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Kansas Bar Foundation Awards $128,000 in Grants
(March 14, 2006) Topeka, KS—The Kansas Bar Foundation is pleased to announce that they have awarded $128,000 in grants to charitable organizations across Kansas from funds generated through the Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program.
“Since the IOLTA program began, almost $3 million has been awarded in grants to enhance legal education projects and provide access to the justice system. On behalf of all Kansas lawyers, the Foundation is pleased to provide funds again this year for the benefit of our citizens,” said H. David Starkey, Foundation president.
Each year, the Kansas Bar Foundation earmarks IOLTA funds for non-profit groups that provide support of legal services to the disadvantaged, public education about the law, and administration of justice programs. The following programs were funded for the 2006 grant cycle:
- $87,000 for direct legal and mediation services from Kansas Legal Services, Inc., for victims of domestic violence, senior citizens, and low-income individuals; and administration of the Kansas Bar Association’s reduced-fee and pro bono programs.
- $19,400 for statewide law-related education projects sponsored by the Kansas Bar Association in cooperation with the Kansas Supreme Court’s Law and Citizenship Project.
- $6,500 for Strategic Volunteer Training to all CASA programs in Kansas.
- $5,000 for coordination of the Topeka-Shawnee County Youth Court.
- $3,000 for coordination of the Kansas Bar Association’s Young Lawyers’ High School Mock Trial Program.
- $2,500 for providing an alternative to traditional juvenile justice approaches that emphasize offender accountability, providing victims a voice in being a part of the solution to juvenile crime, a “repair the harm” model for victims, and building sustainable community partnerships. The program is coordinated by the Topeka Center for Peace and Justice.
- $2,300 for coordination of the Rosedale Conflict Resolution Center’s program to empower residents to resolve their own neighborhood problems through the process of mediation.
- $1,500 for coordination of the Olathe Youth Court.
The Kansas IOLTA program is supported by more than 3,300 lawyers and 130 financial institutions statewide. The IOLTA program collects interest from trust accounts in which funds are nominal in amount or are expected to be held for a short period of time.
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Contact: Meg Wickham
Manager, Public Services
Kansas Bar Association
1200 SW Harrison St.
PO Box 1037
Topeka, KS 66601-1037
E-mail Meg Wickham
Phone: 785-234-5696
About the Kansas Bar Association
Founded in 1957, the Kansas Bar Foundation is a philanthropic, non-profit corporation associated with the Kansas Bar Association. The Foundation forges partnerships between the bar, the courts, and the legal aid organizations in Kansas to improve our system of justice and to help low-income and disadvantaged members in our community by insuring that they have meaningful access to the justice system to protect their rights. The Foundation places special emphasis on issues affecting children and families, and also supports exceptional educational programs for youth by awarding more than $2.8 millions since 1984.
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