(WASHINGTON, DC) – The Bowser Administration announced today two upcoming pre-bidders’ conferences for the 2019 Immigrant Justice Legal Services (IJLS) Grant Program. Last month, Mayor Bowser announced that her Administration was making a total of $900,000 available for the IJLS Grant Program to fund programs that provide targeted services and resources to the DC immigrant population and their family members. The Request for Applications (RFA) was released on Monday, July 16, 2018 and the submission deadline is Monday, August 13, 2018 at 5 pm. Completed applications must be submitted through the online portal ZoomGrants.
“When we need it most, the IJLS Grant Program has brought our DC values to life and made us a safer, stronger DC,” said Mayor Bowser. “The program is helping us work together as a community to stand up for and protect our neighbors and providing hundreds of immigrants in DC with the knowledge and resources they need to understand their rights, navigate a challenging political climate, and thrive in our community.”
The FY2019 IJLS Grant Program will award grants of up to $150,000 to Community-Based Organizations with a current and valid 501(c)(3) status, as well as private organizations, associations, and law firms that plan to mobilize pro bono services in order to provide targeted immigration legal services and resources to the DC immigrant population. The FY2019 grant funding priority areas include public safety and civic engagement. More information regarding eligibility criteria, acceptable grant purposes, pre-bidders’ conferences, and the deadline for submission can be found HERE.
All applicants with questions regarding the FY2019 IJLS Grant Program RFA are encouraged to attend one of the pre-bidders’ meetings. The first informational session will be on Thursday, July 26, at 12 pm and the second informational session will be on Tuesday, July 31, at 4:30 pm. Both sessions will take place in the Mayor’s Press Briefing Room at the John A. Wilson Building (1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW). Interested applicants can register HERE.
In addition to the IJLS Grant Program informational sessions, the Bowser Administration, in collaboration with CARECEN (Central American Resource Center), will host two “Know Your Rights” sessions to educate the DC immigrant community on their rights if confronted by law enforcement or federal immigration agents. The first session will be Friday, July 20, at 6:15 p.m. and will be held at CARECEN (1460 Columbia Road, NW, Suite C1). The second session will be on Wednesday, July 25. Details for the second session will be released in the upcoming days. For more information on the “Know Your Rights” sessions, please call (202) 328-9799.
Mayor Bowser’s IJLS program is the first of its kind in Washington, DC. While similar programs exist in other parts of the nation, the District’s program has a broader focus than most. Among other services, the IJLS Grant Program funds “know your rights” legal briefings, trainings and mentorship for pro bono attorneys, capacity building, and legal assistance to help people navigate affirmative filings and asylum applications.