Funding search · criminal justice reform · New York
Who funds criminal justice reform work in New York
15 funders have a record of paying for criminal justice reform work by New York recipients: 321 grants totaling $94.3M, most recently in 2025 — mostly private foundations, plus grantmaking charities. The largest by matched giving are New York Women'S Foundation ($3.2M), The Ford Foundation ($53.6M) and Laura and John Arnold Foundation ($7.4M).
From IRS Form 990-PF and 990 Schedule I filings, 2019–2025. Grants already paid to New York recipients — evidence of what these funders back, not open calls.
New York Women'S FoundationNew York, NYCharity · may take applications
53 matching grants · $3.2M · through 2024Largest: $300,000 to WOMEN'S COMMUNITY JUSTICE ASSOCIATION — the criminal justice fund
Largest: $18.7M to BLUE MERIDIAN PARTNERS INC — core support for the justice and mobility fund to accelerate economic mobility through criminal justice reforms for people with convictions and incarceration histories
Largest: $34,767 to VOLCKER ALLIANCE INC — to host a criminal justice convening in the fall of 2019 that defines the criminal justice policy and research agenda over the next year.
Largest: $70,300 to K CHARLINDA DAVIS — to conduct a research study which explores the needs and experiences of pregnant people who have been incarcerated, in order to inform and advance a wider gender-based violence, re…
John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation (Consolidated)Chicago, IL
22 matching grants · $8.7M · through 2024Largest: $250,000 to CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM FOUNDATION — to enhance justice reform efforts that reduce jail incarceration and racial disparities stemming from the overuse and misuse of community supervision as part of the safety and just…
New York Council for the HumanitiesNew York, NYCharity · may take applications
34 matching grants · $804,624 · through 2023Largest: $25,000 to REENTRY THEATER OF HARLEM — post-incarceration humanities partnerhip (pihp) grant for program support
Largest: $150,000 to LEGAL AID SOCIETY — renewed support for a campaign to divert people with mental illness from the criminal justice system, and to end new york state holding mentally ill people in prison past their sen…
Largest: $250,000 to UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER — support incarcerated individuals to take classes and assist formerly incarcerated people
Largest: $750,000 to JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE — to continue to support the expansion of educational and reentry initiatives for current and formerly incarcerated students
Largest: $200,000 to Associated Press — support deepening criminal and youth justice investigative reporting and improving journalism on criminal justice through language and skills training with other news outlets.
Largest: $45,000 to ALLIANCE OF FAMILIES FOR JUSTICE — to support, empower, and mobilize families of incarcerated people to advance criminal justice reform.
Largest: $25,000 to Thrive for Life Prison Project — to create opportunities for spiritual development and provide educational resources for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals while partnering with local universities …
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Start with one paperBroader: criminal justice reform funders nationally · all New York-based grantmakers