We know the pathway to progress is often not a straight line. Wins aren’t always apparent or easy to measure. The Hollywood-ending moments, the quieter triumphs, and the lessons in disguise are all progress in our book. We fight for the biggest thing we can—without letting perfect be the enemy of good. And we use every tool in our toolbox.
Justice reform organizations and their day-to-day operations at the state and national level—with a focus on impacted leaders and state-based activities.
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Investment in key advocacy moments—from public education to ballot measures—with a bounded timeline and goals.
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Supporting bold front-end (pre-arrest & pre-trial) models for preventing crime, repairing harm, centering accountability, and strengthening communities.
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News media infrastructure and narrative work that helps elevate justice reform and shifts the way we talk and think about the system.
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Creating inroads and weaving connections between funders, decision makers, and experts to channel resources, expertise, and ultimately maximize impact.
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Critical moment of crisis or opportunity.
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The Safer Communities Accelerator supports a growing community of organizations that are advancing innovative models for preventing crime, repairing harm, and building stronger, safer communities.
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Our State by State funding initiative is focused on building up criminal justice reform advocacy infrastructure in all 50 states. With access to sustained, flexible funding, advocacy groups on the ground can be more nimble and responsive to needs and opportunities in their communities—whatever they might be.
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JUMP is more than a program, more than a leg up, more than a chance for something better. JUMP is a bridge between people and businesses, between scraping by and flying, between our past and future relationship to justice involvement in America.
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Element Labs brings together the latest messaging research, mindset data, and tools to support the field in reshaping public opinion around criminal justice reform. It provides actionable insights that bridge the gap between understanding public beliefs and implementing effective strategies.
We care deeply about making sure the justice reform field is adequately resourced to advance the work of justice reform across the country.
If your organization or project resonates with our core focus areas, please explore our Grantseeker Guide to better understand how we work and what we prioritize.
Please note that our grantmaking is intentionally selective, and at this time we no longer accept unsolicited grant inquiries.
There are a few ways to connect with us: through our website contact page, mutual introductions, events, or sometimes we reach out first. Most often, we fund groups known to be working on our issue or recommended by our partners.
If we hear from you or learn about your work, we’ll assess whether your goals and approach align with our current focus areas. This is an internal check that helps us avoid taking up your time—or ours—if it’s not the right fit.
If it seems like there’s alignment, we’ll set up a conversation to learn more. This is a chance to build trust, explore your work more deeply, and talk about how (or if) our support might help move it forward.
We don’t accept open applications, but if there’s strong alignment, we may invite you to submit a proposal. This helps us reduce unnecessary labor on your part and keep the process focused.
If you’re invited to apply, we’ll do our homework—learning more about your team, finances, track record, and impact. We may request additional materials or speak with collaborators or community partners.
If everything lines up, we’ll move forward with a grant agreement. From there, we stay in close communication and continue to learn alongside our grantees as the work evolves.
At The Just Trust, we fund, support, and connect visionary leaders and organizations fighting for the safety and wellbeing of their communities,— state-by-state and across the nation. By investing in their know-how and networks – and growing the pool of flexible resources available for their work – we can help create stronger, more resilient state and national advocacy ecosystems.
When we think about the amount of money that goes into maintaining the status quo, philanthropy feels like a drop in the bucket. But, the more we can work together to scale, align, and deploy resources against common strategies in the advocacy space, the better chance we have at sustaining momentum for the long term. If you’re thinking about investing in reform, please reach out. We need all hands on deck.
