6/16 | Exploring Collaborative Grantmaking: California ChangeLawyers' Legal Empowerment Fund

Since its inception, the LSFN has been asked about opportunities for our participants to engage in collaborative grant making. For many years, we intentionally decided not to organized a formal program, but often helped funders with shared interests "find each other". In 2020 the LSFN launched our first collaborative grant program, the LSFN Fellowship. Via this program, funders help support new public interest lawyers and their Legal Services Organization Hosts with investments ranging from $17,000 to over $200,000 annually.

This year the LSFN has decided to take our next step into the world of collaborative grant making by working alongside California ChangeLawyers and highlighting their Legal Empowerment Fund. Created in 2021, the Legal Empowerment Fund helps new and diverse LSO organizations and their leaders combat the public's (particularly BIPOC and other marginalized communities) growing lack of confidence in the American legal system and the opportunity provided by the deepening public…