Our mission is to ensure that the next chapter of justice reform in America is nimble, adaptable, well-funded, and able to make progress through the shifting tides of politics and culture. By connecting diverse groups of donors with smart investments at the local, state and national level, we can help steward a generations-long effort for justice and safety into the lasting solutions communities want and deserve.
The Just Trust for Education backs justice-reform work at a scale that includes seven-figure commitments, with its largest recent grant going to Recidiviz for project support. The funder’s recent awards show a pattern of supporting organizations that work on criminal justice reform, public safety alternatives, and advocacy capacity, alongside media and narrative efforts tied to justice issues. It gives to both national organizations and state-focused groups, and its portfolio includes repeat support for several recipients across 2024 and 2025. Among the larger recipients, The Marshall Project received $875,000 in both 2024 and 2025 for general operating support, while JustLeadershipUSA received $1,000,000 in 2024 and $850,000 in 2025 for general operating support. The foundation also funded Alliance for Safety and Justice, For the People, Vera Institute of Justice, and Equal Justice USA, indicating support for policy, advocacy, and justice-system reform organizations. Its recent grants also include project support for documentary work through The Better Angels Society and for justice-reform messaging and campaigns through other grantees.
A clear thread in The Just Trust for Education’s giving is criminal justice reform infrastructure. It gave $1,500,000 to Texas Public Policy Foundation for Right on Crime and $700,000 to American Conservative Union Foundation for the Nolan Center for Justice, both project grants tied to reform work. It also supports organizations focused on people directly affected by incarceration. Examples include $850,000 to The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls for general operating support and $450,000 to Formerly Incarcerated Convicted People and Families Movement for project support. The foundation further funds narrative and media work connected to justice issues. The Better Angels Society received $500,000 for documentary project support in 2024 and another $500,000 in 2025, while Represent Justice received $500,000 in 2024 and $400,000 in 2025 for general operating support.
Typical grant size centers on six figures: the 25th percentile is $75,000, the median is $102,000, and the 75th percentile is $250,000. The recent list also includes multiple awards at $500,000 and above, showing that the foundation makes both mid-sized operating grants and larger strategic commitments. Several recipients appear across more than one year, including The Marshall Project, JustLeadershipUSA, Alliance for Safety and Justice, For the People, Prison Fellowship Ministries, Vera Institute of Justice, Equal Justice USA, The Better Angels Society, and Represent Justice. The funder is classified as a regular funder and the listed support types include project support and general operating support, with no individual giving or program-related investments.
$25.7M
$66.9M
$41.4M
$32.4M
Most grants fall between $75K and $250K, with a median of $102K.
25th Percentile
$75K
Median
$102K
75th Percentile
$250K
About 6% of grants go to recipients in NY.
ANA ZAMORA
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The grant list is entirely U.S.-based, with 298 grants to U.S. recipients. Giving is concentrated in Alabama by grant count, while only 5% of grants go to recipients in North Carolina, the foundation’s headquarters state. Recent awards also land in major hubs such as New York City, Oakland, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, along with state-focused recipients in places such as Hazard, Kentucky, and Durham, North Carolina.
It funds organizations working on criminal justice reform, state-level advocacy capacity building, public safety ecosystem strengthening, diversion and alternatives to incarceration, media and narrative work, public opinion research and messaging, rapid response funding, and campaign support. The beneficiary list also includes formerly incarcerated people and families, community-based public safety organizations, journalists, and documentary producers.
Its typical grants are in the six-figure range. The 25th percentile is $75,000, the median is $102,000, and the 75th percentile is $250,000. Recent awards also include several larger grants at $500,000, $750,000, $875,000, $1,000,000, and $2,500,000.
Yes. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including The Marshall Project, JustLeadershipUSA, Alliance for Safety and Justice, For the People, Vera Institute of Justice, Equal Justice USA, The Better Angels Society, Represent Justice, Families Against Mandatory Minimums Foundation, and Prison Fellowship Ministries.
Its giving is regional, with grants going entirely to U.S. recipients in the data provided. Alabama is the top state by grant count, and North Carolina accounts for 5% of grants. Recent recipient locations also include New York, Oakland, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Hazard, and Durham.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Just Trust for Education that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Organizations advancing justice reform. The page invites organizations advancing justice reform to submit inquiries; it is an open intake for consideration.
Deadline: Rolling (open call)
Who can apply: Nonprofits engaged in education, media, narrative change, research, and advocacy-adjacent work related to criminal justice reform. Exact criteria not published.
