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Home My WebLink AboutFY2024 Aid to Agencies Application (Emerging)_ILAFY2024 Aid to Agencies Application (Emerging) Section 1 - General Information Select Language ▼ Aid to Agencies provides flexible operational funding for nonprofits. Applications are due Monday, January 30, 2023 at 12pm. This application is for “emerging” agencies, those that have not existed as a legal entity for at least 2 years or have not received A2A funds in any of the last five years. Each agency is eligible to apply for up to $15,000. No award will be made for less than $5,000. Please submit one project proposal per application. Questions can be directed to Brianna Thul at bthul@iowa-city.org or to Neighborhood Services staff at 319-356-5230. Hard copy applications are available upon request. Submit completed applications online or a PDF version to bthul@iowa-city.org. Emailed applications must receive a confirmation email from City staff before the application deadline to be considered for funding. No exceptions will be made for late submittals. Online submittals are preferred, but you may send your application by certified or registered mail; overnight delivery service e.g., FedEx; or deliver in person if arrangements are made with a Neighborhood Services representative. Please call 319-356-5230 to make drop off arrangements prior to arrival. Applications are due on Monday, January 30, 2023 by 12pm. No exceptions will be made for late submittals. Should you have any questions while completing the application contact Neighborhood Services staff at 319-356-5230 or by email at bthul@iowa-city.org. 1. Lead Organization / Agency Application Contact Name * Address * Website Iowa Legal Aid City Iowa City State / Province / Region IA Postal / Zip Code 52240 Country United States Street Address 1700 South 1st Avenue, Suite 10 Address Line 2 www.iowalegalaid.org Name * Title * Laura Nelson Lof Grants Manager/Sr Grant Writer 2. Organization/Agency Type * Years in Operation * Project Name * Brief Description * Total Funds Requested * Has the applicant received City assistance in the last five years?* Please describe:* Is the applicant currently in compliance with all federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations including any CDBG and/or HOME funded projects?* Phone * Email * 515-217-4568, ext 1607 grants@iowalaw.org 501(c)3 Public For Profit Faith-Based CHDO Other 46 3. Project Legal Services for Low-Income Iowa City Residents Iowa Legal Aid provides direct legal services for low-income people who cannot afford to hire an attorney for legal advice, counsel, or representation before courts and administrative agencies for civil matters. 12,500.00$ 4. History Yes No Limited to 4000 characters FY18 Social Justice and Race Equity Grant from Human Rights Commission to provide community legal education presentations on criminal records expungement $2,200 FY21 Community Development Block Grant funding for housing legal issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, $35,696 (Pending) HOME-ARP Funding to provide legal services to stabilize housing for low-income Iowa City residents, $157,000, three-year award. (including partners, co-applicants, etc.) Yes No Currently in litigation Section 2 - Need and Priority The City Steps Plan guides funding within the community that benefits low-moderate income persons by creating jobs, improving housing, and providing services. You can find a copy of City Steps at www.icgov.org/actionplan 5. Summary of proposed project * 6. Why is the project needed?* Limited to 2000 characters Access to Iowa's courts is important for everyone, but especially for low-income people. Every day courts a nd state agencies make decisions that can ultimately determine whether low-income families will be housed or homeless, fed or hungry, and safe or in danger of abuse. Whether those decisions are favorable or unfavorable often depends on whether an attorney provided representation. With Iowa Legal Aid's help, more low-income families will have a chance at financial and housing stability because they have enough resources to pay for housing, food, transportation, education leading to employment, and other basic needs. Free legal services through Iowa Legal Aid are offered to those who meet our income guidelines (generally 125% of federal poverty or below) and legal issue criteria. Clients who face significant barriers to income, housing, and family stability will work with a member of our staff to identify legal issues, learn about their rights and obligations, and determine the next steps. This could include empowering clients with the information they need to resolve their issues on their own, and assisting with applications for benefits, or legal representation. Notable examples of barriers removed for greater financial stability include: • Removal of juvenile court records or other offenses from clients’ permanent files • Gaining reinstatement of driver’s or professional licenses • Independence for survivors of domestic violence through a divorce, protection orders, custody of minor children, and possession of the family home. • Housing maintained and debts discharged A successful legal case can lead to many positive benefits. Removing barriers to self-sufficiency increases