This report is a collaborative project led by Libra Foundation with the support of Borealis Philanthropy, Funders For Justice, Action for Transformation Fund, and others.
Philanthropy plays a powerful role in shaping which communities and strategies are resourced, and which are left behind. This report examines the current criminal justice funding landscape and calls out the deep, persistent disparities in how resources are distributed. Black and Brown women and gender expansive (transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex) leaders are at the forefront of reimagining safety, healing, and accountability in their communities. Yet they remain critically underfunded, overlooked by a sector that often claims to value equity but continues to sideline the people driving real change.
This report is a call to action; a clear-eyed accounting of where philanthropy is falling short and a vision for what becomes possible when the sector aligns its values with its dollars. This research uplifts what can happen when philanthropy follows the lead of those most impacted and most equipped to transform our future.
This work began with a simple but urgent question: Why are the very people most impacted by incarceration still fighting for scraps?
As funders from different corners of philanthropy, we kept seeing powerful grassroots efforts led by women, girls, and gender-expansive folks go unsupported. We joined forces to shift that; to understand the landscape, confront the barriers, and build pathways for more accountable and equitable funding.