Montana Justice Foundation

What Montana Justice Foundation does

Montana Justice Foundation (MJF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1979 and headquartered in Helena, Montana, that functions as the largest private funder of civil legal aid in the state. It administers five interconnected programs: Access to Justice Grants awarded on a bi-annual cycle to qualifying nonprofit organizations; the IOLTA (Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts) program mandated under Montana Rule 1.18, which captures pooled interest from attorney trust accounts held at Montana financial institutions; the Cy Pres Awards Program, which directs residual class action settlement funds to legal aid; the Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP), which subsidizes law school debt for legal aid attorneys (e.g., $17,000 to eight attorneys in Spring 2023); and small Law-Related Education Grants of up to $3,000 for civic and legal literacy projects. MJF operates as the charitable arm of Montana's legal community and provides administrative support to the Montana Supreme Court's 18-member Access to Justice Commission, on which the Executive Director serves ex officio.

MJF does not provide direct legal services; instead, it channels funding through a network of 22 nonprofit grantees (in 2026) that deliver civil legal aid, domestic violence services, court-appointed advocacy for foster children, tribal legal services, and mediation across Montana. The foundation's revenue is derived from IOLTA interest remittances (categorized by Leadership Banks paying ≥1% and Honor Roll Banks paying ≥0.5%), Cy Pres residual awards, sustaining member donations, Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs up to $100,000, and bequests. Since inception, MJF has distributed more than $14.9 million to Montana's legal aid community, with a record $2.34 million awarded in 2026 to 22 nonprofit organizations. The organization operates with 11-50 employees under Executive Director Alissa Chambers (appointed September 2022, former Crowley Fleck M&A partner) and Chief Administrative Officer Rebecca Schupp Watson (appointed 2023).

The technology footprint is intentionally lean and administrative: an online grant management platform (GrantInterface) for application submission and grantee reporting, and a secure IOLTA Remittance Portal for financial institution reporting. MJF has no disclosed proprietary technology, AI/ML capabilities, or data products. Customer segments are bifurcated between grantee organizations (the funded nonprofits delivering services to end beneficiaries such as low-income Montanans, domestic violence survivors, children in foster care, and tribal communities) and the donor/bank ecosystem that supplies capital. The foundation became an independent organization in 1997, separating from the Montana State Bar under which it was originally established.

Name

Montana Justice Foundation

Legal name

Montana Justice Foundation

Website

https://mtjustice.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Montana Justice Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1979 that funds civil legal aid across Montana through grants, IOLTA administration, Cy Pres awards, and loan repayment assistance for legal aid attorneys, serving low-income Montanans via 22+ nonprofit grantees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Legal Aid Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM), Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA)

Keywords

• Civil legal aid funding
• Nonprofit grantmaking
• IOLTA administration
• Legal services grants
• Access to justice

Headquarters

HQ city

Helena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. IOLTA Revenue: Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts (IOLTA) generates revenue from pooled client funds held by Montana attorneys. Financial institutions remit interest earnings to MJF monthly or quarterly. Leadership banks pay at least 1% interest and waive fees; Honor Roll banks pay at least 0.5% interest.
2. Cy Pres Awards: Residual funds from class action settlements distributed via the Cy Pres doctrine. Courts designate MJF as beneficiary when class members cannot be located or funds remain unclaimed.
3. Individual and Corporate Donations: Sustaining member donations ($250+ annually), Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs (up to $100,000 annually), and bequests from estate planning. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
4. Loan Repayment Assistance Program Grants: MJF operates LRAP bi-annually to assist legal aid attorneys with law school debt repayment. In Spring 2023, granted $17,000 to eight legal aid attorneys.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Montana Justice Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds civil legal aid across Montana by administering the state's IOLTA program, awarding grants to nonprofit legal aid organizations, distributing Cy Pres residual class action funds, providing loan repayment assistance to legal aid attorneys, and supporting law-related education. It does not provide direct legal services to the public but channels funding to a statewide network of grantee organizations serving low-income Montanans, domestic violence survivors, children in foster care, and tribal communities.

