The Accountable Justice Action Fund supports criminal justice reform, with a focus on equipping communities to increase accountability in prosecutorial elections and ensuring communities most harmed by crime and incarceration have a meaningful chance to elect prosecutors who will represent their interests and reduce unnecessary incarceration.
Accountable Justice Action Fund centers its grantmaking on prosecutor elections and criminal justice reform, backing groups that help communities most harmed by crime and incarceration influence who holds prosecutorial power. The foundation’s recent grants show a strong pattern of large-scale support for advocacy, electoral organizing, and reform work across state and local campaigns. Two recipients illustrate that approach. Working Families Organization Inc received $2,200,000 in 2025 for criminal justice reform, after a $1,700,000 grant in 2023 for prosecutor elections and criminal justice reform. Justice Research Group received $3,100,000 in 2023 for prosecutor elections and criminal justice reform, followed by $1,400,000 in 2024 for criminal justice reform. Those awards sit alongside support for organizations working in specific jurisdictions, including Texas, New York, North Carolina, California, Louisiana, and Chicago. The funder also supports coalitions and aligned advocacy groups, including recipients tied to voter education, racial justice organizing, and alternatives to incarceration. Across the recent record, the emphasis stays on helping local and national organizations shape prosecution policy, build community accountability, and reduce unnecessary incarceration.
In prosecutor-election work, the foundation gave $800,000 in 2023 to TX Organizing Project for support work on DA elections in Texas, and $200,000 in 2023 to Forward Justice Action Network for support work on DA elections in North Carolina. It also awarded $250,000 in 2023 to People for Fairness and Justice PAC for prosecutor elections and criminal justice reform. For criminal justice reform organizing, Colorofchangeorg received $750,000 in 2025 for general support and criminal justice reform. The People’s Lobby was funded twice, with $130,000 in 2024 and $125,000 in 2025 for criminal justice reform, showing continued support for the same advocacy lane. In Louisiana, Step Up for Action received $90,000 in 2025 for Louisianans for Prison Alternatives, and Voters Organized to Educate received $300,000 in 2025 for general support. The funder also backs state- and city-level reform campaigns, including $200,000 in 2024 to Tides Advocacy for Smart Justice California and $53,000 in 2025 to New York State Immigrant Action Fund Incorporated for Queens Organizing Alliance.
$5M
$18.5M
$3.1M
$6.9M
Most grants fall between $50K and $360K, with a median of $128K.
25th Percentile
$50K
Median
$128K
75th Percentile
$360K
About 19% of grants go to recipients in NY.
CHLOE COCKBURN
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Typical grant size sits at $50,000 at the 25th percentile, $127,500 at the median, and $360,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards range from six- and seven-figure commitments to smaller organizing grants, which points to a mixed portfolio of major support and targeted local funding. This is a regular funder, not a fund for individuals, and it does not make program-related investments. The recent grant list shows recurring recipients across multiple years, including Working Families Organization Inc, Justice Research Group, Forward Justice Action Network, and The People’s Lobby, indicating repeat support rather than one-off awards. Unsolicited applications are not accepted.
Grants are national in scope, but New York appears most often among recipient locations and 19% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Brooklyn, New York, appears multiple times in the recent grants list, along with Albany and Buffalo. Outside New York, notable recipient locations include Portland, Oregon; San Antonio, Texas; Durham, North Carolina; New Orleans, Louisiana; Chicago, Illinois; Atlanta, Georgia; and Oakland, California. All listed grants in the recent sample go to U.S. recipients.
The foundation focuses on criminal justice reform, with particular attention to prosecutorial elections, prosecutorial accountability, and community-based advocacy. Its stated aim is to help communities most harmed by crime and incarceration influence who is elected to prosecutor roles and how prosecution is carried out.
Typical awards are $50,000 at the 25th percentile, $127,500 at the median, and $360,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record also includes several seven-figure grants, showing that the funder makes both large and mid-sized awards.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Working Families Organization Inc, Justice Research Group, Forward Justice Action Network, and The People’s Lobby. That pattern suggests ongoing support for selected organizations rather than isolated one-time awards.
