Published on March 20, 2026 Posted in Grantees

2025 Grantee Highlights: Specialized Providers

Financial Protection Law Center, Inner Banks Legal Services, JusticeMatters, National Health Law Program and Safe Alliance offer legal aid services in several specialized practice areas across different regions of the state, including counties classified as legal deserts.

In 2025, NC IOLTA’s Board of Trustees awarded $12M in grants to more than 40 organizations dedicated to providing legal aid to low-income residents across the state and improving the administration of justice in North Carolina.

The five grantees highlighted here — Financial Protection Law Center, Inner Banks Legal Services, JusticeMatters, National Health Law Program and Safe Alliance — offer legal aid services in several specialized practice areas and serve different parts of the state, including counties classified as legal deserts.

Last year, these organizations received $575,000 total in Civil Legal Aid grants, which provide basic access to the justice system for individuals, families and children residing in North Carolina. Read more about each grantee below.

Financial Protection Law Center

Financial Protection Law Center provides legal services and support to protect low-income people and families from unfair and predatory financial practices to preserve home ownership and enhance their ability to build equity and prosper. Based in Wilmington, FPLC serves low-income residents primarily in New Hanover, Pender, Brunswick, Columbus, Bladen, Sampson, Onslow and Duplin counties — half of which are legal deserts.

In 2025, FPLC received $75,000 in Civil Legal Aid grant funding to support programs to preserve home ownership and property and to protect families from predatory financial practices.

FPLC’s legal services work in 2025 resulted in:
Inner Banks Legal Services

Inner Banks Legal Services provides guidance and personalized representation for individuals seeking assistance with a variety of legal issues, including bankruptcy, student loan repayment, foreclosure, financial rehabilitation, auto repossession, mortgage forbearance, divorce, child custody and domestic violence advocacy. Based in “Little” Washington, IBLS offers free and sliding-scale services in six Eastern NC counties (Pitt, Martin, Washington, Tyrell, Beaufort and Hyde) where approximately 22.1% of the population lives in poverty and legal aid resources have historically been limited — including three counties that are legal deserts.

In 2025, NC IOLTA awarded IBLS $110,000 in Civil Legal Aid grant funding to support legal services in the area of family law.

IBLS’s legal services work in 2025 resulted in:
JusticeMatters

JusticeMatters provides trauma-informed legal services that protect children and help survivors of human trafficking and other traumas rebuild their lives. The nonprofit provides services in family law, particularly in child custody for kinship caregivers; humanitarian immigration law and removal defense, including T Visas, U Visas, Violence Against Women Act Self-Petitions, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status and Asylum/Withholding of Removal; and victim and survivor rights representation. While the organization’s offices are in the Triangle region, staff serve clients from across the state.

In 2025, NC IOLTA funded a $240,000 Civil Legal Aid grant to support JusticeMatters’ advocacy for survivors of human trafficking. The award total also included a system support grant to build organizational capacity.

JusticeMatters’ legal services work in 2025 resulted in:
National Health Law Program (NHeLP)

The National Health Law Program (NHeLP) protects and improves access to health care for low-income and underserved people and works to advance health equity, with strategic priorities including safeguarding Medicaid coverage in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the territories and expanding specific aspects of health-care coverage and services that address the needs of low-income and underserved people. NHeLP has been instrumental in protecting the health-care rights of low-income individuals through litigation and enforcement.

In 2025, NHeLP was awarded a $50,000 Civil Legal Aid grant to support legal assistance related to access to health care specifically in North Carolina.

NHeLP’s legal services work in 2025 resulted in:
Safe Alliance

Safe Alliance provides hope and healing to residents of Mecklenburg County who have been impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. The nonprofit’s Victim Assistance Court Program provides court advocacy and accompaniment including assistance filing 50B and 50C orders, accompaniment to civil and criminal court and court-related meetings, and legal representation by pro bono attorneys for domestic violence survivors.

In 2025, Safe Alliance received $100,000 in Civil Legal Aid grant funding to support legal services for individuals impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault.

Safe Alliance’s legal services work in 2025 resulted in:

Find highlights of other 2025 NC IOLTA grantees on our Grantees page.
Explore the impact NC IOLTA grantees make for their clients and communities on our Stories page.
Learn about the importance of civil legal aid on our Media Resources page under “FAQs About Civil Legal Aid in NC.”

Legislation passed by the North Carolina General Assembly on July 9, 2025, bars NC IOLTA from grantmaking from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. Consistent with the legislation, our 2026 funding cycle has not been opened.

Learn more about NC IOLTA and find our most recent updates on this issue on our Media Resources page.

The NC State Bar and NC IOLTA continue to seek a resolution to preserve funding for civil legal aid, which plays a critical role in building a legal system that works for everyone, breaking down barriers and creating strong communities across North Carolina.

2025 Grantee Highlights: Specialized Providers

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