irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $116KJustice Reinvestment: Our Justice Reinvestment initiative redirects resources into the hands of communities most harmed by carceral systems. This includes supporting peer navigators, grassroots organizations, and community centered services that promote healing, stability, and leadership. In 2024, this iniatitive supported community peer navigators providing family-centered advocacy, support, and wraparound services, culturally responsive intergenerational programming, annual community events, healing arts, wellness workshops Bridges to the Land is a holistic justice initiative connecting environmental justice, land stewardship, and ancestral healing. J4F is working to repair systemic harm and invest in sustainable solutions.
- #2 $128KYouth & Family Engagement: A cornerstone of J4Fs mission and a year round practice rooted in cultural relevance, lived experience, and collective power. We not only support families through challenges and difficult times, but we also mobilize them, especially those directly impacted by youth justice, child welfare, and criminal legal systems to lead as voters, advocates, organizers, and decision-makers. In 2024, J4F facilitated voter registration drives, town halls, and legislative visits to Albany, civic learning events that demystify government processes and connect community members to urgent policy issues, youth and family-centered education sessions that are accessible, real-life oriented, and intergenerational.
named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Bridges to the Land (B2L)
Offers nature-based, intergenerational healing and job training through community gardening and farming, connecting environmental justice with ancestral land stewardship and trauma recovery.
Community Peer Navigator (CPN) Program
Trains system-impacted individuals to support families navigating youth justice and child welfare systems, using lived experience to guide advocacy, healing, and civic engagement.
Training & Technical Assistance
Provides skill-building and leadership development for families, system professionals, and community organizations to transform juvenile justice and child welfare systems through equity-centered practices.
Youth Leadership Development
Supports system-impacted youth in building skills, exploring career pathways, and co-designing community programs through internships, reentry support, and intergenerational learning.
activities · 12 groups
What they do
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Criminal Justice Policy Advocacy 1 activity
- Advances policy reform through advocacy campaignsSupports local, state, and national advocacy campaigns such as New York's Freedom Agenda to Close Rikers, Solutions Not Suspensions, Communities Not Cages, and the NYS Alliance for Cash Assistance to transform justice, child welfare, and probation systems.
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Youth Leadership Development Programs 1 activity
- Conducts youth leadership and civic engagement programsEngages young people in authentic leadership roles through workshop facilitation, community forums, educational trips (e.g., to Wall Street and the 9/11 Memorial), and civic learning events including voter registration drives and legislative visits.
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Political Leadership Training for Underrepresented Groups 1 activity
- Delivers policy education and advocacy trainingProvides policy education and skill-building training to community leaders, system-impacted individuals, and professionals to influence decisions affecting their neighborhoods and advance racial and gender equity.
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Disability Rights Advocacy & Self-Advocacy Empowerment 1 activity
- Distributes advocacy and systems navigation resourcesProduces and distributes accessible guides, planning tools, and educational materials grounded in lived experience to support advocacy, peer-based support, and systems navigation for families and allies.
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Leadership Development Programs 1 activity
- Hosts annual Family Leadership InstituteOrganizes a two-and-a-half-day annual gathering that trains and builds community among system-impacted families, with over 500 participants trained in leadership development and advocacy skills.
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Comprehensive Community Service Hubs 1 activity
- Hosts drop-in center and community programs in the BronxOperates a drop-in center in the Bronx that serves as a model learning lab offering afterschool tutoring, academic support, recovery fellowships, wellness workshops, and peer-led groups such as the monthly Women’s Group for Black and Brown women.
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Horticultural Education and Community Gardening 1 activity
- Implements Bridges to the Land (B2L) programDelivers seasonal nature-based healing experiences through urban gardening, upstate farming, and cultural-roots connection for system-impacted families from April to October each year.
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Civic Engagement and Voter Mobilization 1 activity
- Mobilizes families in civic participation and decision-makingFacilitates voter registration, town halls, legislative visits to Albany, and civic education sessions to empower directly impacted families as leaders and decision-makers in policy processes.
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Community Capacity Building & Leadership Networks 1 activity
- Operates national Family Leadership NetworkRuns a national network of over 3,500 system-impacted family leaders who share resources, coordinate collective action, and celebrate victories in justice reform efforts.