No. The active grant program is listed as not accepting unsolicited applications.
The top recipient state is New York, which accounts for 19% of grants. Recent recipient locations in that state include Brooklyn, Albany, Buffalo, and New York.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WORKING FAMILIES ORGANIZATION INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $2,200,000 | 2025 | CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM |
| COLOROFCHANGEORG | OAKLAND, CA | $750,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM |
| STRAIGHT AHEAD ORGANIZATION | PITTSBURG, PA | $700,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JUSTICE RESEARCH GROUP | PORTLAND, OR | $400,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| VOTERS ORGANIZED TO EDUCATE | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $300,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SHOWING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE ACTION INC | BUFFALO, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM |
| THE PEOPLE'S LOBBY | CHICAGO, IL | $125,000 | 2025 | CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM |
| STEP UP FOR ACTION | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $90,000 | 2025 | LOUISIANANS FOR PRISON ALTERNATIVES |
| MEMPHIS FOR ALL | MEMPHIS, TN | $80,000 | 2025 | JUSTICE AND SAFETY ALLIANCE COALITION |
| NEW YORK STATE IMMIGRANT ACTION FUND INCORPORATED | NEW YORK, NY | $53,000 | 2025 | QUEENS ORGANIZING ALLIANCE |
| STARTING OVER STRONG | CORONA, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM |
| THE PEOPLE'S LOBBY PAC | CHICAGO, IL | $27,400 | 2025 | CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM |
| THE PEOPLE'S LOBBY | CHICAGO, IL | $22,600 | 2025 | POLITICAL ACTIVITY RELATED TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM |
| WORKING FAMILIES PARTY NATIONAL PAC | BROOKLYN, NY | $1,950,000 | 2024 | POLITICAL ACTIVITY RELATED TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM |
| JUSTICE RESEARCH GROUP | PORTLAND, OR | $1,400,000 | 2024 | CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM |
| WORKING FAMILIES ORGANIZATION INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $1,000,000 | 2024 | CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM |
| GOVERNANCE PROTECTION FUND | FALLS CHURCH, VA | $250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TIDES ADVOCACY | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $200,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT SMART JUSTICE CALIFORNIA |
| THE PEOPLE'S LOBBY | CHICAGO, IL | $130,000 | 2024 | CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM |
| ACTION ST LOUIS POWER PROJECT | ST LOUIS, MO | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEW GEORGIA PROJECT ACTION FUND | ATLANTA, GA | $75,000 | 2024 | CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM |
| NEW DISABLED SOUTH RISING INC | ATLANTA, GA | $75,000 | 2024 | CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM |
| FORWARD JUSTICE ACTION NETWORK | DURHAM, NC | $50,000 | 2024 | POLITICAL ACTIVITY RELATED TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM |
| OHIO FAMILIES UNITE FOR POLITICAL ACTION AND CHANGE | HILLIARD, OH | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| STEP UP FOR ACTION | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $30,000 | 2024 | CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM |
| THE PEOPLE'S LOBBY PAC | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2024 | CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM |
| UNITED WORKING FAMILES PAC | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2024 | CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM |
| SOUL IN ACTION | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEW DIRECTION PAC | SEATTLE, WA | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Justice Research Group | Portland, OR | $3,100,000 | 2023 | Prosecutor elections & crim justice ref |
| Working Families Organization Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $1,700,000 | 2023 | Prosecutor elections & crim justice ref |
| TX Organizing Project | San Antonio, TX | $800,000 | 2023 | Support work on DA elections in TX |
| Womens Health & Safety PAC | Washington, DC | $380,000 | 2023 | Prosecutor elections & crim justice ref |
