The Ohio State Bar Foundation (OSBF) Board of Trustees approved 12 Ohio nonprofits and organizations to receive $609,256 in its latest round of grant funding. This Spring Grant Cycle kicks off a year of grant making that includes three cycles: the Spring Grant Cycle, the Racial Justice Initiative Grant Cycle, and the Fall Grant Cycle.
Funding during the Spring Grant Cycle has increased by 9% from 2025 to 2026 and is up from 9 organizations selected last year.
The recipients of the OSBF’s spring grants will use this funding to address specific, unmet legal needs in communities across Ohio, from increasing access to legal clinics to connecting students to resources to pursue law careers.
“For 75 years, the Ohio State Bar Foundation has furthered justice across the state,” said Laurie Beth Sweeney, Executive Director of the OSBF. “These grants continue that legacy of justice and service, supporting nonprofits that are actively improving our legal system and bettering our communities.”
Nonprofits who received spring grants by region include…
Northeast
Asian Services in Action received $60,000 to create an accessible pathway for newcomers to become citizens actively involved in democracy. This project will equip and amplify prospective citizens’ voices, which will improve the representation of marginalized communities.
The Positivity Spectrum received $50,000 for their Free Legal Clinic, which provides families with essential advocacy and guidance they could not otherwise afford. The project addresses two critical needs: helping families secure appropriate services through the IEP process and assisting caregivers with end-of-life planning, including guardianship and special needs trusts. By combining pro bono attorney oversight with law student volunteers, TPS delivers sustainable, high-quality legal support that transforms outcomes for autistic individuals and their families.
Scranton Road Ministries CDC received $20,000 for their Scranton Road Legal Clinic, which will advance justice by equipping a very diverse population of under-resourced people across Cleveland and Cuyahoga County with best-practice legal services. By offering free, bilingual, and accessible Legal Education Workshops and Know-Your-Rights sessions in collaboration with community partners, this project will address legal barriers to employment, safe housing and financial security, while also helping to reunite families and meaningfully address systemic legal inequities.
Central
Association of Bhutanese in Ohio received $25,000 to create and translate a Nepali-language, culture-specific legal education toolkit, deliver statewide education, and conduct additional outreach. The current need is urgent: a lack of access to legal clinics, an interpretation gap, and the rising threat to the Bhutanese community increase risks of misunderstood rights and can result in dire consequences. This project can help prevent avoidable mistakes and crises.
Cristo Rey Columbus High School received $40,000 to provide students from limited-income families with early exposure to the legal profession, professional mentorship, and practical workplace experience. The project strengthens college and career readiness, expands access to legal careers, and builds a diverse pipeline of future leaders committed to justice and service.
The Franklin County Municipal Court received $39,000 to establish a GPS Monitoring Subsidy Fund to dismantle barriers to pretrial release for indigent defendants. Covering electronic monitoring costs, the initiative addresses racial and economic disparities in the pretrial system, where minority populations are disproportionately detained. Subsidized monitoring offers a fiscally responsible alternative to incarceration, significantly reducing costs while preserving public safety, employment, and community stability.
Southeast
The Center for Law, Justice & Culture at Ohio University received $56,256 to prepare rural, financially disadvantaged students from Appalachia for a career in law. The project will integrate liberal arts curriculum development, alumni mentorship, financial support, and experiential learning. It will serve as a replicable model for increasing legal equity in underserved regions across the nation.
Southwest
The Hamilton County Clerk of Courts received $50,000 to provide same day, limited representation to otherwise unrepresented Hamilton County citizens who are scheduled to appear in eviction court. In a matter of minutes, attorneys can analyze viable defenses for a tenant while also providing them with access to rent assistance made possible through partnerships with the City of Cincinnati and the United Way. This fellowship will allow hundreds of tenants to have access to an attorney who would otherwise proceed pro se.
Statewide
Ohio Alliance of YMCAs Foundation received $50,000 for the YMCA Ohio Youth & Government project, which provides students across Ohio with hands-on experience in the legislative and judicial process through a model government simulation. These experiences build critical thinking, legal reasoning, and civic leadership skills while expanding access to law-related education and strengthening understanding of Ohio’s legal system.
The Ohio Center for Law-Related Education received $126,000 to deliver high-quality, experiential civics education to students across Ohio by expanding teacher training and outreach to new schools. The project aims to foster informed, active citizenship by helping young people understand how law and government impact their lives.
Ohio Legal Help received $43,000 to assist families who navigate confusing resources and financial assistance with greater clarity and confidence. By reducing confusion and delays, the project will lower caregiver stress, support workforce participation and family stability, and improve access to critical support.
University of Cincinnati Foundation received $50,000 for their Ohio Innocence Project: OIP-u Rural Chapters. By focusing on OIP-u chapters serving rural communities, funding will improve outreach and programming in underserved parts of the state. The project will reach students interested in law professions and innocence work, connecting them with resources to attend law school and eventually serve their home communities.
If you’d like to learn more about the OSBF’s grantees, connect with one of the organizations directly, or learn about the OSBF’s grantmaking process, contact OSBF’s Grants Manager Michelle Hendricks at MHendricks@OSBF.org or visit osbf.org/grants.
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