Mission

The Impact Fund is a foundation dedicated to providing funding, technical assistance, and representation for complex public interest litigation in the areas of civil and human rights, environmental justice and poverty law. The Foundation makes grants of up to $25,000 to pay for out-of-pocket costs in such cases. It also offers funding, advice and counseling, training, and representation in complex public interest litigation. Since opening in 1992, it has awarded over $3 million in general and donor-advised grants. The primary criteria for funding are financial necessity and broad impact.

Issues

Toxics, Lead, Worker Safety, Energy, Air Pollution, Renewable Resources, Water Pollution, Wildlife, Pesticides, Nuclear, Wetlands/Endangered Species, Asbestos, Transportation, Education, Community organizing, Housing, Sustainable Communities, Waste Disposal, Facility Siting, Land Rights, Environmental Racism, Native American Issues.

Activities

Grant-making, Legal Technical Assistance, Litigation (co-counsel), Research, Training

Programs/
Projects

The Impact Fund makes quarterly grants for class action environmental litigation. Current cases include Bayview Hunters Point Community Advocates v. Mirant Potrero, a challenge to the use of a dirty "peaker" power generator in the Hunters Point neighborhood of San Francisco; Hartford Park Tenants Association v. Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, an action challenging the construction of predominantly minority schools on the site of a former waste dump, and In Re Hydro Resources, Inc., an action to halt uranium mining from an aquifer relied upon by the Navajo community. We also offer advice and counseling on procedural, trial, settlement, attorney's fees and related issues that arise in large scale public interest actions and administer the Equal Justice Litigation Program, through which we provide direct litigation support as co-counsel in class action cases.

Constitutency

Individual attorneys, Nonprofits, and Small law firms

Geographical Focus

Statewide, National

Staff

7

Publications

Articles, briefs, and annual report available online at www.impactfund.org.

Annuual Budget

$500,000 - $1,000,000

Year Founded

1992