The Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor’s work is funded by voluntary financial contributions and in-kind support from the private and public sectors. Legal Empowerment was launched in 2005, by a group of developing and industrialized countries.

These include Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Guatemala, Iceland, India, Norway, Sweden, South Africa, Tanzania and the United Kingdom.  Legal Empowerment has a mandate to complete its work in 2008.  The launching governments are committed to providing support and invite other governments and entities to do the same.