named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Leadership Circle
Grantmaking circle that funds grassroots efforts led by directly impacted leaders across policing, courts, incarceration, immigration enforcement, and re-entry, advancing community-based safety and collective liberation.
Philanthropic Partnerships
Collaborates with peer grantmakers to deliver targeted funding for systemic transformation of policing and carceral systems, including initiatives like Quest 4 Democracy focused on civic engagement and re-enfranchisement.
Strategic Opportunities Support (SOS) Microgrant Fund
Provides rapid-response microgrants of up to $7,500 to organizations led by formerly incarcerated people addressing urgent threats such as ICE raids, state violence, and public health emergencies in carceral settings.
Until She’s Free
A participatory grantmaking initiative supporting women-led, trans-led, and gender-nonconforming-led organizations addressing the criminalization and incarceration of women and gender-expansive people, with a focus on ending the abuse-to-prison pipeline and advancing reproductive justice.
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Flexible Grants to Grassroots Organizations 3 activities
- Awarding microgrants for urgent movement and crisis responseIssues microgrants of up to $7,500 to support rapid-response advocacy efforts addressing extreme state violence, ICE raids, white supremacist aggression, repressive legislation, public health emergencies, compassionate release, and disasters affecting incarcerated people; grants are reviewed bi-monthly and awarded promptly.
- Collaborating with peer grantmakers for strategic systems changePartners with other grantmakers to deliver strategic, targeted funding aimed at transforming policing and carceral systems and strengthening community-based safety and healing at the national level.
- Scaling grantmaking over time with increasing financial commitmentsDistributed over $3 million to more than 90 grantees in 2020 — a nine-fold increase from 2016–2020 — growing from $180,000 awarded to a handful of organizations in 2001, and awarded $1 million in grants to 48 grassroots advocacy groups in 2021.
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General Operating Support Grants 2 activities
- Disbursing targeted grants through specific funding programsDisbursed over 40 grants totaling $1,086,000 through the Quest 4 Democracy program to advocacy nonprofits led by formerly incarcerated people, and delivered $250,000 in emergency rapid-response grants during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Providing unrestricted general operating support to women-led organizationsAwarded $400,000 in unrestricted general operating support to women-led organizations in 2020 and $500,000 in 2021, including 45 grants of $20,000 each over its first two years of this initiative.
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Human Rights Advocacy Funding 1 activity
- Funding grassroots criminal justice reform initiativesFunds grassroots organizations and initiatives working to transform the U.S. criminal legal system, with a focus on movements led by those most impacted by systemic injustice, including prison abolition, ending state violence, re-entry and restoration of rights, and confronting school-to-prison pipelines.
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Women's Rights and Empowerment Grants 1 activity
- Operating participatory grantmaking Circles for leadership and movement developmentOperates three participatory grantmaking Circles focused on leadership development, gender-specific criminalization, and urgent movement needs, providing structured funding streams that center impacted communities in decision-making.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$2.27M
Contributions & grants$2.03M89%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$248K11%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$16K
Program expenses0%
Admin / overhead100%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$7.27M
Cash$6.24M
Investments$0
Liabilities$13K
Net assets$7.25M
Liquid reserves4782.8 mo
2 years on record · 2023–2024 · YoY revenue -55.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 6
- ALBINO GARCIA — ACTING CHAIR
- BELINDA NELSON — ASSOCIATE DI
- BEN GRIESINGER — BOARD MEMBER
- DIANA GORDON — BOARD MEMBER
- GEORGE GALVAIS — BOARD MEMBER
- TRINH DUONG — SECRETARY
relationships · 19
Who they work with
- A New Way of Life Reentry Project Partner — Recipient organization funded by CJI’s Leadership Circle
- All of Us or None Partner — Early funder of All of Us or None chapters starting in 2004
- All of Us or None Partner — Recipient organization funded by CJI’s Leadership Circle
- BreakOUT! Partner — Funded by CJI to support organizing work in New Orleans, LA
- California Coalition of Women Prisoners Funder — Provided early funding to support campaigns and policy change led by the organization.
- Center for Young Women’s Development (Young Women’s Freedom Center) Funder — Provided early funding to support youth-led initiatives addressing criminalization and gender-based violence.
- Charlene Allen Partner — Senior Advisor on Strategy and Planning who serves as contact for membership and model inquiries.
- Formerly Incarcerated Convicted People and Families Movement Partner — Partnered to conduct the Quest for Democracy grants program, providing evaluation, administration, and financial management support.
- Formerly Incarcerated and Convicted People’s Movement Partner — Recipient organization funded by CJI’s Leadership Circle
- INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence Funder — Provided early funding to support intersectional activism against state and interpersonal violence.
- Justice Now! Funder — Provided early funding to support reproductive justice and anti-incarceration campaigns.
- NEO Philanthropy Funder — Served as fiduciary partner providing grants evaluation, administration, and financial management for the Quest 4 Democracy program.
- National Council of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls Partner — Recipient organization funded by CJI’s Leadership Circle
- National Network of Women Prisoners Funder — Provided early funding to support national organizing and rights restoration for incarcerated women.
- TGI Justice Project Funder — Provided early funding to support advocacy for transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex people in prison.
- Transcending Barriers Funder — Provided early funding to support advocacy for incarcerated women and transgender people.
- Unfunded List Partner — Collaborated as a co-review partner in 2021 to evaluate funding proposals from small and mid-size nonprofits and social impact startups.
- Women on the Rise Telling Her Story (WORTH) Funder — Provided early funding to support advocacy and organizing efforts led by formerly incarcerated women.
- peer grant makers Partner — Collaborates with peer grantmakers to deliver strategic, targeted funding for criminal justice transformation and community-based safety
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Movement-Led Systemic Change Through Grassroots Power Buildingmethodology: movement-ledBy directing resources to grassroots movements led by communities most impacted by systemic injustice, we produce transformative change because authentic, community-led power building is more effective than isolated reforms or top-down interventions in dismantling oppressive systems.
- Participatory Grantmaking Led by Lived Experiencemethodology: participatory_grantmakingBy involving individuals with direct lived experience of incarceration and systemic injustice in funding decisions, we produce more effective and transformative change because those closest to the harm possess the insight, legitimacy, and leadership necessary to guide resources to where they are most needed.
- Rapid, Unrestricted Support to Frontline Leadersmethodology: unrestricted_grantmakingBy providing rapid and unrestricted funding to organizations led by directly impacted people, we increase their agility and organizational resilience, because flexible resources allow communities to respond effectively to emerging crises and lead sustained change efforts without bureaucratic constraints.
- Restorative Justice as Systemic Alternativemethodology: restorative-justiceBy supporting community-based restorative justice approaches, we address the root causes of systemic racism and state violence because these models repair harm and rebuild social fabric in ways that punitive systems cannot.