Largo Nonprofit Receives Social Justice Grant From NFL

LARGO, MD — The Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO), a Largo-based nonprofit, received asocial justice grant Tuesday from the NFL, as part of that organization's Inspire Change initiative. CLEO is one of the nine organizations to have received a combined $3.5 million in total grant funding from the NFL.

Founded in 1968 to expand opportunities for minorities and low-income students looking to attend law school, CLEO has offered programming that has helped more than 25,000 students join the legal profession.

Through its Inspire Change initiative, the NFL handed out more than $44 million in grants to social justice organizations like CLEO on Tuesday. CLEO plans to use its share of the $3.5 million in grant money for programming that will help students from underrepresented communities find success in law school and beyond.

“The work of our Inspire Change grant partners has a tremendous impact on communities across the country,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, in a release. “Each of these organizations has worked to reduce barriers to opportunity and has provided resources that meet the needs of the communities they serve. We are proud to assist with their respective efforts to a more equal and just tomorrow.”