named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
10 Million Children Inspired
Educational outreach series that partners with higher education institutions to engage students and faculty in understanding the impact of parental incarceration.
Actionists Leadership Program
Flagship leadership program that trains and develops directly impacted individuals into subject-matter experts ("Actionists") to advance solutions across systems affecting children of incarcerated parents.
BUILD Initiative
Intergenerational program engaging formerly incarcerated parents as "BUILD Ambassadors" who work alongside Actionists to inform policy, practice, and public education efforts aimed at family connection and systemic reform.
WE GOT US NOW Podcast
Public awareness and narrative-change initiative using digital storytelling to elevate asset-based stories of impacted individuals and educate the public on parental incarceration’s impact.
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Human Rights & Peace Education Curriculum 1 activity
- Educational programming in schools and higher educationDelivers educational programming on parental incarceration to students nationwide, having reached over 30,000 students and engaged more than 12 higher education institutions through the "10 Million Children Inspired" series.
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Youth Leadership Development Programs 1 activity
- Leadership development for children of incarcerated parentsOperates the Actionists Leadership Program and Jr Actionist Leaders community to train and develop children and young adults affected by parental incarceration as leaders, subject matter experts, and advocates for systemic change, achieving high retention and goal achievement rates.
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Podcast and Radio Production 1 activity
- Podcast and multimedia storytelling initiativesProduces podcast series and multimedia campaigns that center the voices of children and families affected by incarceration, with content distributed during Mental Health Awareness Month and other periods to promote awareness, empathy, and policy discussions; reaches over 40,000 people through these digital storytelling efforts.
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Criminal Justice Policy Advocacy 1 activity
- Policy advocacy and legislative engagementAdvocates for criminal justice reform by testifying before Congress, supporting federal legislation such as the Second Look Act, and advancing state-level visiting-related bills in New York—including the Proximity Bill, Codification of In-Person Visiting Bill, and Visiting Bus Bill—while contributing to the development of at least six policies at federal, state, and local levels.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$972K
Contributions & grants$971K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$1K
expenses
Total expenses$729K
Program expenses62%
Admin / overhead18%
Fundraising20%
Salaries & benefits$276K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$958K
Cash$750K
Investments$0
Liabilities$6K
Net assets$951K
Liquid reserves12.3 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +24.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| EBONY UNDERWOOD | CEO | 40 | $162K |
board members · 5
- CHAKA ZULU — DIRECTOR
- DR LUTHER BREWSTER — TREASURER
- KELLY WOOLF — SECRETARY
- MANNY MONTILLA — CHAIR
- NKECHI TAIFA — DIRECTOR
relationships · 27
Who they work with
- American University Partner — Partner institution engaged through the "10 Million Children Inspired" educational series.
- Arizona State University Partner — Partner institution engaged through the "10 Million Children Inspired" educational series.
- BLDG 357, Inc Partner — Creative design direction partner for WE GOT US NOW.
- Brooklyn District Attorney's Office Partner — Engages in public dialogue on shifting criminal justice practices toward prevention and accountability.
- Children’s Hospital Colorado Partner — Collaborates with the Mental Health In-Chief from Children’s Hospital Colorado on the podcast series.
- Daughters Beyond Incarceration Partner — Bree A., an Actionist and Co-Founder of Daughters Beyond Incarceration, collaborates with WE GOT US NOW to advocate for girls affected by parental incarceration.
- Developing Despite Distance Partner — Tiffany B., an Actionist and Founder of Developing Despite Distance, partners with WE GOT US NOW to support children of incarcerated parents.
- Dream.org Partner — Partners with Orrin Jackson, who serves as a Dream.org Justice Leader.
- Gift Box Shop Partner — Ashley J., an Actionist and CEO of Gift Box Shop, works with WE GOT US NOW to address the trauma and effects of parental incarceration.
- Global Citizen Partner — Collaborated with Global Citizen on a feature highlighting the organization's advocacy for children of incarcerated parents.
- Harvard Partner — Partner institution engaged through the "10 Million Children Inspired" educational series.
- Howard University Partner — Partner institution engaged through the "10 Million Children Inspired" educational series.
- Missouri Western State University Partner — Partner institution engaged through the "10 Million Children Inspired" educational series.
- New Jersey Department of Children and Families Partner — Collaborates through interviews and public dialogue to advance efforts to keep families connected.
- New York University Partner — Partner institution engaged through the "10 Million Children Inspired" educational series.
- Ohio State University Partner — Partner institution engaged through the "10 Million Children Inspired" educational series.
- Penn State Partner — Partner institution engaged through the "10 Million Children Inspired" educational series.
- Photo Patch Foundation Partner — Collaborates through shared storytelling on using technology to maintain family connections during incarceration.
- Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) Partner — Co-introduced the Second Look Act with Senator Booker, supported by We Got Us Now.
- Spotify Partner — Hosts the We Got Us Now podcast as part of the #KeepFamiliesConnected campaign series.
- The Sentencing Project Partner — Collaborates with Bill Underwood, who serves as a Senior Fellow at The Sentencing Project.
- U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) Partner — Collaborates on advocacy for the Second Look Act.
- University of California, Berkeley Partner — Partner institution engaged through the "10 Million Children Inspired" educational series.
- University of Miami Partner — Partner institution engaged through the "10 Million Children Inspired" educational series.
- University of Notre Dame Partner — Partner institution engaged through the "10 Million Children Inspired" educational series.
- Unlock Academy Partner — Highlighted as an educational tech initiative co-led by a family impacted by incarceration, used to model tech-based family connection solutions.
- Yale Partner — Partner institution engaged through the "10 Million Children Inspired" educational series.
strategies · 5
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.
- Four-E Empowerment Frameworkmethodology: four_e_frameworkBy engaging, educating, elevating, and empowering children and young adults impacted by parental incarceration, we produce resilient leaders and institutional change, because a structured progression from inclusion to leadership fosters agency and systemic accountability.
- In-Person Visitation for Family Connectionmethodology: family_connection_to_reduce_recidivismBy advocating for in-person visitation between children and incarcerated parents, we reduce recidivism and sustain critical family bonds, because physical presence fosters emotional connection and continuity that digital alternatives cannot replicate.
- Intergenerational Allyship Modelmethodology: intergenerational_allyshipBy uniting formerly incarcerated parents and children of incarcerated parents in joint advocacy, we strengthen family integrity and influence policy, because intergenerational collaboration builds mutual healing and amplifies collective power.
- Lived-Experience-Centered Advocacymethodology: lived_experience_as_leadershipBy centering the narratives and leadership of individuals directly impacted by incarceration, we produce systemic change and stronger family connections, because lived experience generates authentic insight and moral authority that drives policy reform and institutional responsiveness.
- Second-Look Policy Advocacymethodology: second_look_policy_advocacyBy promoting a rebuttable presumption of release for aging incarcerated individuals, we advance justice reform, because people age out of criminality and continued incarceration without review violates principles of rehabilitation and proportionality.