Current Funding for legal services in Pennsylvania is not sufficient to meet the needs of everyone who requires legal assistance. Nationally, a recent report by the Legal Services Corp. finds that half the people who seek legal aid from LSC-funded legal aid programs* are turned away, primarily because of a lack of resources.

Your support for the effort to provide legal assistance to those who have no where else to turn is needed and very much appreciated. You can show your support for these efforts in a variety of different ways:

• Donate. Direct financial support is an easy way to support this effort and allows us to provide services wherever they are needed the most.
   
• Direct Cy Pres Funds (Class Action Residuals and Unclaimed Trusts) to PLAN. The doctrine of cy pres is used to distributing a damage fund or unclaimed trust when the original purpose cannot be achieved.The Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network is an appropriate recipient of cy pres funds since it serves those who are unrepresented or underrepresented in the justice system.
   
• Sponsor a Fellowship. Fellowships through the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network Martin Luther King Program help provide direct service to clients and train and develop the legal advocates for the poor of the future.
   
• Sponsor an Event. Sponsorship of an event helps us celebrate the efforts of legal aid advocates or provide important training for our staff, while leveraging that sponsorship to raise or provide additional monies dedicated toward direct service to clients. We are currently accepting sponsorships for our annual Excellence Awards.
   
• In-Kind Donations. In-kind donations of products or services allow us to direct more of the public and private funding received toward direct client service.
   
• Volunteer as a Pro Bono Attorney. Volunteering as a pro bono attorney helps us meet the needs of our clients by providing direct service to eligible clients.
   
• Volunteer Other Services. Perfomance of important non-legal functions by volunteers allows us to focus our existing resources on direct legal service to clients. Legal staff does not need to devote time to such non-legal tasks that are completed by volunteers.

Follow the links above for more information on the different methods available to Support Legal Aid.

We appreciate your interest and encourage you to contact our development office for more information or additional ways to support PLAN.

* Most of the regional programs in the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network receive funding from the Legal Services Corporation.