Helping our Community Partners  

In addition to the $3 million in grants Rhode Island Foundation will award to help nonprofits weather recent federal funding disruptions, freezes, and cuts, we are also using our Civic Leadership Fund  to provide financial support for the Rhode Island Lawyers’ Committee, Nonprofit Legal Protection Project (NLPP), an initiative that is coordinating volunteer attorneys to assist nonprofits in responding to federal actions.

Through NLPP, essential technical assistance, guidance and legal assistance will be provided to organizations that have been placed at risk due to federal executive actions, policy changes, funding freezes, threats, reductions or eliminations, contract terminations, or other administrative delays.

Our community partners are facing a whole host of challenges in this environment, including threats of investigation, rescinding of 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, issues arising from changes in federal policy or practices, and questions surrounding compliance with uncertain federal directives and a confusing array of shifting policies and legal actions.

Through our partnership with NLPP, Foundation grantees will have the opportunity to connect with a range of legal resources, including legal consultations and office hours, workshops, collaboration with national law firms specializing in federal grant programs, and coordination of resources to connect grantees with training, technical assistance, pro-bono legal counsel, and vital information on national litigation. 

 

How to Get Help

Connect with NLPP by logging in to the Rhode Island Foundation’s online grants portal to fill out a brief intake form.

 

Access to Legal Resources

In partnership with NLPP, Foundation grantees will have access to a variety of resources to meet their unique situations and needs related to federal actions affecting federal funding and status.

• Individual volunteer attorneys – providing support to nonprofits, which can include assistance disputing federal action, communicating with staff and boards and legal representation.  
• Training and Technical Assistance Workshops – Educating nonprofits (and their legal counsel when applicable) about their rights, how rights are asserted, emerging threats, and preparing for the changed landscape.

Office Hours – Providing problem-specific technical assistance to groups of nonprofits who have similar legal circumstances, such as similar grant terminations or agency-specific inquiries. For eligible grantees that have applied for and received funding through the Foundation’s Community Partner Resilience program, grant awards can be used, in part, for additional legal costs to address specific, non-common, legal issues.