The FFLA Board of Directors met in person on September 11, 2026, for its quarterly board meeting in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Director Doug Reynolds’ firm Tripp Scott graciously hosted the meeting as well as orientations for new grantee executive directors and Board members. Maria Gonzalez presided over the meeting, and grantee presentations were given by Brittney Parks of Legal Aid Service of Broward County and Lisa Goldberg, Executive Director of Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida. The major actions of the Board and reports received included:
Grants Committee Report
FY 2026-27 Grant Allocation Approved
Grants Committee Chair Brian Currie brought forth the committee’s recommendations and provided an overview of the process FFLA uses to determine the total amount of funds potentially available for distribution to its grantees. After the presentation and an opportunity for discussion and questions, the Board approved the grants allocation as reflected in the chart below.
This allocation will use $21,235,660 for grant programs. A placeholder of “TBD” has been inserted into the chart because the total amount of FY 26-27 IOTA collections has not yet been collected. FY 2026-27 IOTA Collections – $18,800,000 – is the amount the committee recommends for allocation using FY 26-27 IOTA collections, subject to actual receipt. FY 2026-27 FFLA/Other Grants and Awards – $2,435,660 – is the amount the committee recommends for allocation using Other Funds. Any IOTA collections allocated but not awarded are rolled into the December IOTA distribution for each respective fiscal year.
2027 Children’s Legal Services Grants Awarded
The Children’s Legal Services grant program provides funding for legal assistance to needy children in critical areas that affect their safety, well-being, and future development. This annual competitive grant program centers on, but is not limited to, legal assistance to foster care children, children seeking and in need of health benefits and children needing special educational assistance.
FFLA received 9 applications requesting a total of $3,213,750 for calendar year 2027 CLS grants. Total funding allocated was $3,557,100. The Committee voted to approve and recommend the scoring group and staff’s recommendation to fund a total of $2,260,671 to 8 grantees. The Board reviewed and approved funding the following projects:
|
Organization Name |
Project Name |
Grant Amount Requested |
Grant Amount Approved |
|
Brevard County |
Children’s Legal Advocacy Project |
$80,000 |
$80,000 |
|
Catholic Legal Services |
Displaced Youth Empowerment Project |
$822,486 |
$822,486 |
|
Crossroads for Florida Kids |
Hillsborough Youth Legal |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
|
CABA Pro Bono |
Children’s |
$500,000 |
$500,000 |
|
Dade Legal Aid |
Children’s |
$120,000 |
$120,000 |
|
Florida Legal |
Children’s Health Access Advocacy Project |
$432,115 |
$432,115 |
|
Legal Aid Society of the Orange |
Special Education Advocacy Project |
$45,000 |
$45,000 |
|
Legal Services of North Florida |
Panhandle Counsel for Children |
$161,070 |
$161,070 |
|
Total |
|
|
$2,260,671 |
All other applications were respectfully declined.
FFLA appreciates the efforts of Laura Boeckman, Mayanne Downs and Deborah Giles, who were assisted by staff members Jessica Brown, Mirza Gonzalez, Ember Long, and Donny MacKenzie.
2025-26 Children’s Legal Services Grant Extensions Approved
Due to a six-month gap in funding between Children’s Legal Services grant cycles, FFLA notified all 2025-26 CLS grant recipients that they may apply for an extension of their current CLS grant. The total amount of grant extensions was limited to $333,536, the unspent amount allocated for the prior CLS grant cycle. Three applications were received. The committee recommended and the Board approved funding a total of $194,655 to 3 grantees, as reflected in the chart below.
2027 Elder Law Grants Awarded
The Elder Law Grant Program provides funding for legal assistance to needy older adults in critical areas that affect their safety, wellbeing, and ability to remain independent. This mission is promoted through an annual competitive grant program centering on, but not limited to, legal assistance for older adults with respect to issues they commonly face, generally including access to health care, consumer protection, protection against domestic violence, abuse and exploitation, income maintenance, probate and estate matters and housing.
