The Ohio State Bar Foundation (OSBF) Board of Trustees approved 12 Ohio nonprofits and organizations to receive $375,000 as part of its Racial Justice Initiative Grant Cycle.
Since launching in 2020, the Racial Justice Initiative (RJI) has funded over $1 million in projects that support long-lasting impact and institutional change for racial justice.
The recipients of the OSBF’s RJI grants this summer all support projects that specifically identify, address, and challenge systemic racism centered on any race or ethnicity which hinders the pursuit of justice and public understanding of the rule of law for historically marginalized communities of color in Ohio.
“The Racial Justice Initiative was introduced six years ago and has already made a big impact across the state,” said Laurie Beth Sweeney, Executive Director of the OSBF. “As we celebrate our 75th anniversary and think about what improving our legal system and increasing access to justice means for Ohioans, we are proud that these grants are supporting absolutely critical work.”
Read more about the nonprofits and organizations receiving this year’s RJI grants below.
Northeast
Asian Services in Action received $30,000 for the Empowerment through Education project. This project focuses on educating refugee and immigrant communities on matters pertaining to court, law, and intersecting life factors like trauma and addiction that their clients generally have limited knowledge of prior to relocation to the US. Limited English proficient refugees, mostly who hail from Asia or Africa, are vulnerable to systemic failures of the law and court. The goal is to give community members, especially those who are most often racially profiled, the tools to navigate the American court and legal system and to seek holistic care to address issues that can lead to arrest or present other legal barriers.
Legal Aid Society of Cleveland received $25,000 for Addressing Racial Disparities in Evictions and Safe Housing. Cleveland’s Right to Counsel (RTC) is a nationally recognized initiative that guarantees legal representation to eligible low-income families facing eviction. As the sole provider for RTC, Legal Aid serves 1,000 Cleveland families annually, providing tenants with legal representation, advice, education, and support with systemic advocacy to help them navigate evictions and unsafe housing situations. RTC dramatically increases access to justice in housing court for tenants who otherwise would likely not have legal representation. These legal services are especially important for Black female led households, who are disproportionally impacted by eviction and face serious consequences without stable housing.
LegalWorks received $25,000 for their Legal Clinic Expansion in At-Risk Neighborhoods project. LegalWorks seeks to utilize their proven mission and strategies to grow the impact of low or no-cost full legal services to Cleveland's inner-city neighborhoods most affected by historic racism and unequal application of justice. They will accomplish this by expanding their one-day legal clinics into new neighborhoods where access to attorneys may be limited: Union-Miles, Kinsman, North Ohio City, and Lee-Seville.
Re:Source Cleveland received $34,000 for Operation Green Card, which is a legal access initiative led by Re:Source Cleveland to ensure refugees in Cuyahoga County complete mandatory green card applications before federal benefit eligibility deadlines. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, refugees must file Form I-485 within one year of arrival. Those who haven't secured lawful permanent resident status will lose SNAP eligibility and face Medicaid disenrollment on 10/1/26. Re:Source Cleveland conducted 800+ outreach calls to identify eligible families, then mobilized a coordinated partnership to complete required civil surgeon examinations and I-485 filings. The program will serve over 400 clients.
Thrive Mahoning Valley received $25,000 for the Mahoning Valley Immigration Law & Legal Access Clinic, which advances racial justice by expanding equitable access to trusted legal support for immigrants, refugees, and multilingual families across the Mahoning Valley. The clinic helps individuals navigate immigration processes, understand their rights, and overcome barriers created by language, poverty, discrimination, and systemic inequities. Through affordable legal assistance, community education, and culturally responsive advocacy, the clinic strengthens family stability and community belonging while reducing fear and exploitation. By empowering newcomers to fully participate in civic, economic, and social life, Thrive Mahoning Valley is building a more inclusive, welcoming, and just region for all residents.
YWCA Mahoning Valley received $5,000 for the project Youth for Peace, a program facilitated by YWCA staff for middle school students and teens that promotes peace, conflict resolution, leadership and collaboration. The goal of the program is to increase peace in the community. The organization plans to achieve this goal by educating middle school and high school students on how self-esteem, restorative justice and conflict resolution are connected. They want this program to demonstrate steps towards living peacefully with one another. Those steps include understanding self and others, acknowledging differences, accepting the idea of teamwork and using that collaboration to resolve conflict and contribute to the community.
