TIG Program Description
The LSC Technology Initiative Grant (TIG) program seeks to improve legal services delivery to the low-income population and to increase access by low-income persons to high-quality legal services, to the judicial system, and to legal information.
Program Description
The key goals of the TIG program are to encourage grantees to use technology in innovative ways to:
- Effectively and efficiently provide high-quality legal assistance to low-income persons and to promote access to the judicial system through legal information, advice, and representation.
- Improve service delivery, quality of legal work, and management and administration of grantees.
- Develop, test, and replicate innovative strategies that can enable grantees and state justice communities to improve clients’ access to high-quality legal assistance through an integrated and well-managed technology system.
LSC awards TIG funds through an open and competitive selection process, available to current LSC basic field grant recipients. The TIG program encourages applicants to partner with other justice community organizations, including courts, bar associations, pro bono projects, libraries, and social service agencies.
There are two types of grants available: Technology Improvement Grants and Technology Improvement Project Grants.
Technology Initiative Grants
TIG projects can (1) implement new or innovative approaches for using technology in legal services delivery; (2) enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of existing technologies so that they may be better used to increase the quality and quantity of services to clients; or (3) replicate, adapt, or provide added value to the work of prior technology projects. This includes, but is not limited to, the implementation and improvement of tested methodologies and technologies from previous TIG projects. We also encourage replication of proven technologies from non-LSC funded legal aid organizations as well as sectors outside the legal aid community.
We recommend a minimum amount for funding requests in this category of $40,000, but projects with lower budgets will be considered. There is no maximum amount for TIG funding requests that are within the total appropriation for TIG.
Technology Improvement Projects
LSC recognizes the importance of grantees having the appropriate technology infrastructure to provide efficient and effective legal service delivery. An award for a Technology Improvement Project is intended to provide funding for appropriate consulting services to conduct a technology assessment, information security audit, business process improvement, or technology planning process. The project should result in a plan for the organization to make the investments needed to improve its use of technology in the delivery of legal services.
The maximum amount for funding requests in this category is $35,000. There is no pre-application for Technology Improvement Project grants.
The Sustainability, Enhancement, and Adoption (SEA) Grants category (formerly known as Adoption, Expansion, and Enhancement (AEE) grants) provides continuation funding for Technology Initiative Grants that have demonstrated excellent results. This new category enables successful TIG grantees to develop their projects further, integrate them effectively into the service delivery system, and complete the necessary activities for long-term success. SEA Grants generally focus on sustainability, enhancements, or increasing adoption of the developed technology. LSC believes that the SEA grants will result in more successful TIG projects and the development of mature technologies for widespread use in the legal services community.
All SEA grant awards have 24-month terms. LSC recommends a minimum funding request of $40,000 in this category, but projects with lower budgets will be considered.
How to Apply
Please visit the TIG “How to Apply” page for detailed information on the current funding cycle, selection criteria, and reporting requirements.
Grant Terms and Conditions
Review the terms and conditions of a Technology Initiative Grant.