MBF Awards $6.7 Million in Grants to Legal Aid Programs Across Massachusetts
2025/2026 funding represents the highest amount ever awarded in the MBF’s history.
The Massachusetts Bar Foundation (MBF) Board of Trustees has announced $6.7 million in funding through its annual Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) Grants Program. This record-breaking award amount will support 93 civil legal aid programs across the Commonwealth that provide vital services to low-income residents and improve the administration of justice.
The MBF is proud to serve as one of three nonprofits responsible for distributing IOLTA funds to organizations ensuring legal assistance for some of the state’s most underserved individuals and families. The Foundation’s grantee organizations provide a wide range of services in areas of the law such as housing, immigration, domestic violence, education, and healthcare. The IOLTA Grants Program is the cornerstone of the MBF’s mission of promoting equitable access to the justice system.
“We are delighted that this year’s funding represents the highest amount the Foundation has ever awarded,” said MBF President G. Perry Wu. “This historic level of funding reflects not only a milestone for the MBF but also a deepened investment in closing the civil justice gap in Massachusetts.”
Each year, thousands of people in Massachusetts are forced to navigate the legal system alone because they can’t afford representation or assistance. Civil legal aid programs aim to change that reality, and IOLTA grants play an important role in that work. “These grants help protect people’s ability to defend their rights and secure stability in times of crisis,” said Wu.
Every dollar the MBF awards through its IOLTA Grants Program is the result of a thoughtful, multi-step process guided by the insight and experience of more than 80 lawyers and judges. These volunteers, all members of the MBF’s Society of Fellows, are dedicated to maximizing support for communities across the Commonwealth and ensuring fair distribution of funding.
A complete listing of the 2025/2026 IOLTA grant recipients is available here.