Central
Central Ohio Worker Center received $40,000 to support the project From Workers to Advocates: Building a Community Pipeline into Law and Justice. This project will build pathways for low-wage immigrant workers and BIPOC communities, particularly Spanish-speaking Latino community members, to pursue careers as attorneys, paralegals, and legal advocates. This work addresses the shortage of Spanish-speaking legal professionals and culturally responsive legal support in Ohio. Through workplace rights education, leadership development, mentorship, and career exploration activities, we expose directly impacted communities to legal systems and advocacy careers. By creating access to the legal profession for those most affected by workplace exploitation, this initiative advances racial justice, representation, and long-term systems change.
Communities in Schools of Ohio received $50,000 for the Legal Pathways and Civic Leadership Initiative, which will connect high school students with legal professionals through structured career exposure, mentorship, guest speakers, and learning activities. These experiences will help students better understand the legal system, civic responsibility, their rights, and the laws and policies impacting their communities. By embedding these experiences within schools, students build confidence, strengthen leadership skills, and become advocates, changemakers, and future professionals committed to advancing equity, justice, and public service.
YWCA Columbus received $41,000 for the Anti-Racist & Restorative Professional Development Program for Leaders of Justice to develop an Anti-Racist & Restorative Professional Development program for future and current justice leaders. Building off their recognized Justice, Equity & Belonging (JEB) trainings, the goal of the program is to educate legal professionals and interns about how systemic racism has been codified into US institutions, particularly policing and the legal system, and how to utilize restorative practices to prevent and repair systemic harm.
Southwest
Adopt A Class received $15,000 for Achieving Racial Justice through Engaged Youth Today as Tomorrow's Engaged Citizens. Adopt A Class empowers historically marginalized students to become advocates for a fair justice system by fostering long-term mentoring relationships from kindergarten to 8th grade. Diverse law and legal services professional mentors provide career-connected experiences, helping youth understand the power of achieving their goals and becoming engaged citizens. Through these connections, students gain confidence and knowledge to positively impact their communities. This project will impact 1,000 students from low-income families in 3rd through 8th grades in Butler and Hamilton counties. Additionally, over 400 public officials, including Law enforcement, judges, and court staff, will be impacted as mentors.
Statewide
Case Western Reserve University received $45,000 for its Statewide Quantitative Analysis of Racial Disparities in Ohio Juvenile Bindover Decisions project, which examines how Ohio’s bindover process, transferring youth to adult court, produces racial disparities and long-term harm for Black youth and other historically marginalized communities of color. They will analyze statewide data, document decision-making patterns, and create clear, public-facing materials that explain how bindover works and why it matters for youth, families, and communities. Working with legal practitioners and community partners, CWRU will identify opportunities to eliminate legal barriers and support more equitable outcomes. Funding will support data analysis, stakeholder engagement, and dissemination of findings to inform policy discussions and strengthen justice for Ohio’s young people.
JustChoice received $40,000 to support the project Birthing Justice in Ohio: A Pilot to Identify Legal Barriers and Surveillance Impacts on Black Maternal Health, which is a pilot project in partnership with Ohio Women's Alliance and Case Western Reserve University to identify legal and systemic barriers contributing to racial disparities in maternal health outcomes. The project will collect insights from people navigating pregnancy, analyze barriers through a legal lens, and produce a “Know Your Rights in Pregnancy” guide and policy brief. The project examines how legal systems shape access to care, information, and decision-making, including regulatory gaps, public benefits policy, and surveillance of Black pregnant and birthing people. Findings will identify where protections fail and where policy change may be needed.
Additionally, a Fall 2026 grant was distributed early to the Ohio State Bar Association due to the immediacy of the need for the Judicial Votes Count Website. As part of the Ohio Bar’s core mission to educate the public on Ohio’s justice system and promote the independence of the judiciary, they will relaunch the nonpartisan voter information website Judicial Votes Count for the November 2026 General Election.
To learn more about the Racial Justice Initiative or the OSBF Grants Program, contact Michelle Hendricks at MHendricks@OSBF.org.
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