The board of directors of FFLA has approved a general distribution of $89,748,976 in Interest on Trust Account (IOTA) funds to 35 Florida legal aid organizations. Organizations must use the grant money within calendar year 2025. At its Dec. 6, 2024, meeting, the board also approved using $3,636,425 in IOTA funds for its Pro Bono Support and Enhancement grant program. FFLA is the designated administrator of IOTA program.
“Because of a substantial increase in IOTA collections last fiscal year, FFLA is able to distribute to grantees 165% more IOTA grant funding and double Loan Repayment Assistance Program loans to legal aid lawyers from $5,000 to $10,000 each,” Roberto R. Pardo, FFLA president, said. “This funding is transformative for Florida’s network of legal aid providers, allowing them to retain and hire more highly qualified legal professionals, expand facilitation of pro bono volunteerism and ultimately increase the number of clients receiving legal assistance.”
With approval from the Florida Supreme Court in October, FFLA also placed an additional $142.8 million of IOTA collections in a reserve for future distribution to qualified grantee organizations. The goal of FFLA’s reserve is to hold a balance that can be used to fund grantees at consistent levels even when interest rates fluctuate, affecting the amount of collections year to year. Steady levels of funding allow grantees to plan more effectively for the future.
From 2022 to 2023, the number of qualified legal services providers employed by IOTA grantees increased from 587 to 639. As of Nov. 5, 2024, 691 are employed, an 18% increase. Grantees also reported increasing the total number of clients they served from 114,002 in 2022 to 123,729 in 2023, reducing the number of clients they had to turn away due to a lack of resources.
Grantees are listed below. For more information, visit our Grant Database.
| Qualified Grantee Organization | 2025 IOTA Distribution Grant | 2024-25 Pro Bono Support and Enhancement Grant |
|---|---|---|
| Americans for Immigrant Justice | $4,726,275 | - |
| Bay Area Legal Services | $6,636,062 | - |
| Brevard County Legal Aid | $2,101,241 | $141,000 |
| Catholic Legal Services | $3,791,005 | - |
| Coast to Coast Legal Aid | $1,919,924 | - |
| Community Justice Project | $981,608 | - |
| Community Law Program | $901,639 | $19,000 |
| Community Legal Services | $7,609,678 | - |
| CABA Pro Bono | $1,346,206 | $75,000 |
| Dade Legal Aid | $2,629,309 | $900,000 |
| Florida Health Justice Project | $1,479,529 | $50,000 |
| Florida Justice Institute | $986,353 | - |
| Florida Legal Services | $5,535,084 | $50,000 |
| Florida Rural Legal Services | $1,564,527 | - |
| Florida's Children First | $493,176 | - |
| Gulfcoast Legal Services | $3,381,146 | $53,425 |
| Heart of Florida Legal Aid Society | $974,578 | - |
| IDignity | $657,568 | $25,000 |
| Innocence Project of Florida | $986,353 | $50,000 |
| Jacksonville Area Legal Aid | $4,831,927 | $408,000 |
| Lawyers for Children America | $986,353 | - |
| Lee County Legal Aid Society | $1,218,223 | - |
| Legal Aid Foundation of Tallahassee | $232,447 | $120,000 |
| Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association | $5,108,189 | $700,000 |
| Legal Aid Service of Broward County | $5,105,253 | $370,000 |
| Legal Aid Service of Collier County | $1,461,868 | - |
| Legal Aid of Manasota | $1,127,049 | $285,000 |
| Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County | $7,217,971 | $225,000 |
| Legal Services of Greater Miami | $2,299,769 | - |
| Legal Services of North Florida | $4,091,060 | - |
| Northwest Florida Legal Services (Emerald Coast Legal Aid) | $929,786 | $30,000 |
| Seminole County Bar Association Legal Aid Society | $1,738,959 | $60,000 |
| Southern Legal Counsel | $1,315,138 | $75,000 |
| St. Michael's Legal Center for Women and Children | $901,639 | - |
| Three Rivers Legal Services | $2,482,084 | - |
| Total | $89,748,976 | $3,636,425 |
