Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation Inc

“The Foundation's Audit Committee, through delegation by the Board, reviews and approves a final draft of the 990. The full Board receives and reviews the 990 prior to the 990 being signed and filed with the IRS. The Foundation's most recently filed 990 is posted on its website.”

“The Foundation's conflict of interest policy and procedures extends to all Directors and to the Foundation's Executive Director and General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer. Each Director and Officer must annually complete and sign "The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation Annual Business Relationship and Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form." Determinations of whether an actual conflict exists are made by the Board through a majority vote which excludes the vote of a potentially conflicted director. No Director or Officer may preside over, vote on, or participate in any deliberation of any matter in which such Director or Officer has a conflict or potential conflict of interest.”

“The Executive Committee of the Board reviews the Executive Director's performance and compensation annually. As a basis for comparison, the committee reviews executive director compensation for comparable nonprofit organizations in Ohio and nationally through composite salary surveys. The Board meet in executive session at a duly called meeting and, per the recommendation of the Executive Committee, approves any salary increases for the Executive Director. Contemporaneous minutes memorialize the Board's salary discussion and vote.”

“The Foundation makes its governing documents available to the public on its website, https://www.ohiojusticefoundation.org, including the annual conflict of interest policy , annual report, and latest Form 990. The Foundation makes other documents available upon request.”

“Recognized by the Supreme Court of Ohio as the official access to justice entity for the state, the Foundation collaborates with the Court and other statewide justice partners like the Ohio Judicial Conference, the Ohio State Bar Association, and Ohio's legal aids to make Ohio a more just and equitable community. The Foundation is the largest funder of civil legal aid in Ohio. Civil legal aid provides skilled lawyers to help low-income and underserved Ohioans address life-changing civil legal matters that impact their ability to live safe, stable, and financially secure lives. For example, the Foundation provides grants to ensure that veterans can secure the benefits they earned through their service; seniors can preserve their independence and financial security; survivors of domestic violence can achieve safety and security; families suffering due to substance abuse disorders can achieve stability; and children can access the supports they need to succeed in school. Foundation funding also supports legal assistance to Ohioans addressing record sealing and drivers' license reinstatements which helps individual Ohioans and strengthens Ohio's workforce. In FY24, the Foundation granted more than $44 million, including roughly $37 million in Interest on Lawyer's Trust Accounts (IOLTA), Interest on Trust Accounts (IOTA), and filing fee revenue. Over $1 million in grants was directed to helping newly arrived Ukrainians who fled the war in Ukraine stabilize themselves and their families in Ohio. As a result of the Foundation's funding, Ohio's legal aids provided legal information, advice, or representation in over 63,000 civil matters and assisted over 148,000 Ohioans, including roughly 63,800 children, 17,800 persons with disabilities, 3,800 veterans, and 19,000 seniors. The Foundation also furthers its mission to improve access to justice by developing and supporting innovative services to help Ohioans who face legal challenges. The Foundation funds Ohio Legal Help, an independent nonprofit organization which operates a state-of-the-art web portal that provides all Ohioans with meaningful access to reliable legal information and trustworthy legal referrals. Ohio Legal Help is available 24 hours a day in all 88 counties. During FY24, Ohio Legal Help served over 790,000 Ohioans across the state. The Foundation also operates the Ohio Justice Bus, a mobile civil legal office and technology hotspot which helps rural and underserved Ohioans through brief advice clinics. See Schedule O, Part III, 4c, Pro Bono and Ohio Justice Bus for additional details. Additionally, the Foundation funds Neighborhood Stabilization Grants which catalyze redevelopment in targeted communities across Ohio. Since 2017, the Foundation has disbursed over $14 million to support transactional legal work to empower Ohioans and their local community groups to revitalize their neighborhoods. Neighborhood Stabilization Grants have supported the development of new businesses, the implementation of solar power, and the restoration of affordable housing. Through a generous Victim of Crime Assistance grant from the Ohio Attorney General's Office, the Foundation also awarded over $125,000 to serve Ohio seniors at risk of financial abuse and exploitation. Thanks to this crucial funding, thousands of Ohio seniors receive timely legal advice and counsel through a statewide senior legal hotline. Further, the Foundation supports outstanding law graduates with a passion for public service by funding two-year fellowships to address emergent legal needs. These young lawyers serve as Justice for All Fellows at civil legal service organizations across Ohio. Fellows focus their work on legal issues which adversely impact low-income and underserved Ohioans. During FY24, Justice for All Fellows helped children improve educational successes and reduce referrals to juvenile court; increased generational wealth and home ownership for underserved Ohioans; forged new partnerships in which”

“Through a generous grant from the Supreme Court of Ohio, the Foundation works at the statewide level to increase pro bono participation in delivering civil legal services to low-income and underserved Ohioans. One of the successful statewide pro bono initiatives developed by the Foundation is the Ohio Justice Bus. During FY24, the Ohio Justice Bus held 109 clinics spanning 34 counties. The clinics provided brief advice and education for communities in need of civil legal services. The Bus operates recurring monthly clinics in Adams, Clermont, and Delaware counties, and recurring quarterly clinics in Ashtabula, Sandusky, and Summit counties. The Bus also holds regularly occurring clinics in Cuyahoga, Franklin, and Hamilton counties. Volunteer attorneys provide legal advice at these events, addressing issues ranging from divorce, custody, and probate to record sealing, certificates of qualification for employment, and driver's license reinstatement. In its efforts to increase pro bono engagement in Ohio, the Foundation publicly promotes and recognizes pro bono efforts throughout the state to encourage and grow pro bono involvement. The Foundation works to find meaningful ways to engage the legal community starting at law school and continuing through retirement from active law practice. In collaboration with the Supreme Court of Ohio, the Foundation recognizes graduating law students for their pro bono efforts with certificates of achievement and recognition at the bar admissions ceremony and administers and publishes an annual pro bono report which champions the successes of Ohio's pro bono lawyers. Each year, the Foundation presents an annual Presidential Award to recognize outstanding efforts to improve access to justice in Ohio. In 2024, the Foundation award went to Robin Bozian. Bozian, a retired attorney, volunteers her time to serve southeast Ohio by developing and facilitating legal clinics for low-income Ohioans in Washington County and in Marietta. She also led efforts to establish and provide services for domestic violence survivors in Washington County and serves on the board and as a volunteer of the Washington County Homeless Project. The Foundation also distributes funding awarded by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio in pro bono grants to serve low-income and underserved Ohioans in the Southern District of Ohio. The clinics supported by the grants provide pro bono legal services in remote, rural counties and increase the capacity for services in more populous counties in the Southern District.”