NEW YORK, N.Y.—June 22, 2020—The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of daily life in the U.S. and the world, including the justice system. Traditional methods for resolving disputes have been severely curtailed or delayed, hurting middle-, low-income, and vulnerable Americans especially hard. At the same time, protests against systemic racism in the U.S. have reached a level not seen since the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

In response, the American Arbitration Association-International Centre for Dispute Resolution Foundation® (AAA-ICDR Foundation) has established a new grant opportunity that will award one or two grants, up to a total of $250,000 each, to support programs that will address either of the following:
 

• Make ADR processes more accessible and generally available or utilize them to improve traditional options for resolving disputes in the U.S. justice system.
• Create innovative and additional ways to engage citizens in meaningful dialogue with one another and/or with government authorities including the police to address long-standing racial discrimination in the U.S., such as differences in the use of force in interactions with people in communities on the basis of race.

“During this crisis, professionals in the field of conflict resolution can play a vital role in helping all communities across the country by expanding access to ADR processes and services,” said James R. Jenkins, Chair of the AAA-ICDR Foundation. “We are also pleased to provide much needed funds at a time when they can do the most good through projects that serve those most harmed by the pandemic, or that promote community engagement, dialogue and resolution of historical differences in the administration of Justice in the USA on the basis of race.”

Eligible programs must have the capability to become operational in a short period of time, serve a significant diverse number of people, and make their work available to generate easy replication. Interested organizations are required to submit a preliminary application by August 14, 2020. The AAA-ICDR Foundation will select a limited number of applicants to draft a more detailed proposal. To download the application, please visit https://www.aaaicdrfoundation.org/grants.

About the AAA-ICDR Foundation
The American Arbitration Association-International Centre for Dispute Resolution Foundation (AAA- ICDR Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that is able to solicit donations and provide grants to fund a range of worthy causes that promote the Foundation’s wide-reaching mission, which is to support the use and improvement of dispute resolution processes in the United States and internationally.

Its focus includes fostering measures that reduce potential escalation, manage and resolve conflicts; increasing access to justice in and through alternative dispute resolution; and encouraging collaborative processes to resolve public conflicts.

The Foundation is a separate 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization from the AAA®, and the Foundation is not involved in any way in the oversight, administration or decision making of the AAA-ICDR® cases or in the maintenance of the AAA-ICDR's various rosters of arbitrators and mediators.

For more information on the AAA-ICDR Foundation, please visit: www.aaaicdrfoundation.org.