About Vera Institute of Justice
To end the criminalization and mass incarceration of people of color, immigrants, and people experiencing poverty, and to transform criminal justice and immigration systems so they are just and equitable.
Focus Areas
Criminal justice reformMass incarcerationImmigration detentionPublic safety reformProsecution reformReentry and incarceration conditionsHousing and community investmentResearch and policy analysis
Who They Fund
immigrant childrenimmigrant families (including New York immigrant family unity project participants)people with disabilities and Deaf people facing criminalization/institutionalization
About Vera Institute of Justice
Vera Institute of Justice Inc backs a wide criminal justice and immigration reform portfolio, with one of its clearest recent through-lines in legal representation for immigrants and children. In the recent grants list, the largest award went to Acacia Center for Justice for CDSS grant balance transfer and general support, while other large grants supported Immigration Justice Corps, Kids in Need of Defense, and The Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project. Those awards sit alongside funding for disability- and Deaf-rights work through Activating Change, showing that the foundation funds across detention, representation, and system reform rather than a single issue lane. The foundation’s program areas point to a systems-change approach: it supports pilots, scaling, technical assistance, and general operating support across initiatives focused on prison conditions, housing after incarceration, prosecution reform, public safety reform, and universal representation. The recent grant record also shows recurring support to several organizations over multiple years, including Acacia Center for Justice and Activating Change. Grants are national in scope and reach organizations in legal services, advocacy, research, and reentry work. Led by Nicholas R Turner, Vera Institute of Justice Inc is structured as a regular funder and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
What Vera Institute of Justice Funds
Immigrant legal representation is a major strand of Vera Institute of Justice Inc’s giving. It gave $1,977,628 to Kids in Need of Defense for general operating support, $1,701,193 to The Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project for general operating support, and $1,572,167 to Capital Area Immigrants' Rights Coalition for general operating support. That pattern aligns with its Advancing Universal Representation work and its support for NYIFUP-related technical assistance. Children’s holistic immigration representation is another named focus area. Grants included $946,174 to Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project Catholiccharities of Los Angeles Inc, $776,762 to Immigration Center for Women, $757,013 to Community Justice Alliance Inc, and $619,652 to Central America Resource Center, each for the children’s holistic immigration representation program. The foundation also funds disability and Deaf justice work. Activating Change received $2,185,031 in 2024 and $1,220,542 in 2025 for work to end victimization, criminalization, incarceration, and institutionalization of people with disabilities and Deaf people.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$2.1M
Total Assets
$144.6M
Total Revenue
$40.2M
Total Expenses
$50.1M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $24K and $225K, with a median of $66K.
25th Percentile
$24K
Median
$66K
75th Percentile
$225K
Geographic Reach
National38 states funded
About 12% of grants go to recipients in CA.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
NICHOLAS R TURNER
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