The justice ecosystem.
Access to justice isn't one organization — it's a system. Here's how the pieces fit together in Ohio, and where the Foundation sits within them.
From trust accounts to just outcomes
- Financial institutions & courts generate the funding — interest on IOLTA/IOTA trust accounts and the civil filing-fee surcharge.
- The Foundation pools those dollars, adds grants and donations, and awards funding with oversight — $7.2 million for 2026.
- Five legal aid organizations deliver civil legal help in every county.
- Volunteer lawyers multiply that capacity through pro bono service via Pro Bono Ohio.
- Statewide resources — Ohio Legal Help, the Ohio Justice Bus, Pro Seniors — reach Ohioans the traditional office can't.
Each part depends on the others. Weaken the funding base, and outcomes on the ground suffer; strengthen it, and more Ohioans are fairly heard.
Explore the Foundation's view of the ecosystem on the live site ↗, and see where the money comes from on the Revenue Sources page →.
Join us
Justice works — when it's funded.
Every gift helps low-income Ohioans keep their homes, their families, and their footing. Invest in the systems that make justice real.
Looking for help with a legal problem? Ohio Legal Help ↗