Dear Friend,
This week is a good week for our community.
After its historic launch in September of last year, the Legal Empowerment Fund (LEF) is now set to distribute millions in long-term core funding to grassroots justice groups across the globe. The Fund for Global Human Rights, which hosts the LEF, is accepting applications for the first-round of funding through February 18th, 2022.
Historically, legal empowerment work has been severely underfunded. World leaders and donors have overlooked or avoided supporting grassroots groups that combine law and organizing to equip communities to fight back against injustice and bring about systemic change.
The Legal Empowerment Fund marks a normative shift — one that our community made happen.
For over three years, members of the Legal Empowerment Network have come together through the Justice For All campaign to call for increased funding and protection for grassroots justice defenders. The Legal Empowerment Fund is a direct result of our collective action.
The LEF aims to raise $100 million over 10 years to strengthen the legal empowerment movement. In its first funding cycle, it will focus on grassroots groups that have had difficulty accessing traditional grant opportunities. To this end, proposals can be submitted in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, or Arabic, and in written or video/audio format.
We encourage you to apply or share this information widely using this social media toolkit. By driving resources to critical justice work on the ground, we can bring new power to our movement.
In solidarity,
Abby, Stacey, Sonia, Caitlin, Luciana and the rest of the team supporting the Legal Empowerment Network