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The word “Cy Près” comes from the Cy Près doctrine, which is a legal doctrine that governs the distribution of funds from a charitable trust or estate. Most often, Cy Près awards come from trusts established by settlements in class action lawsuits.
Once the funds from these trusts are distributed to settling parties, the court may decide whether or not the original or intended purpose of the trust can still be achieved. If it’s determined that it cannot be, the Cy Près doctrine allows individual counsel to direct the remaining monies to charitable or non-profit organizations.
The most recent justice gap report published by Legal Services Corporation estimates that low-income Southerners received little or no help for 92% of the civil legal problems they experienced. Of those surveyed, over 1/3 reported that they experienced 5 or more civil legal problems.
At LSA, we know the enormous need for civil legal assistance. We closed more than 12,250 civil legal cases last year, yet the need far outweighs our capacity to serve with current funding. Charitable donations and Cy Pres Awards stretch our ability to provide desperately needed services and assist more callers across the state.
As we are the only statewide provider of free civil legal services, awards to LSA support access to justice and ensure that Alabamians in need can receive help no matter their income or where they live.
LSA turns our grants, awards, and gifts into tangible results that impact more than just our clients. In 2024, LSA services saved residents and local municipalities over $18,200,000.
If you have any questions regarding Cy Près giving or Legal Services Alabama’s eligibility as a recipient in a certain case, please contact our Director of Development, Felecia Pettway: fpettway@alsp.org or 334‑223‑0232
We thank you for considering LSA as a nominee for a Cy Près award.
Class action residual funds
Nonprofits eligible
for cy pres funding alabama
Class action settlement funds
Unclaimed settlement funds
Nonprofit cy pres funding
Cy pres recipient organizations
Philanthropy class actions
Cy pres distribution