opportunities for employment, improved credit, and greater independence. Limited to 2000 characters Too many Iowa City residents struggle to meet their basic daily needs: safe and stable housing, basic income, affordable health care, food, and freedom from physical and financial abuse. The civil legal system can address and remedy social and economic vulnerability in major ways. Courts and agencies decide crucial issues affecting safety, security, and stability. They decide whether to stop evictions and foreclosures, protect scarce assets from garnishment, and approve benefits crucial to low- income people, such as food, healthcare, disability, and unemployment benefits. People with low income do not have the means to hire an attorney for legal advice and representation needed in civil matters that can help them meet their needs. We know that clients are much more likely to have a favorable outcome when they have access to an attorney. Unlike criminal cases, there is no court-appointed attorney for clients who cannot afford to pay. Without legal aid, individuals have limited knowledge of their rights, options, and solutions. Iowa Legal Aid helps people with low income determine eligibility for public benefits and guides clients applying for unemployment, emergency assistance funds, and other benefits that provide income to pay for food, housing, and utilities. We can represent clients in all consumer law issues including debt restructuring, bankruptcy, wage garnishment, repossession, and taxes. Most importantly, we provide people with low income with an advocate to exercise their rights. 7. How does the project fill a gap in the community?* 8. How does the project address the goals of 2021-2025 City Steps?* 9. Describe how you will incorporate sustainability initiatives into your project to help carry out the City’s Climate Action Plan.* Limited to 1500 characters Iowa Legal Aid is the only organization providing free professional civil legal services in the county. The potential need for these services is great. Eviction cases in Johnson County and the state as a whole have risen sharply in 2022 and have exceeded pre-COVID levels. In 2019, 720 eviction cases were filed in Johnson County (Iowa Courts Online) and decreased to 439 in 2020 and 537 in 2021. A total of 737 evictions were filed in 2022. These statistics are representative of the 39% increase statewide from 2021 and 44% from 2020. Stimulus payments, eviction moratoria, and state rent assistance funding helped to stabilize the situation. Iowa’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program ended August 31, 2022 and has greatly contributed to this sharp increase. The need for free legal services greater than just eviction or loss of housing. The 2022 Justice Gap Survey produced by Legal Services Corporation reported that 75% of low-income households experienced at least one civil legal problem in the past year. With an estimated 20,365 low-income individuals in Iowa City, we can use the same percentage to reasonably estimate 15,000 residents will face one if not more issues that require professional legal counsel. Limited to 1500 characters Iowa Legal Aid helps low-income Iowans access legal representation, advice, information, and the support needed to resolve civil legal problems impacting their income and housing. This project and the work of Iowa Legal Aid can provide long-term solutions for Iowa City and the goals outlined in City Steps 2021-2025: • Addressing persistent legal issues that help those experiencing homelessness or housing instability transition into permanent housing • Reducing discriminatory barriers and systemic economic, ethnic, and racial inequities that prevent low- income people and those from communities of color from financial stability • Empowering people of low and moderate-income to achieve self-sufficiency When the needs of the most vulnerable members of the community are met, the entire community benefits. Civil legal services can: • Provide direct financial benefits and savings for low-income Iowa City residents to restructure debts, preserve assets, and receive public benefits to provide additional income for basic needs • Reduce costs of public services for emergency housing, court, and law enforcement processing evictions • Infuse state and federal dollars into the community to supplement city funding to improve services Limited to 1500 characters This is not applicable to our project. 10. Provide a description of your primary target population(s). Explain how your agency promotes racial equity and inclusivity for marginalized populations (including people of color, LGBTQ, immigrants/refugees, individuals with disabilities).