Content excerpted and adapted from a press release. 

The Michigan Justice Fund ─ an initiative designed to address inequities in the criminal justice system throughout the state and supported by nearly a dozen CMF members ─ has announced over $2 million in support to 12 organizations through the Michigan.

The Michigan Justice Fund was established in early 2020 to assist groups working to advance effective and equitable justice policy. It has since grown to a funder collaborative of 14 foundations. 

CMF members engaged in the collaborative include Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Community Foundation of Greater Flint, DTE Energy Foundation, Ethel & James Flinn Foundation, Ford Foundation, Grand Rapids Community Foundation, Hudson-Webber Foundation, Joyce Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, Ruth Mott Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

As an initiative of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, the Michigan Justice Fund primarily seeks to help stem the flow of individuals into the criminal justice system, support the investment of public dollars to community-driven alternatives to incarceration and ensures that those returning home after incarceration receive the support they need to flourish.

“Practitioners and advocates, those closest to the work of justice reform, have helped the Michigan Justice Fund to build a strategy for enacting smart and racially equitable justice policies that keep our communities safe and reduce barriers to opportunity,” Melanca Clark, president and CEO, Hudson-Webber Foundation, chair of the Michigan Justice Fund Steering Committee and CMF trustee said. “We are thrilled to deploy a round of investments to support organizations and projects that will move our state forward.”

“The community foundation is committed to improving racial equity and reducing Michigan’s reliance on detention and incarceration through an evidence-based and data-driven approach,” Mariam Noland, president of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan said. “With this initiative, we are supporting economic prosperity strategies by partnering with foundations and organizations that are committed to strengthening the justice policy reform ecosystem in our state.”

A group of 26 organizations across the state helped to develop the grantmaking strategy. These organizations were selected to be representative of a diverse cross-section of nonprofits from across Michigan that directly serve justice-impacted individuals.

As the Michigan Justice Fund looks forward, the collaborative shares it will continue to strengthen the capacity of those working for justice reform, shift the narrative on incarceration and build a network of engaged and informed funders.

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Read the full press release.