the goals of the 
project were achieved.
     Evidence of ongoing client need and how you intend to make 
the project part of your core legal services.
     The level of engagement of pro bono volunteers/private bar 
and the best practices in pro bono delivery that can be replicated by 
others.
     How ongoing program evaluation and data collection will be 
incorporated into the project.
    b. Project Staff and Management Support. Please briefly identify 
and describe the project team and project partners. In your response, 
please include the following:
     The project staff that will be responsible for the 
sustainability phase of the project. Please include any additional 
staff, descriptions of new responsibilities for existing project staff 
and/or organizational changes that will be made.
     The role of your organization's executive management in 
the decision to seek this Sustainability Grant and recent examples of 
your organization's track record turning ``new'' or special projects 
into core legal services.
    c. Budget and Strategy to Reduce PBIF Funding. Please describe what 
you would like the Sustainability Grant to fund. In your response, 
please be sure to provide the following information:
     Estimated total project cost. This includes the estimate 
for the Pro Bono Innovation Fund requested amount and other in-kind or 
cash contributions to support the project. Your narrative should 
provide a breakdown of the major project expenses including, but not 
limited to, personnel, project expenses, etc., and how each expense 
supports the project design.
     A narrative proposing how you plan to reduce the Pro Bono 
Innovation Fund contribution to the project for the grant term. LSC is 
not setting a specific percentage of required match for Sustainability 
Grant applicants, but will assess the two-year budget from the 
applicant's previously funded project with the grant amount proposed in 
the Sustainability LOI. LSC's expectation is that applicants will 
propose a meaningful shift from Pro Bono Innovation Fund support to 
other sources of support during the grant term.
     A narrative discussing the potential sources of funding 
that have been or will be cultivated. If the project has already 
received new financial support, please provide the source and amount 
committed and further describe the plans for ensuring continued 
financial support.

    Dated: December 4, 2019.
Stefanie Davis,
Senior Assistant General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2019-26499 Filed 12-9-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7050-01-P