* Additional Documentation Limited to 1500 characters Individuals with household income at or below 125% of Federal Poverty or those who live below 80% of Iowa City Area Median Income meet eligibility guidelines for legal services. In Iowa’s larger communities where there is more racial and ethnic diversity, our clients are disproportionately from communities of color as compared to the general population. During 2022, 59 percent of Iowa City clients were people of color and/or those with Latino/Hispanic heritage compared to 23.5 percent in the overall population of the community. As an organization, our role is to provide equal justice under the law. To achieve this, no one will be unlawfully discriminated against, denied services, or excluded from participation in any program of Iowa Legal Aid because of any protected characteristic. These characteristics include race, color, creed, national origin, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, political affiliation, religion, pregnancy, genetic information, military service, engagement in legally protected activity, or any other characteristic protected by law. Please submit no more than 7 additional pages Section 3 - Resources and Feasibility Provide a budget breakdown for your specific program. Include only costs directly related to the program. For example, providing a specific service should include the total estimated costs and available resources, broke out by general categories such as salaries, materials, office expense, marketing, etc. If required by local and/or federal regulations, include the cost of an audit. Document costs whenever possible. 11. Budget Use of Funds City Funds Other Funds Source of Other Funds Type Status Salaries $120,113.00$United Way, Heritage AAA, Wells Fargo, state and federal grants Cash Committed Benefits $47,265.00$United Way, Heritage AAA, Wells Fargo, state and federal grants Cash Committed Office/occupancy $13,502.00$United Way, Heritage AAA, Wells Fargo, state and federal grants Cash Committed Travel $675.00$United Way, Heritage AAA, Wells Fargo, state and federal grants Cash Committed Insurance $370.00$United Way, Heritage AAA, Wells Fargo, state and federal grants Cash Committed Share of audit $3,200.00$United Way, Heritage AAA, Wells Fargo, state and federal grants Cash Committed Other expenses $3,666.00$United Way, Heritage AAA, Wells Fargo, state and federal grants Cash Committed Salaries 3,300.00$0.00$Cash Uncommitted Benefits 2,100.00$0.00$Cash Uncommitted Office/occupancy 6,600.00$0.00$Cash Uncommitted Client fees for court documents 175.00$0.00$Cash Uncommitted City Funds Other Funds Total Please list anticipated dates uncommitted funding is expected * Documentation of Costs 12. Labor Type Description Hours Per Hour Rate Total Cost Please include estimates of paid skilled, paid unskilled, and volunteer labor for your organization which correspond to the budget breakdown. Paid labor for other organizations should not be included Total Labor Cost 13. If volunteers are used, please describe how these volunteers are utilized for the proposed activity. 14. All Aid to Agency projects are required to expend their full award and complete the proposed project by the end of the fiscal year (June 30, 2024). Will you be able to meet this requirement?* Travel 325.00$0.00$ 12,500.00$188,791.00$ July 1, 2023 Iowa Legal Aid - City of Iowa City A2A cost documentation.xlsx 13.78KB Skilled Attorney 1872 41.61$77,893.92$ Skilled Paralegal 800 31.00$24,800.00$ Unskilled Support Staff 1031 20.00$20,620.00$ $0.00$ 123,313.92$ Limited to 1000 characters Iowa Legal Aid has a group of attorneys through our Volunteer Lawyers Project willing to volunteer their time and services for Iowa City clients. Often, these are cases that may require expertise in an area of law that is beyond our usual scope of practice or may be more time-consuming than we have the capacity to serve. This valuable assistance expands the number of low-income Iowa City clients receiving legal services. In 2022, volunteer lawyers donated 170 hours of legal services for low-income Iowa City clients, conservatively valued at $35,190. Yes No Section 4 - Beneficiaries Please indicate the population to be served by the proposed program according to the linked income categories. If requesting money for a specific administrative expense (like a staff member ’s salary), indicate the population served by your entire agency. (Please Note: If funded, this information will be used as income targeting for your Agreement). 15. Income Breakdown Median Income Households Persons 0-30% AMI 31-50% AMI 51-60% AMI 61-80% AMI Over 80% AMI Total Percent LMI Percent Iowa City Residents Please describe the basis or methodology used to estimate the number of clients to be served (?) AMI = Area Median Income, see www.icgov.org/actionplan. Name * Title * Signature * Impact & Community Benefit 400 800 100 225 25 100 20 40 0 0 545 1,165 100 100 Limited to 750 characters These estimates are based on Iowa Legal Aid's case/client management system and account for post-COVID increases in need. We track the total number of household members and household income to determine income eligibility for Iowa Legal Aid services. These statistics were compared with the City of Iowa City's Income and Rent Table dated June 2022. 16. Signature Laura Nelson Lof Grants Manager/Senior Grant Writer Board of Directors * Agency Budget * Financial Information * IRS 990 form Date Section 5 - Required Documentation It is recommended that applicants submit as much information as possible with the application to facilitate a full project evaluation. Provide a list of individuals serving on the board. IA Legal Aid Board of Directors 2022-23.pdf 108.93KB Provide the budget for the agency. ILA 2022 Budget.pdf 71.4KB Provide a 990 form, agency financial statements, or similar documentation. Iowa Legal Aid 2021 990 Tax Return.pdf 369.94KB 1/28/2023