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MA Legal Aid Funders Network Meeting

Date:
June 26th, 2023
Time:
12:00PM to 1:30PM
Location:
Zoom - information to be emailed.
Audience:
Grantmaker, Philanthropic Advisor
Event type:
Network Meeting
Member fee:
$0
Base fee:
$0

After a year of collective learning about legal aid in Massachusetts, we invite you to a meeting to delve more deeply into three specific legal aid initiatives that have proven impact in their respective areas; represent deep and cost-effective institutional partnerships; and are scalable. Also of note, these three initiatives are at risk of falling off the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) “cliff”, meaning when ARPA funds expire in June 2024, these successful initiatives will be without funding.  

While Mass Legal Aid Funders heard presentations about these programs in 2022, this meeting will go into greater depth with an eye on the possibility of launching a collaborative funding initiative to extend their life beyond ARPA. You will learn about the operational aspects of their work, impact to date, and opportunities to connect with legal aid in other parts of Massachusetts which have also received ARPA funds to develop these programs. 

The Mass Legal Aid Funders Network Advisory Committee is interested in an exploratory conversation with peer funders about potential collective funding for these initiatives. Come, learn more from practitioners, and then have time for funder only conversation.  

The three projects we will learn about are: 

  1. Housing / Movement Lawyering (presented by Community Legal Aid, Mass Law Reform Institute, and Springfield No One Leaves) 

  1. Family Preservation Project (presented by CLA) 

  1. Medical, Legal Partnerships  (presented by CLA) 

These initiatives currently have a geographic focus on Central and Western MA, but at this meeting we will also learn about opportunities to scale to other parts of the state. 

This meeting is being planned by the Mass Legal Aid Funders Network Advisory Committee: Marijane Benner-Browne (MA A2J Commission Rec), Nadia Harden (New Commonwealth Fund), Steve Johnson (MA A2J Commission Rec), Beth Lynch (Cabot Family Charitable Trust), Kathy McHugh (Philanthropy Professional), Lisa Owens (Hyams Foundation), Lonnie Powers (MA A2J Commission REC), and Sonia Shah (Sudbury Foundation).

About the Network:

The mission of the Massachusetts Legal Aid Funders Network (MLAFN) is to maintain a collaborative space for funders to act to increase access to justice, reduce poverty, promote equity, and to support civil legal aid. Members include grantmaking institutions, individual donors, and philanthropy advisors interested in learning more about legal assistance and strategies, providing funding, and exploring co-funding opportunities. 
Registration type: 
Normal registration

Zoom Instructions for Virtual or Hybrid Programs:

Zoom information: Zoom information for the program will be sent out to all registrants one week before AND in the afternoon of the business day before the session is scheduled to take place.  Please reach out to info@philanthropyma.org if you believe you are registered for this program and do not receive the link.

Registration & Program Follow-up Materials: Registration for the program will be closed at 2pm EST on the day before the program is scheduled to take place.  If you register after this point, you will be added to the waitlist and will be able to receive the program recording as well as all follow-up materials from the session.  For fee-based Nonprofit Partner programs, you can request these materials for a discounted rate.  Please note that it may take up to a week to prepare and disseminate those materials to all registrants.

Community Guidelines, Program Policies and In-Person Protocol:

Philanthropy Massachusetts has adopted these Community Guidelines & Policies for all programs.  

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