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9 Disp. Resol. Mag. 19 (2002-2003)
Court Program Funding

handle is hein.journals/disput9 and id is 59 raw text is: Court Program Funding Advice from the trenches By Sheila Purcell I I1@1JPA .11 unding a court ADR program takes creativity and time-and it involves going to a variety of sources that may take you in directions you never imagined. This article focuses on approaches for seeking long-term funding for staff- ing and operating a court ADR program. Having survived the startup phase of a program now it its sixth year, I will draw some examples from the mid-sized San Mateo County, California Court's Multi- option ADR Project (MAP) I direct-as well as a number of other state and fed- eral programs. While every locale has its own opportunities, peculiarities and lim- itations, you will likely glean some ideas from others' experiences. Look on the Internet or see if your community has a grants library or other nonprofit support center that houses information on funders and grant research and writing. Techniques for initial funding Let's say you have patched together a program with existing staff and some pro bono service by neutrals. You may even have a judge who has provided leadership to begin an experiment that receives grant or pilot money. If this Sheila Purcell is the Director of the Multi-Option ADR Project in San Mateo, Calif. She can be reached at spurcell@sanmateocourt.org. sounds familiar, you are in good com- pany and in a great position. But you must quickly turn your attention to long- term funding. To do this, you'll need to simultane- ously: * create a small pilot program including possible partnerships within the ADR and legal communities . produce a body of data to document the impact of your program - develop a system for handling, track- ing and evaluating cases, and look ahead two to five years to develop a phased strategic plan. The importance of grants In San Mateo, litigators worked alongside ADR neutrals and local judges to plan and design a project with the shared aim of helping the court set timely civil trials. This partnership produced the Multi-Option ADR Project (MAP), which began in 1996 with a grant from the San Mateo County Bar Association. The grant provided a salary for an ADR Director and I was hired. This financial help was critical because it bought time. First, it permitted me to educate myself by reading what I could from the Admin- istrative Office of the Courts (AOC) and asking other staff, judges and the court CEO about the budget process. Second, it gave me time to seek more permanent funding. Grants have also played a major role in funding some other state programs. Alaska, for example, has sought and received federal grants to fund its Child in Need of Aid Juvenile Dependency Mediation Program. For more informa- tion, look on the Internet or see if your community has a grants library Dispute Resolution Magazine Winter 2003 Dispute Resolution Magazine Winter 2003

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