Public Welfare Foundation Awards $3.5 million in True Reformer Grants

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May 24, 2022, 11:12 ET

Seven $500K institutional grants awarded to community-based organizations advancing justice reforms

WASHINGTON, May 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Public Welfare Foundation, the country's only endowment fund dedicated to catalyzing new transformative approaches to youth and adult criminal justice, today announced seven True Reformer grant awards totaling a $3.5 million investment in restorative, community-led, and racially just approaches to justice to honor the Foundation's 75^th anniversary.

The $500,000 institutional grants were awarded to:

Candice Jones, Public Welfare Foundation President and CEO

The True Reformer grants – named after the historic True Reformer Building in Washington, D.C. that Public Welfare Foundation calls home – recognize seven of the Foundation's key partners through investments that will advance progress and position them for long-term impact. These organizations serve as anchors of the justice reform movement in communities where Public Welfare Foundation works.

"Public Welfare Foundation's 75^th anniversary provides an opportunity to reflect and look forward in anticipation," said Public Welfare Foundation President and CEO Candice C. Jones. "Each of Public Welfare's True Reformer grant recipients demonstrates courageous leadership in advancing justice that's just. They are paving the way for a new, transformative approach to justice that is community-led, restorative, and racially just. They deserve not just our praise, but our investment to ensure that they can continue to advance this work in the years to come."

Institutional grants are one-time infusions of capital intended to strengthen an organization's operating and programmatic infrastructure so that it can continue its work well into the future. Each organization's leadership has identified specific and tailored ways that they will use the funding, including, but not limited to, strategic planning, staffing increases, technology enhancements, and operating reserves.

"The Michigan Center for Youth Justice has an ambitious agenda for the coming years that will help to reimagine our state's juvenile justice system by shifting to a model that is transparent, data-driven, and prioritizes healing over punishment and incarceration," said Jason Smith, Executive Director of Michigan Center for Youth Justice and True Reformer grant recipient. "This gift from Public Welfare Foundation will help MCYJ build and strengthen our organizational capacities to achieve our policy reform goals and support us as we move toward intentionally centering the voices of youth and families who have been directly impacted by the justice system in all aspects of our work."

The grant recipients were nominated by members of the Public Welfare Foundation team and were approved by the Foundation's Board of Directors. Each organization was selected based on strong leadership, opportunities for growth, and increased impact and are aligned with Public Welfare Foundation's values of community-led, restorative, and racially just solutions.

For 75 years, Public Welfare Foundation has supported efforts to advance justice and opportunity for people in need. In its 75-year history, the Foundation has made over 5,700 grants totaling more than $700 million. Today, the Foundation's efforts focus on catalyzing a transformative approach to justice that is community-led, restorative, and racially just through investments in criminal justice and youth justice reforms.

For more information visit www.publicwelfare.org and www.justicebyanymeans.org.

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PRESS CONTACT
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SOURCE Public Welfare Foundation