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Support for Families Impacted by Incarceration 1 activity
- Provides direct support services to system-impacted familiesOffers wraparound services including emotional support, clothing, food, system navigation assistance, and re-entry support for families reuniting with formerly incarcerated loved ones, particularly in the Bronx.
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Training and Capacity Building for Trauma-Informed Student Support 1 activity
- Provides technical assistance to organizations and professionalsOffers customized training and technical assistance to grassroots organizations, youth justice, child welfare, and education professionals on trauma-responsive, culturally responsive, and equity-centered practices.
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Justice System Innovation & Inclusion Programs 1 activity
- Runs Community Peer Navigator (CPN) programOperates the Community Peer Navigator program to train and deploy system-impacted individuals as advocates who help families navigate youth justice and child welfare systems.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$539K
Contributions & grants$486K90%
Program service revenue$53K10%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$552K
Program expenses78%
Admin / overhead13%
Fundraising9%
Salaries & benefits$265K
Grants paid out$19K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$359K
Cash$33K
Investments$0
Liabilities$19K
Net assets$341K
Liquid reserves0.7 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -31.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JEANNETTE BOCANEGRA-SIMON | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 35 | $117K |
board members · 4
- CHRISTIAN LASSITER — MEMBER
- ELBA MONTALVO — COMMITTEE CHAIR
- ERNEST JOHNSON — MEMBER
- EVELYN CLARK — MEMBER
relationships · 19
Who they work with
- Annie E. Casey Foundation Partner — Collaborates with the Annie E. Casey Foundation on systems transformation initiatives in child welfare and youth justice.
- Bridges to the Land Partner — Holistic justice initiative connecting environmental justice, land stewardship, and ancestral healing, supported under the Justice Reinvestment initiative.
- Bronx Community Member Partner — Community member providing testimonial on services and impact
- Child & Family Well-being Fund Partner — Participates in advocacy efforts to promote family well-being and shift resources from punitive systems to community-based supports.
- Communities Not Cages Partner — Partners in campaign to divest from incarceration and invest in community safety solutions.
- Family Leadership Institute Partner — Collaborates on the Community Peer Navigator Training by providing structured curriculum
- Family Leadership Institute Partner — National initiative co-led with Justice For Families to develop leadership among impacted families and advance youth and family rights.
- Freedom Agenda to Close Rikers Partner — Collaborates on campaign to close Rikers Island and advance alternatives to incarceration in New York.
- Jeannette Bocanegra Partner — Contact person for partnership and support inquiries at Justice For Families
- Justice For Families Network — National network of family leaders impacted by the juvenile and criminal justice system
- Justice For Families Network — National nonprofit organization supporting families and youth affected by juvenile justice and family regulation systems.
- Mothers On A Mission Partner — Collaborated with or served participants from the group Mothers On A Mission at a conference.
- NYS Alliance for Cash Assistance Partner — Collaborates on advocacy to improve access to cash assistance and support economic justice for low-income families.
- National Family Advocate Partner — Family advocate providing testimonial on policy education and support
- PREA Government — Engages in advocacy focused on the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) as part of national programs.
- Social Justice Activist, Bronx Partner — Local activist providing testimonial on community-based support and training
- Solutions Not Suspensions Partner — Engages in campaign to reduce school-based arrests and promote restorative justice practices.
- West Farms neighborhood Partner — Engages youth from the West Farms neighborhood of the Bronx in educational and leadership programs.
- community partners Partner — Collaborates with community partners to facilitate wellness activities promoting physical, social, and emotional health.
strategies · 3
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.
- Collective Power Building Through Lived Experiencemethodology: collective_power_mobilizationBy mobilizing and equipping individuals with lived experience of the justice and child welfare systems through peer-led training and leadership development, we generate collective power that shifts systems because shared identity and mutual support foster resilience, authentic advocacy, and political efficacy.
- Family-Led Systemic Changemethodology: family_led_advocacyBy placing system-impacted families and youth in leadership roles for advocacy, policy development, and reform campaigns, we produce more equitable and sustainable systemic change because lived experience ensures authenticity, cultural relevance, and accountability in solutions.
- Healing-Centered Systems Transformationmethodology: healing_centered_engagementBy integrating trauma-responsive, culturally affirming, and restorative practices—such as nature-based engagement and intergenerational healing—into advocacy and systems reform, we produce more effective civic participation and sustainable change because healing enables agency, counters dehumanizing narratives, and restores collective power.