NASHVILLE, TN—Nashville Conflict Resolution Center has been awarded $100,000 by the Tennessee Bar Foundation as part of a second round of Implementation Grants from the Tennessee Legal Initiatives Fund (TLIF). The grant will fund the Mediation Access Tennessee program.
The goal of Mediation Access Tennessee is to link rural and underserved populations with pro bono mediators via simple and effective conferencing technologies, so that more Tennesseans can benefit from mediation as an alternative to court proceedings.
The grant will enable NCRC to expand its online capacity to train volunteer mediators state wide, and to provide free remote mediation for communities who would otherwise be excluded from mediation services due to geographic barriers. NCRC has been offering “virtual mediation” via Zoom for the past year due to COVID-19.
The Implementation Grant awards follow $1.1 million given in 2019 to pilot projects designed to broaden the capacity of organizations to break the cycle of poverty and barriers to justice by using civil legal aid and education to help vulnerable populations. The projects have since been evaluated with 10 of them receiving funding for an additional year. The funds come from a consumer relief settlement negotiated by the Department of Justice. Under the settlement, monies were donated nationwide to organizations that administer each state’s Interest On Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program. Visit tba.org for additional information about the program.
Founded in 2000, Nashville Conflict Resolution Center provides free and low-cost mediation to help people of all ages resolve and move beyond conflict. Through referrals from local courts, schools, and community partners, NCRC mediators assist people in settling eviction issues, custody agreements, youth disciplinary charges, and small business or neighborhood conflicts. NCRC believes in mediation as a first-choice method for resolving disputes privately, respectfully, and with dignity. For more information or to request mediation directly, go to NCRC’s website: www.nashvilleconflict.org.
