IOLTA Grants

Meet Our Grantees

IOLTA Grantees

Since 1977, the Bar Foundation has made grants totaling more than $42 million through the IOLTA Grants Programs. The majority of funding supports organizations that provide legal services to low-income people, children, the elderly, victims of domestic violence, and others in New Hampshire who have limited access to, or representation in, the justice system. A smaller but significant portion of funding supports public education about the law and the courts.

What is IOLTA?
The New Hampshire Supreme Court adopted Supreme Court Rule 50 in 1982 to establish the Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA) Program as part of its regulation of the legal profession.

Through IOLTA, interest earned on lawyers’ trust accounts that are either too nominal or held for too short a period to warrant establishment of a separate client account is forwarded to the New Hampshire Bar Foundation to be used for specific charitable purposes.

Attorney participation in IOLTA supports the statewide IOLTA Grants Program that fosters access to justice by those without means to hire a lawyer, along with programs that educate the public about the laws that govern them and the judicial system that administers that law.



Additional IOLTA Education Grants for fiscal year 2024-2025.

Disability Right Center

An IOLTA Educational Grant for $25,000 was awarded to support the development of a facility database on the drcnh.org website to provide data and images for institutions across New Hampshire so that members of the disability community and those who care for them can make informed decisions. The database also informs people with disabilities, family members and advocates about the rights of facility residents and serves as a resource tool for policymakers who are focused on reform efforts to improve our system of services. We encourage you to click here visit their new Disability Facility Hub.

603 Legal Aid and New Hampshire Legal Assistance

An IOLTA Educational Grant for 603 Legal Aid (603LA) for $50,000 and New Hampshire Legal Assistance (NHLA) for $35,000 was awarded to support the improvement and enhancement of the library of education materials housed on 603LA’s website (https://www.603legalaid.org) and available to public. Goals for the use of the funding included: continuing collaborative efforts between 603LA and NHLA to offer self-help materials that are maximally useful to New Hampshire residents; engagement of outside contractors to review, standardize, and organize the self-help guides; and an evaluation of website analytics to guide decisions regarding potential improvements to language access and accessibility for people with disabilities. The full website redevelopment project is estimated to be finalized by December 2026.

Applications
Applications are available in March each fiscal year. We are no longer accepting applications for the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 grant cycle.

2026 IOLTA Grant Awards

IOLTA Grant applications are accepted from New Hampshire nonprofit organizations and/or programs under the guidelines of the NH Supreme Court Rule 50: 

  1. For the support of civil legal services to the disadvantaged
  2. For public education relating to the courts and legal matters
  3. For such other programs as may be approved by the Supreme Court

To apply, eligible organizations must complete an IOLTA Grant Application, including a narrative, all required attachments and/or supporting documentation, plus a completed Financial Resources Worksheet. The application includes IOLTA Grant Guidelines with additional requirements. The application and Financial Resources Worksheet can be accessed below:

2026 IOLTA Application and Guidelines
2026 Financial Resources Worksheet

IOLTA Grant Awards

IOLTA funding decisions are made by the New Hampshire Bar Foundation Board of Directors. Click here to view a list of the directors. Each fiscal year, the Board of Directors reviews the IOLTA funding available and votes on the total amount allocated for grants in the upcoming fiscal year. IOLTA funding varies from year to year based on interest rates and economic conditions.

Once funding is determined, the amount is shared with the IOLTA Grants Committee. Click here to meet the committee members. The committee consists of five volunteer members who are attorneys participating in the IOLTA program. The committee members serve for two consecutive five-year terms and are elected by all New Hampshire Bar Association attorneys that participate in the IOLTA program.

The Grants Committee reviews the applications submitted by nonprofit organizations seeking IOLTA funds and meets with each applicant. After the interviews, the committee makes their funding recommendations to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors reviews the recommendations and votes on the grant awards.

FY 2024 IOLTA Grant Final Reports:

FY 2025 IOLTA Grant Final Reports:

For information about IOLTA Grants, please contact the NH Bar Foundation at (603) 715-3210 or by email.

Law School Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP)

A portion of the IOLTA grant awards go toward the Bar Foundation’s Law School Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) each year. The burden of law school loans often deters promising law school graduates from accepting staff attorney positions at legal services agencies that assist the indigent and elderly in New Hampshire. These debt burdens have also caused the departure of experienced and talented staff attorneys from these agencies. In response to this situation, the Bar Foundation created the Law School Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP). The purpose of LRAP is to provide law school loan assistance, in the form of forgivable loans, to help legal service providers recruit and maintain a diverse body of highly qualified staff attorneys.

Loan Forgiveness Program Description 

This program is currently only open to attorneys employed by:

For more information about LRAP, please email the New Hampshire Bar Foundation or call 603-715-3210.

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