Deadline: Rolling / not specified
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEXAS PUBLIC POLICY FOUNDATION | AUSTIN, TX | $1,500,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT FOR RIGHT ON CRIME |
| ALLIANCE FOR SAFETY AND JUSTICE | OAKLAND, CA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| FAMILIES AGAINST MANDATORY MINIMUMS FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE MARSHALL PROJECT | NEW YORK, NY | $875,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR INCARCERATED AND FORMERLY INCARCERATED WOMEN AND G | ROXBURY, MA | $850,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| JUSTLEADERSHIPUSA | NEW YORK, NY | $850,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| FOR THE PEOPLE | OAKLAND, CA | $600,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| EQUAL JUSTICE USA | BROOKLYN, NY | $500,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| PRISON FELLOWSHIP MINISTRIES | LANSDOWNE, VA | $500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| VERA INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE | BROOKLYN, NY | $500,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| THE BETTER ANGELS SOCIETY | WASHINGTON, DC | $500,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| FORMERLY INCARCERATED CONVICTED PEOPLE AND FAMILIES MOVEMENT | WINDERMERE, FL | $450,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| FORWARD JUSTICE | DURHAM, NC | $400,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| REPRESENT JUSTICE (FORWARD IMPACT) | LOS ANGELES, CA | $400,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| DREAMORG | OAKLAND, CA | $400,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| PRISON POLICY INITIATIVE | EASTHAMPTON, MA | $375,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| FORWARD JUSTICE | DURHAM, NC | $350,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| VOICE OF THE EXPERIENCED | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $350,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| FINES AND FEES JUSTICE CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $300,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| HUMAN RIGHTS FOR KIDS | WASHINGTON, DC | $300,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| VOICE OF THE EXPERIENCED | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $300,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| NEO PHILANTHROPY | NEW YORK, NY | $260,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT FOR RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS INITIATIVE FOR JUSTICE |
| WHITE BIRD CLINIC (CAHOOTS) | EUGENE, OR | $250,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| ATLANTA PAD INITIATIVE | ATLANTA, GA | $250,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| BARD COLLEGE PRISON INITIATIVE | ANNANDALEONHUDSON, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| HOPEWELL FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $250,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT FOR THE CENTER FOR JUST JOURNALISM |
| EQUAL JUSTICE USA | BROOKLYN, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| TULSA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | TULSA, OK | $250,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT FOR TERENCE CRUTCHER FOUNDATION |
| THE REACH INITIATIVE | RUSSELL, KY | $250,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTION PARTNERSHIP | MEDFORD, MA | $250,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| NEWARK COMMUNITY STREET TEAM | NEWARK, NJ | $250,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY BASED PUBLIC SAFETY COLLECTIVE |
| FOUNDATION FOR LOUISIANA | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $250,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION OF LOUISIANA | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $200,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| OKLAHOMA POLICY INSTITUTE | TULSA, OK | $200,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| THE POLITICAL REPORT | COLUMBIA, MO | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE SENTENCING PROJECT | WASHINGTON, DC | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| COUNCIL ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE | WASHINGTON, DC | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE GROUNDTRUTH PROJECT - REPORT FOR AMERICA | BRIGHTON, MA | $200,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| CAPITAL B | NEW YORK, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| KENTUCKY CHAMBER FOUNDATION | FRANKFORT, KY | $200,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| THE MARSHALL PROJECT | NEW YORK, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| KENTUCKY CENTER FOR ECONOMIC POLICY | BEREA, KY | $200,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| FREEDOM READS INC | HAMDEN, CT | $175,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF NORTH CAROLINA LEGAL FOUNDATION | RALEIGH, NC | $175,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| PHILLIPS BLACK | OAKLAND, CA | $170,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| PRISON JOURNALISM PROJECT | CHICAGO, IL | $155,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF ALABAMA FOUNDATION | MONTGOMERY, AL | $150,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF OKLAHOMA FOUNDATION | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $150,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF MISSISSIPPI FOUNDATION | JACKSON, MS | $150,000 | 2025 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| CONSERVATIVES FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM | RALEIGH, NC | $150,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
JUSTLEADERSHIPUSA
$850,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
FORMERLY INCARCERATED CONVICTED PEOPLE AND FAMILIES MOVEMENT
$450,000PROJECT SUPPORT
HUMAN RIGHTS FOR KIDS
$300,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
PROJECT SUPPORT FOR RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS INITIATIVE FOR JUSTICE
THE REACH INITIATIVE
$250,000PROJECT SUPPORT
LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTION PARTNERSHIP
$250,000PROJECT SUPPORT
PROJECT SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY BASED PUBLIC SAFETY COLLECTIVE
PROJECT SUPPORT
PHILLIPS BLACK
$170,000PROJECT SUPPORT
CONSERVATIVES FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
$150,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