| Straight Ahead | Pittsburgh, PA | $300,000 | 2023 | Criminal Justice Reform |
| Citizen Action of New York | Albany, NY | $250,000 | 2023 | Support work on DA elections in NY |
| People for Fairness and Justice PAC | Portland, OR | $250,000 | 2023 | Prosecutor elections & crim justice ref |
| Forward Justice Action Network | Durham, NC | $200,000 | 2023 | Support work on DA elections in NC |
| Working Families Party Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $150,000 | 2023 | Prosecutor elections & crim justice ref |
| The Peoples Lobby | Chicago, IL | $125,000 | 2023 | Criminal Justice Reform |
| CO Criminal Justice Reform Coalitio | Denver, CO | $50,000 | 2023 | Criminal Justice Reform |
| Tides Advocacy | San Francisco, CA | $40,000 | 2023 | Prosecutor elections & crim justice ref |
| Reclaim Chicago PAC | Chicago, IL | $15,000 | 2023 | Support work on DA elections in Chicago |
WORKING FAMILIES ORGANIZATION INC
$2,200,000CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
COLOROFCHANGEORG
$750,000GENERAL SUPPORT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
STRAIGHT AHEAD ORGANIZATION
$700,000GENERAL SUPPORT
JUSTICE RESEARCH GROUP
$400,000GENERAL SUPPORT
VOTERS ORGANIZED TO EDUCATE
$300,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SHOWING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE ACTION INC
$200,000CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
THE PEOPLE'S LOBBY
$125,000CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
STEP UP FOR ACTION
$90,000LOUISIANANS FOR PRISON ALTERNATIVES
MEMPHIS FOR ALL
$80,000JUSTICE AND SAFETY ALLIANCE COALITION
NEW YORK STATE IMMIGRANT ACTION FUND INCORPORATED
$53,000QUEENS ORGANIZING ALLIANCE
STARTING OVER STRONG
$50,000CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
THE PEOPLE'S LOBBY PAC
$27,400CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
THE PEOPLE'S LOBBY
$22,600POLITICAL ACTIVITY RELATED TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
WORKING FAMILIES PARTY NATIONAL PAC
$1,950,000POLITICAL ACTIVITY RELATED TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
JUSTICE RESEARCH GROUP
$1,400,000CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
WORKING FAMILIES ORGANIZATION INC
$1,000,000CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
GOVERNANCE PROTECTION FUND
$250,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TIDES ADVOCACY
$200,000TO SUPPORT SMART JUSTICE CALIFORNIA
THE PEOPLE'S LOBBY
$130,000CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
ACTION ST LOUIS POWER PROJECT
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NEW GEORGIA PROJECT ACTION FUND
$75,000CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
NEW DISABLED SOUTH RISING INC
$75,000CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
FORWARD JUSTICE ACTION NETWORK
$50,000POLITICAL ACTIVITY RELATED TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
OHIO FAMILIES UNITE FOR POLITICAL ACTION AND CHANGE
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
STEP UP FOR ACTION
$30,000CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
THE PEOPLE'S LOBBY PAC
$25,000CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
UNITED WORKING FAMILES PAC
$25,000CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
SOUL IN ACTION
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NEW DIRECTION PAC
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
Justice Research Group
$3,100,000Prosecutor elections & crim justice ref
Working Families Organization Inc
$1,700,000Prosecutor elections & crim justice ref
TX Organizing Project
$800,000Support work on DA elections in TX
Womens Health & Safety PAC
$380,000Prosecutor elections & crim justice ref
Straight Ahead
$300,000Criminal Justice Reform
Citizen Action of New York
$250,000Support work on DA elections in NY
People for Fairness and Justice PAC
$250,000Prosecutor elections & crim justice ref
Forward Justice Action Network
$200,000Support work on DA elections in NC
Working Families Party Inc
$150,000Prosecutor elections & crim justice ref
The Peoples Lobby
$125,000Criminal Justice Reform
CO Criminal Justice Reform Coalitio
$50,000Criminal Justice Reform
Tides Advocacy
$40,000Prosecutor elections & crim justice ref
Reclaim Chicago PAC
$15,000Support work on DA elections in Chicago