FAQs
General Questions
The Art for Justice Fund is disrupting mass incarceration by funding artists and advocates working together to reform our criminal justice system. We’re a five-year catalytic fund that invests in the people and organizations focused on:
- Safely reducing the prison populations in priority states by 20% by 2022.
- Justice reinvestment – reallocating government funding from prisons to tangible investments in communities hit hardest by poverty, violence and incarceration.
- Showing the human impact of mass incarceration and telling the stories of the mothers, fathers, spouses, friends and students who are caught behind bars.
All activities of the Art for Justice Fund are guided by a Governing Board, whose duties include:
- Approving and monitoring the Fund’s overall strategy.
- Approving grantmaking guidelines.
- Approving grant dockets.
- Reviewing annual progress reports
The Governing Board’s work is informed by the Advisory Council, a group of exemplary, justice-focused artists and leaders in criminal justice reform.
The Governing Board establishes program guidelines, determines eligibility and application processes, and selects the Fund’s grantee partners, all with advice from the Art for Justice staff. The Fund is intentional about ensuring that its grantee partners are diverse with respect to lived experience, gender and race.
The Art for Justice Fund is a six-year catalytic fund that invests in the people and organizations in the work of reform. From its launch in 2017 through 2021, the Fund has invested more than $92 million across 175 grants and aims to invest a total of at least $100 million by 2022. We recently announced a 6th year of activity, where we aim to give another $20 million donated to the Fund by our generous donors.
The Fund is managed by a dedicated team, supporting artists and advocates working together to end mass incarceration. Art for Justice is jointly administered by the Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.
Grant Seekers
At this time, we are not accepting unsolicited funding requests. Our grants to nonprofit 501(c)3 social justice, advocacy, educational, and arts organizations that align with our grantmaking strategies are invitation only. See our list of current grantees.
While we are grateful for all the work being done to shift policy and perception around mass incarceration, the Art for Justice Fund does not accept unsolicited proposals and will not presently make grants to:
- Individual social service and alternative to incarceration programs that do not engage policy reforms or structural change.
- Individual college in-prison or re-entry programs, outside of a larger public/private initiative.
- Academic research not connected to specific public policy campaigns or model programs.
- Film or photography projects that do not emerge from specific public policy campaigns or model programs.
- Art or writing projects that are not solicited or commissioned by Art for Justice.
Proposals are considered by invitation only. If you’d like to share your work with us for awareness, kindly do so through the Contact Us form.
Donors
Full details about how to contribute are available here. 100% of your contribution will be used to support Art for Justice’s partner grantees. Donors can give in the following ways:
• Contribute via check or credit card to RPA
• Contribute via wire transfer
• Donate stocks
• Donate works of arts (or other tangible assets) that can be sold on behalf of the Fund, valued at $100,000 or more
For details on making a wire transfer, giving a gift of stock, or donating a work of art, please contact Sue Simon, Donor and Artist Liaison, at ssimon@artforjusticefund.org.
RPA is a 501(c)3 public charity, donations to which are generally deductible for income tax purposes to the maximum extent allowed by law. Donors’ personal circumstances will dictate the amount of deduction they may take or use. Donations of works of tangible personal property, including art, are subject to complex tax rules. RPA strongly urges donors to work with their tax advisors with regard to contributions and applicable tax reporting or appraisal requirements. RPA retains the right to refuse a contribution.
In compliance with IRS rules, RPA will maintain complete control over the decision and timing of any sale of art work donated to RPA to support the Art for Justice Fund, and will manage any such sale and conversion of art into funds. It is the policy of RPA’s board to sell assets as soon as feasible.
- Gifts of fine art and other non-liquid assets require special treatment and supervision. RPA will work with donors to ensure the efficient and appropriate handling of contributions and dispositions of fine art. Donors will have a single point of contact at RPA to oversee the process.
- RPA will work with the donor’s representatives, including attorneys, appraisers and recommended dealers to plan and oversee any sale.
- RPA will manage the relationship with the designated dealer(s) and ensure works of art are appropriately stored, safeguarded and insured until their final disposition.
- Donors will receive an acknowledgement letter and RPA will cooperate with donors with regard to applicable income tax reporting requirements arising from their contributions.
RPA will accept contributions to the Fund throughout its six-year timeframe, through the end of 2022.
Donors will receive an acknowledgement letter, and RPA will cooperate with regard to applicable income tax reporting requirements that may arise from the contribution.
Donors are encouraged to contribute directly to Fund grantees, independent of the Fund. Art for Justice Fund grantees are published on our website, and welcome engaging directly with donors who are interested in advancing their excellent work.
We welcome and are grateful to all donors who share information about this initiative with their friends and colleagues, and encourage others to contribute.
For more information, contact the Art For Justice Fund team.
