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Expanding Legal Services Initiative Fact Sheet

Expanding Legal Services Initiative: Legal Assistance for Victims Grant Program

The Expanding Legal Services Initiative (ELSI) is intended to enable eligible organizations that do not currently offer legal services to establish a program that provides legal representation to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants include:

  • Non-profit organizations and tribal governments or tribal organizations that do not currently offer in-house legal representation but wish to establish a program to provide comprehensive legal assistance to victims.

Priority Consideration

  • Advancing equity and tribal sovereignty by improving services for survivors from underserved communities is a priority for the ELSI program.
  • Priority consideration will be given to lead applicants whose mission or purpose is to primarily serve members of a population-specific and historically marginalized community.

About the Legal Assistance for Victims Grant Program

The Legal Assistance for Victims Program strengthens civil and criminal legal assistance programs for adult and youth victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking who are seeking relief in legal matters relating to or arising out of that abuse or violence. 

This program is authorized by 34 U.S.C. § 20121.

Apply for this grant

Updated March 6, 2025