Product overview

The Montana Justice Foundation is a nonprofit organization that does not provide direct legal services but serves as Montana's largest private funder of civil legal aid. Its portfolio consists of five interconnected programs: Access to Justice Grants funding nonprofit legal aid organizations across the state; the IOLTA Program enabling attorneys to generate interest on client funds for legal aid; the Cy Pres Awards Program directing unclaimed class action settlements to legal aid; the Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) supporting law school graduates in public interest legal careers; and Law-Related Education Grants promoting civic and legal education. The foundation coordinates these programs to support equal access to justice for all Montanans.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Access to Justice Grants Competitive grant funding awarded to Montana nonprofit organizations working to expand access to civil legal services. Supports programs that help people stay housed, receive medical care, escape abuse and violence, secure protection orders, advocate for abused and neglected children, and rebuild their lives. Applications are submitted through the online GrantInterface portal during the spring cycle (March 1 – April 30) and fall cycle.
• IOLTA Program (Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts) Mandatory statewide program for Montana-licensed attorneys requiring IOLTA trust accounts under Montana Rule 1.18, and for financial institutions providing IOLTA accounts that generate interest for legal aid funding. Interest is remitted to MJF monthly or quarterly via the secure IOLTA Remittance Portal. Leadership Banks (Stockman Bank, Wells Fargo, Yellowstone Bank, Valley Bank of Helena, Opportunity Bank of Montana) pay at least 1% interest and waive all service fees; Honor Roll Banks (First Interstate, Ascent Bank, First Federal Bank and Trust, First State Bank of Malta, Grasslands Federal Credit Union) pay at least 0.5% interest and waive fees.
• Cy Pres Awards Program Administration of residual funds from class action settlements distributed via the Cy Pres doctrine. Courts designate MJF as beneficiary when class members cannot be located or funds remain unclaimed, and MJF directs the residual awards to civil legal aid organizations across Montana.
• Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) Bi-annual program assisting law school graduates dedicated to providing legal aid to low-income individuals and families in Montana by reducing their education debt burden. Operates on a spring/fall cycle and supports recruitment and retention of qualified staff attorneys in the legal aid sector.
• Law-Related Education (LRE) Grants Small grant awards of up to $3,000 for projects supporting knowledge and awareness of the law, including We The People, mock trial events, Constitution In The Classroom, and Girls/Boys State projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Distributed over $14.9 million to Montana's legal aid community since 1979
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Montana State Supreme Court Access to Justice CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMJF provides administrative support for the 18-member advisory commission established in 2012. MJF's Executive Director serves as ex-officio board member. Commission assesses Montanans' legal needs and advises on improving access to justice.
• Montana State BarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer parent organization until MJF became independent in 1997. Continues partnership for IOLTA compliance certification and pro bono attorney engagement. MJF operates as the charitable arm of Montana's legal community.
• Montana Legal ServicescoreOthersPrimary referral resource for low-income Montanans seeking free civil legal services. MJF does not provide direct legal assistance but directs individuals to grantee organizations.
• Montana Law HelpminorOthersReferral partner providing assistance with eviction, domestic violence, tribal law matters, and safety.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Foundation of the American Bar Association: National charitable arm of the ABA supporting legal aid, research, and education. Operates as a broader incumbent funder of the legal profession's philanthropic infrastructure.
• Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles: Major California civil legal aid funder and direct service provider. Comparable mission of funding civil legal aid for low-income populations, though much larger and focused on direct representation.

Regional players

• Montana Community Foundation: Montana-based community foundation operating in the same geography. Different focus area (broad community philanthropy) but operates with similar statewide nonprofit grantmaking model in the same market.

Direct peers

• Texas Access to Justice Foundation: State-level IOLTA administrator and largest funder of civil legal aid in Texas. Closest functional peer to MJF: administers IOLTA, distributes cy pres awards, funds legal aid nonprofits, and operates LRAP-like programs at much larger scale.
• The Florida Bar Foundation: Florida's IOLTA program administrator and a major statewide grantmaker for civil legal aid. Directly comparable mission and revenue model (IOLTA + cy pres + donations) serving a similar access-to-justice mandate.
• Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois: Illinois's IOLTA administrator and largest funder of civil legal aid in the state. Directly comparable mandate, grantmaking programs, and revenue streams.
• Oregon State Bar Legal Services Program: Administers Oregon's IOLTA and funds legal aid organizations. Similar-sized western state peer with comparable regulatory framework and access-to-justice mission.
• Colorado Lawyer Trust Account Foundation: Administers Colorado's IOLTA program and funds civil legal aid. Closest structural analog to MJF with a comparable regulatory mandate and grantee distribution model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Montanajusticefoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/montana-justice-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Montana Justice Foundation