Grant opportunity
The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) FY2027 Pro Bono Innovation Fund Sustainability Grants are competitive organizational financial assistance for civil legal aid programs serving eligible low-income people, not ordinary government procurement. Only current recipients of Legal Services Corporation Basic Field-General, Basic Field-Migrant, or Basic Field-Native American grants that ALSO received a 2025 PBIF Project Grant qualify. The grant extends successful and scalable prior PBIF projects for an additional 24 months and requires a proposed strategy to reduce dependence on PBIF funding, with meaningful outcome measurement and diversified revenue.
Individual applicant award and grant term
Individual applicant award limit or range: not published for FY2027. The controlling November 5, 2026 Federal Register notice states that the FY2027 PBIF appropriation is not yet determined and funding decisions are expected summer 2027. The award term is 24-month, beginning October 1, 2027. Past-year totals or any overall federal appropriation must not be treated as an individual award amount.
Controlling application deadline
REQUIRED PRE-APPLICATION January 13, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time; invited full application May 6, 2027 (exact time not stated). Pre-application through GrantEase January 13, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. EST; invitations expected March 2027; invited full applications due May 6, 2027.
Eligibility
Only current recipients of Legal Services Corporation Basic Field-General, Basic Field-Migrant, or Basic Field-Native American grants that ALSO received a 2025 PBIF Project Grant qualify. The grant extends successful and scalable prior PBIF projects for an additional 24 months and requires a proposed strategy to reduce dependence on PBIF funding, with meaningful outcome measurement and diversified revenue. Ordinary nonprofits that do not currently receive LSC Basic Field funding are not eligible direct applicants. Check the organization’s current grants and its 2025 PBIF Project award before applying.
Funding restrictions, match and allowable uses
Funding is restricted to the applicable LSC pro bono program purpose and required grant term, under the terms of the final award and subsequently updated LSC application guidelines. The controlling notice does not publish a universal cost-sharing percentage, an individual grant maximum, or complete expense line-item rules. Do not invent a match requirement or treat the entire national program funding as an individual award. The organization must document a credible activity plan aligned with the specific funding category.
Application
Read the official Federal Register November 5, 2026 FY2027 PBIF notice, document 2026-22542 and LSC’s program instructions, noting that certain LSC overview pages still discuss FY2026. Apply through the existing LSC GrantEase system, following the exact application stage above. Where subsequent LSC instructions add requirements, those controlling current requirements govern.
FY2027 controlling notice reviewed November 6, 2026.