What a Funder-Backed Report Reveals About Pretrial Risk Assessments
Foundations have given millions to develop and promote new tools to assess whether a pretrial criminal defendant poses risks to society. Now, a report funded by... Read more.
Backed by Millions in Grants, a New Prison Reform Initiative Gains Steam
Despite the vast costs of incarceration, state prisons remain some of the nation’s least transparent institutions. A growing push by a top funder and leading policy... Read more.
New Koch Funding for Criminal Justice Reform Keep Keeps Coming
The Charles Koch Foundation has quietly become one of the largest supporters of research on criminal justice reform. Most recently, it gave nearly $5 million to... Read more.
Grants to Reform Probation and Parole Aim to Tackle a Top Driver of Mass Incarceration
Many of the inmates in U.S. prisons have returned because their parole or probation was revoked, often for minor infractions. Arnold Ventures is zeroing in on this... Read more.
New Funder-Backed Alliance Advocates for Criminal Justice Reform
It’s not often you find the Ford Foundation and Koch Industries on the same side of an issue. But criminal justice is one such issue, and both are backing a new... Read more.
Amid a Wave of Mass Shootings, New Grants Flow for Gun Violence Research
While the need for stronger gun laws may seem like common sense to many Americans, there is a surprising void of hard evidence to inform policymaking in this area.... Read more.
Why This Philanthropist is Behind a Group Pushing to Reform Probation and Parole
The REFORM Alliance advocates criminal justice reform, especially around probation and parole, focusing on legislation at the state level. Laura Arnold, co-founder... Read more.
With a Billionaire’s Backing, Philadelphia Aims to Remake Its Juvenile Justice System
Philadelphia hopes to keep youth from entering its juvenile justice system and intervene in factors such as poverty and violence to prevent further offending. A... Read more.
How a Top Foundation is Betting Big on Prison Education and Reentry
The Andrew Mellon Foundation has emerged as a leading funder of prison education, seeing such programs as a “public good.” Mellon’s latest big round of grants... Read more.
Got Ideas for Helping Fix a Broken Probation System? Talk to This Funder
From gun violence research to pretrial justice reform, Arnold Ventures has been one busy foundation when it comes to criminal justice. Now, with a new initiative... Read more.
Top Foundations Are Keen to Smooth Reentry for Incarcerated People. Here’s What They’re Learning.
A five-year pilot program backed by major grantmakers explored the role of education and other services in helping incarcerated people build successful lives after... Read more.
Arnold Makes Jails a New Front in Battle Against Opioid Addiction
Half of state and federal prisoners have substance abuse disorders, including opioid addiction, but standard treatment options are almost never available in jails.... Read more.
Many Paths to Progress: A Funder-Backed Study Sets its Sights on Reducing Gun Violence
With Congress long deadlocked on guns, foundations are focusing on practical, local steps to reduce the death toll. A case in point is the Motorola Solutions Foundation’s... Read more.
Presumed Innocent? A Funder Steps Up Its Push Against a Deeply Unfair Pretrial Justice System
Much of America has a two-tiered system that allows affluent defendants to buy their freedom before trial, while poorer people often languish in jail. In its latest... Read more.
Coding Behind Bars: How Some Funders Want to Prepare Inmates for Life on the Outside
With over 600,000 people released from prison every year, reentry challenges are drawing more attention from philanthropy. One nonprofit in this space that’s teaching... Read more.
Man Bites Dog? Not Quite. But Koch Support for Criminal Justice Reform is Pretty Interesting
Charles Koch’s foundation has been giving millions for research and policy advocacy aimed at reducing mass incarceration, changing sentencing laws, and other criminal... Read more.
What Went Wrong With This Foundation-Backed Effort to Lower Jail Populations?
While there’s a lot of funding action around criminal justice reform, grantmaking efforts don’t always go as planned. A bail reform push that misfired in Washington... Read more.
A Funder Helps L.A. Use the Arts to Advance Juvenile Justice Reform
As the push to keep kids out of the criminal justice system gains steam, the Art for Justice Fund is backing an ambitious effort to increase access to the arts for... Read more.
Who’s Qualified? A Funder-Backed Effort to Open Up Early Childhood Teaching
Many states require early childhood teachers to hold bachelor’s degrees. A collaborative backed by a network of funders, however, is pushing to change this as... Read more.
What a Regional Foundation Is Doing to Graduate Kids From College
The Daniels Fund isn't well known outside of Western states, but it runs one of the nation's larger foundation programs that provide college scholarships. Here's... Read more.
This Top Funder of Higher Education Keeps Stepping Things Up
Don't be fooled by its name or low profile. The Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation has become a major national player in higher ed funding as it works to ensure... Read more.
Here’s What It Really Takes to Boost College Completion Rates
With many funders and higher ed institutions looking to ensure that low-income students finish college, a new study of the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation's efforts... Read more.
Second Look: Was That Newark School Reform Effort Really Such a Failure?
Mention "Newark" in some nonprofit circles and everyone knows what you mean: a case study of bungled top-down philanthropy. Now, a new study finds that the initiative... Read more.
These Higher Ed Funders Are Backing “Talent Hubs” to Close Gaps in Education and Equity
Lumina and Kresge foundations joined forces with $5 million in grant funds to recognize the efforts of 17 cities to reduce higher education gaps and attract and... Read more.
A Foundation Sticks With After-School Programs as New Threats Loom
These are scary times for advocates of after-school programs, with federal funding at risk. The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation remains the most stalwart supporter... Read more.
Will Any K-12 Funders Still Back Virtual Charter Schools After This Scandal?
A financial crisis may force Ohio's largest online charter school to close after years of low performance. Once a popular idea, these schools have rapidly lost favor... Read more.
Millions In Grants Have Gone to Teacher Preparation. What’s Needed Now?
Improving teaching is a perennially hot topic among education funders who've given a fortune in this area. Now, a new report lays out the work that still needs to... Read more.
The Money—and Research—Behind a New Network to Boost College Completion
Nearly 40 percent of college students don't graduate within six years, and those from low-income backgrounds are most likely to drop out. A trio of higher education... Read more.
What Can We Learn From Another Flunking Effort by Funders to Help Urban Schools?
A funder-backed push to improve student outcomes in the Detroit Public Schools hit the skids recently. One clear takeaway is that it's critical to engage parents... Read more.
What Does This New Study on Diversity Mean for the K-12 World—and Its Funders?
As the K-12 population changes rapidly, a report finds that education organizations are not doing enough to ensure that teachers and other leaders look like the... Read more.
