How Does the CBF Leverage Its Grants?
The CBF directly leverages our grants by partnering with other funders on special initiatives or projects. For example, the CBF formed a grantmaking partnership in 2007 with CAFLS, an affiliate of The Chicago Community Trust. Through the joint Advancing Justice grants, the CBF and CAFLS together have awarded over $1 million in the first three years of the grantmaking partnership to launch many innovative projects and support critical initiatives designed to address a gap in our justice system. As a member of the greater philanthropic community, the CBF is in a position to educate a broad group of funders about the importance of legal aid as part of our community’s overall safety net. As a result, a growing number of local foundations are making grants to legal aid organizations to help them increase their capacity to address the legal needs of the most vulnerable people in our community.
