Legal Assistance
Justice should not be a privilege of the wealthy. But in much of the world, that is exactly what it has become. Legal systems that are designed to protect everyone often fail the people who need protection most — those in poverty, those from marginalized communities, those without the resources to navigate processes that were never built with them in mind.
Without access to legal support, individuals cannot protect the land they have farmed for generations when someone more powerful tries to take it. Families cannot assert their rights in housing disputes, divorce proceedings, or child custody cases. Workers cannot challenge unsafe conditions or withheld wages. Survivors of violence and abuse cannot access the legal protections that exist, on paper, to keep them safe. The consequences are real, immediate, and devastating — and they compound over time, trapping people in cycles of vulnerability they cannot escape alone.
The Berhan Foundation funds organizations that refuse to accept this as inevitable. We support legal assistance programs that make justice accessible — providing representation, education, and advocacy for communities that the legal system has too often left behind.
What we fund
Legal aid clinics and direct representation
We fund the establishment and operation of legal aid clinics in underserved communities — organizations that provide free and low-cost legal services across a wide range of civil matters. From initial consultation through courtroom representation, these clinics ensure that a person's inability to pay does not determine whether they have access to legal help.
We support clinics that cover the legal issues most commonly faced by the communities we serve: land and property rights, family law, employment disputes, immigration and asylum matters, and consumer protection. We look for organizations that are embedded in their communities — that are known, trusted, and accessible to the people who need them most.
Know-your-rights education
Knowledge is the first line of defense. Many people live with violations of their rights simply because they do not know those rights exist. We fund legal education programs — workshops, community sessions, and accessible written resources — that equip individuals with the foundational knowledge to understand their legal standing, recognize when their rights are being violated, and know where to turn for help.
These programs are designed to be practical, locally relevant, and delivered in the languages and formats that work for the communities they serve. Legal education is not about making lawyers out of everyone — it is about ensuring that every person can navigate the systems that govern their lives.
Support for marginalized and vulnerable groups
Some people face compounding barriers when seeking access to justice — barriers of language, culture, gender, immigration status, or prior experience with systems that have harmed rather than protected them. We specifically support programs designed to serve refugees and displaced persons, survivors of domestic violence and gender-based violence, immigrants navigating unfamiliar legal systems, and others whose circumstances require specialized, culturally competent legal support.
We believe that justice cannot be equitable unless it is intentionally designed to reach those most at risk of being left out. Our grantmaking reflects that belief.
Systemic advocacy and policy reform
Direct legal services are essential — but they address injustice one case at a time. Lasting change requires tackling the structural inequalities embedded in laws, policies, and institutions. We support advocacy organizations working to reform legal systems that have historically excluded or harmed marginalized communities — through strategic litigation, policy advocacy, coalition building, and engagement with legislators and regulatory bodies.
We understand that this work is complex, contested, and slow. We fund it anyway — because we believe that true justice requires changing systems, not just navigating them.
Access to justice is not an abstract ideal. It is the practical ability to protect your home, your family, your livelihood, and your dignity — when someone or something threatens them. It is the difference between vulnerability and safety, between powerlessness and agency.
The Berhan Foundation is committed to making that access real for the people who have been denied it for too long. Every person deserves to know their rights. Every person deserves to have someone in their corner. We support the organizations making that possible.