FFLA received 16 applications requesting $3,572,412. FFLA allocated $1,500,000 for this inaugural grant. The Committee recommended, and the Board approved, funding 8 grantees for a total of $1,500,000, as reflected in the chart below.
|
Organization Name |
Project Name |
Board Approval (IOTA Funds) |
Board Approval (Other |
|
Legal Services of North Florida |
Elder Stability Law Project |
$250,058 |
|
|
Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South |
Broward Senior Health, Independence |
|
$200,000 |
|
Legal Aid Society of the Orange |
Orange County Elder Justice and |
$110,000 |
|
|
Dade Legal Aid |
Elder Law Legal Assistance Project |
|
$150,000 |
|
Claude Pepper Elder Law Clinic – FSU |
Elder Exploitation Project |
|
$150,000 |
|
Seminole County Bar Association |
Elder Law Planning Ahead Project |
$190,000 |
|
|
Three Rivers Legal Service |
Elder Law Heirs Property Project |
$287,963 |
|
|
Legal Services of Greater Miami |
Elder Financial Stability Project |
$161,979 |
|
|
Total |
|
$1,000,000 |
$500,000 |
*Subgrant through Legal Services of North Florida. LSNF funding contingent on agreement to accept additional $150,000 funding and subgrant to Claude Pepper Elder Law Clinic.
2027 Pro Bono Support and Enhancement Grants Awarded
Pro Bono Support and Enhancement Grants promote pro bono service and civil legal aid assistance by volunteer private attorneys and other qualified legal services providers throughout Florida. While FFLA allocated $4,400,000 for this grant cycle, it received a total of 8 applications seeking $4,831,572. The Committee recommended, and the Board approved, funding a total of $2,283,771 to 7 grantees, as reflected in the chart below. The remaining $2,116,229 will be rolled into the December 2026 IOTA distribution with a reminder to all grantees that IOTA distributions may be used to create, support and enhance their pro bono departments.
|
Organization Name |
Committee Recommendation |
Board Approval |
|
Legal Aid Society of the Orange |
$700,000 |
$700,000 |
|
CABA Pro Bono |
$312,500 |
$312,500 |
|
Dade Legal Aid |
$900,000 |
$900,000 |
|
Jacksonville |
$74,145 |
$74,145 |
|
Legal Aid Service of Broward County |
$120,000 |
$120,000 |
|
Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach |
$120,000 |
$120,000 |
|
Innocence Project of Florida |
$57,125.59 |
$57,125.59 |
|
Total |
$ 2,283,771 |
$ 2,283,771 |
Compliance review of Americans for Immigrant Justice (AIJ) and Florida Justice Institute (FJI)
In 2025, FFLA initiated compliance reviews of two grantees, AIJ and FJI, regarding their use of IOTA funds under the IOTA Rule and FFLA’s Objective Standards. Consistent with FFLA’s oversight responsibilities, FFLA requested that each organization provide an audited accounting of its use of IOTA funds, and further funding to both organizations was suspended pending completion of the reviews. Separate work groups were created to evaluate each organization’s submitted materials.
Both work groups concluded that the reports did not yet provide a sufficient basis for FFLA to resume funding without additional requirements. The Grants Committee accepted the work group recommendations, and the Board subsequently approved them. The Board also declined to approve requests to carry over CY 2025 funds for AIJ and FJI. Both organizations remain eligible for future funding consideration once they implement the required corrective actions contained in the respective work group reports. FFLA staff will provide each organization with a copy of its work group’s report and will continue working with both organizations through this process.
Investment Committee Report
FFLA created an operations reserve fund on February 12, 2025, to promote stability and consequently increase the amount of IOTA funds available for use by FFLA’s qualified grantee organizations. When creating the operations reserve, FFLA committed to increasing the percentage of IOTA funds collected each year for the benefit of FFLA’s grantees. (The IOTA rule requires FFLA to spend no more than 15% of IOTA collections on direct expenses (DEX) to administer the IOTA program and distribute at least 85% of IOTA collections to grantees). Specifically, FFLA committed to increasing the grantees’ percentage from 85% with flexibility to adjust up to 98%, when financial conditions allow. It also created the DEX work group to review and recommend such percentages annually.
The DEX work group recommended, and the Board approved, setting this year’s direct expenses percentage at 2% of FYE 6-30-26 IOTA collections. This amount ($5,004,467) will be placed in FFLA’s Operating Reserve, with the remaining funds to be distributed in accordance with the IOTA rule as determined by FFLA. Special thanks to Ashley Sybesma, Jim Schwarz, Ian Comisky and Patrick Montoya for their service on the work group.
New Business
Director Mayanne Downs discussed best practices in corporate governance and suggested a work group review the composition, selection, size, terms, and governance of FFLA’s board. President Gonzalez agreed that a work group would be created, and Mr. MacKenzie asked directors to participate in the work group and to let either he or President Gonzalez know of their availability to serve on it.
Next Meeting
The Board’s next scheduled meeting will be on December 4, 2026.