About Sonya Staff Foundation
The Sonya Staff Foundation concentrates on funding research, education, and advocacy organizations working at the intersection of criminal justice reform, civil rights and health equity. Grants are targeted to groups that produce policy research, public education, and advocacy campaigns rather than service delivery. The foundation’s recent awards suggest a particular interest in prison reform and racial justice scholarship alongside one grant for global health access.
Focus Areas
Prison education and media advocacy (e.g., Prison Radio/Redwood Justice Fund)State-level criminal justice research and reform (e.g., Correctional Association of NY)Racial justice scholarship and veterans’ racial studies (e.g., Constructing Whiteness project)Global health access advocacy and policy campaigns (e.g., Health Global Access Project)
Who They Fund
survivors of domestic violenceincarcerated and formerly incarcerated individualsyouth (including theater participants)educators and academic researchers
About Sonya Staff Foundation
Sonya Staff Foundation Inc has shown a clear preference for grantmaking that pairs research with advocacy, especially in criminal justice reform, civil rights, and health equity. Its recent awards include repeated support for the Correctional Association of NY, which received $50,000 in 2024, $25,000 in 2023, and $15,000 in 2025 for education and research. The foundation also backed Health Global Access Project with a $50,000 grant in 2025 for health-related education and research, signaling that policy and public-information work are central to its portfolio. Another recurring thread is prison-related education and media. Redwood Justice Fund’s Prison Radio Project received $50,000 in 2024 and $10,000 in 2025 for education and civil rights, while Human Rights Defense Center was funded in multiple years for education and legal research. The pattern extends beyond one issue area: the foundation also supported documentary work, racial justice scholarship, and legal services tied to domestic violence. Across these grants, the emphasis is on organizations producing research, educational content, and advocacy campaigns rather than direct service delivery.
What Sonya Staff Foundation Funds
Criminal justice reform is the clearest theme in the portfolio. The foundation gave $50,000 to Redwood Justice Fund - Prison Radio Project for education and civil rights, and it supported Correctional Association of NY with grants for education and research in 2023, 2024, and 2025. A second cluster centers on legal and policy research. Human Rights Defense Center received $35,000 in 2024, $31,000 in 2023, and $10,000 in 2025 for education and legal research. Social and Environmental Entrepeneurs- Releasing Aging Prisoners Project was also funded for education and research in 2023 and 2024. The foundation also funds civil-rights and health-related education. Health Global Access Project received $50,000 in 2025 for health related education and research, and California Council for Veterans Affairs - Constructing Whiteness received $50,000 in 2025 for education and research.
How Sonya Staff Foundation Gives
Typical grant size clusters around $20,000, with a p25 of $10,000 and a p75 of $25,000; the largest recent awards are $50,000. The portfolio shows repeat support across multiple years for several organizations, including the Correctional Association of NY, Human Rights Defense Center, Ophelia Media Films Inc, and Women & Justice Project Tides Center. Grants are made to organizations rather than individuals, and the foundation does not make program-related investments. The recent record is dominated by project, research, education, legal-research, and operations support rather than unrestricted giving.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$216K
Total Assets
$22K
Total Revenue
$81K
Total Expenses
$228K
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $25K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$25K
Geographic Reach
National7 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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