VermontBiz As Vermont faces rising legal needs, economic instability, and widening gaps in access to justice, the Vermont Bar Foundation (VBF) has awarded over $1 million in grants to more than a dozen civil legal service organizations across the state.
These funds directly support low-income Vermonters, survivors of violence, immigrant communities, and others disproportionately impacted by systemic barriers - and will help legal advocates meet the moment with strength, compassion, and urgency.
“The civil legal system is where many of the most urgent struggles play out - housing, health care, family safety, and financial survival. These grants help ensure Vermonters don’t face those challenges alone,” said Hannah King, Executive Director of the Vermont Bar Foundation.
This year’s grantmaking process was shaped by extraordinary pressure. Civil legal providers across Vermont are stretched thin, working through unprecedented demand, limited staffing, and ongoing economic strain. VBF’s board and staff worked to deploy every available dollar to support and sustain their efforts.
“These grants reflect our ongoing commitment to sustaining the organizations that form the backbone of legal aid and access to justice in Vermont,” said Lisa Campion, President of the Vermont Bar Foundation Board. “Their work is vital, and we are proud to help ensure it continues.”
Grantees serve communities in every corner of the state and address a wide range of civil legal issues - from asylum and domestic violence to restorative justice and rural outreach.
Voices from the Field:
“The VBF has supported the Legal Program and Free Legal Clinic at St. Johnsbury's Community Restorative Justice Center for more than a decade. This generosity has allowed hundreds of low-income residents of Caledonia and Essex Counties to receive much-needed legal advice from volunteer attorneys when they otherwise would've had no way to get it,” said Neil Favreau, Executive Director of the Community Restorative Justice Center. “It is the only program in the area offering this kind of free service. VBF's ongoing financial support makes this vital program possible.”
From southern Vermont to the Northeast Kingdom, VBF's support is ensuring that critical legal services reach the people who need them most.
“We’re thrilled and deeply grateful for the Vermont Bar Foundation’s support,” said Jill Martin Diaz, Executive Director of the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project. “This funding ensures we can grow our pro bono network and invest in community-rooted legal service models that bring our neighbors home from ICE detention and keep families together.”
“As freedoms and protections are attacked, it is crucial that we invest in pro bono legal services,” said Professor Brett Stokes, Director of the Center for Justice Reform Clinic at Vermont Law and Graduate School. “VBF remains unwavering in championing immigrant rights. Together, we are unyielding in our shared commitment to access to justice.”
“Steps to End Domestic Violence is honored to receive a grant from the Vermont Bar Foundation in support of our Legal Clinics,” said Nicole Kubon, Executive Director. “In these uncertain times, we are deeply grateful for our continued partnership with VBF and for their demonstrated commitment to securing safety and independence for survivors and their families.”
2025 Grantees Include:
- Association of Africans Living in Vermont
- Atria Collective
- Center for Justice Reform Clinic at Vermont Law and Graduate School
- Community Restorative Justice Center
- Have Justice Will Travel
- Hope Works
- Migrant Justice
- Vermont Asylum Assistance Project
- Community Asylum Seekers Project
- NewStory Center
- Steps to End Domestic Violence
- Vermont Bar Association
- Vermont Legal Aid
- Legal Services Vermont
The Vermont Bar Foundation is the state’s largest private funder of civil legal aid. Grants are made possible through the Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) Program and donations from attorneys and individuals committed to expanding access to justice.
To learn more or support this work, visit www.vtbarfoundation.org.
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