Kresge Foundation gives $870,000 for legal center

7/11/2008

A grant from the Kresge Foundation is helping Advocates for Basic Legal Equality and Legal Aid of Western Ohio come closer to their fund-raising goal for a new headquarters.

The $870,000 challenge grant, which requires the nonprofit law firms to raise money from private sources to receive the funds, is more than double the $400,000 that was sought, Joseph Tafelski, executive director of ABLE, said.

It puts the groups $1.66 million away from reaching their fund-raising goal of $6.1 million for the soon-to-be Center for Equal Justice in the former Western Union building at Jefferson Avenue and Huron Streets in downtown Toledo.

The grant award and increased amount shows the Kresge Foundation has acknowledged the importance of the legal services ABLE and Legal Aid provide to low-income people, Mr. Tafelski said.

The University of Toledo recently agreed to help the firms obtain $1 million in state capital improvement funds for their new office.