About Just Trust for Action
To power and scale criminal justice reform advocacy and public safety innovation by connecting donors, deploying strategic funding, and supporting state and national advocacy, narrative, research, and campaign work to build safer, more just communities.
Focus Areas
criminal justice reformadvocacy infrastructurepolicy advocacy (state-level)narrative change and media projectspublic opinion researchcampaign support and ballot measuresrapid response fundingcommunity safety alternativescapacity building and general operating support
Who They Fund
people impacted by the criminal justice system (incarcerated and formerly incarcerated)people with substance use disorders / people in recovery
About Just Trust for Action
The Just Trust for Action’s recent giving is built around large, repeated commitments to criminal justice reform advocacy, with $5,000,000 grants to Fwdus in both 2024 and 2025. That pattern sits alongside major support for national and state advocacy infrastructure, including multi-million-dollar grants to Action for Safety and Justice and the American Civil Liberties Union. The foundation uses sizeable project support and general operating support to back organizations working on policy change, campaign strategy, and public-facing reform efforts. Its portfolio also shows a clear interest in state-targeted reform work. Recent grants supported advocacy in Oklahoma, Mississippi, and West Virginia, while other awards underwrote organizations focused on health justice recovery, drug policy reform, and ballot measures. The foundation’s grantmaking reaches groups working at both the national and state levels, often through organizations that serve as campaign vehicles or advocacy intermediaries. Recurring support for several recipients across multiple years suggests a sustained funding relationship rather than isolated awards.
What Just Trust for Action Funds
Criminal justice reform advocacy is the center of the foundation’s grantmaking. In 2025, it gave $3,000,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union for project support for criminal justice reform advocacy, and in 2024 it awarded $3,000,000 to Action for Safety and Justice for general operating support. Campaign and ballot work is another recurring focus. The foundation gave $1,000,000 in 2024 to Yes on 820 - Oklahomans for Sensible Marijuana Laws for project support for criminal justice reform advocacy, and it also made a $732,000 lobbying contribution to the same effort in 2023. Health justice and recovery appear in several grants as well. The Adams Project received $650,000 in 2024 for project support for the Health Justice Recovery Alliance for criminal justice reform advocacy, while Drug Policy Action received $1,500,000 in 2024 for project support for the Nolan Center for Justice.
How Just Trust for Action Gives
Typical grants are large: the foundation’s p25 is $120,000, the median grant is $275,000, and the p75 is $612,500. In the recent-grants list, several organizations appear across multiple years, including Fwdus, the American Civil Liberties Union, Reform Action Fund, Drug Policy Action, Vera Action, and Families Against Mandatory Minimums, which points to recurring support rather than one-time awards. The foundation is a regular funder and is not a DAF. Its grantmaking includes both general operating and project support, with some lobbying and campaign-related grants in the mix.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$15.8M
Total Assets
$57M
Total Revenue
$2.7M
Total Expenses
$17.3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $120K and $613K, with a median of $275K.
25th Percentile
$120K
Median
$275K
75th Percentile
$613K
Geographic Reach
National16 states funded
About 4% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
ANA ZAMORA
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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