Best Restorative Justice Grants

Restorative justice grants are available to nonprofit organizations that devote resources to criminal justice reform. Organizations who focus on youth diversion programs, rehabilitation services, and community-based mediation are encouraged to apply for these grants. These grants serve to fund organizations that serve formerly incarcerated persons and at-risk community members to help with rehabilitation programs.

Based on Instrumentl’s live grant database for restorative justice, grant deadlines are most common in Q1, accounting for 30.7% of all submission dates. The slowest period for new grant opportunities in this category falls in Q4, making it a less competitive time for preparation and strategic planning.

The focus of restorative justice is to decrease the rate of incarcerated persons who return to jail. Funding also serves to build strong community connections by also helping victims of crimes. Funding is open to programs that support alternative justice methods. These methods include rehabilitation programs and community repair efforts. Programs that offer psychological recovery for victims may also qualify for restorative justice grants.

On average, grants in restorative justice provide funding between $250 and $10,067,525, with typical awards falling around $25,000 (median) and $452,395 (average). These insights can help nonprofits align their funding requests with what grantmakers typically offer in this space.

The Department of Justice and other government agencies offer limited amounts of funding towards restorative justice programs. The majority of funding comes from foundations, like the MacArthur Foundation. Social justice organizations, which advocate for criminal justice reform, also have opportunities for funding.

Instrumentl lists over 30 grants and $1.8 million in funding for organizations that qualify for restorative justice grants.

To secure restorative justice grants, organizations should::

• Demonstrate impact on incarceration rates.Show your organizations success rate at reducing incarceration rate through past programs and initiatives.
• Build community partnerships Collaborate with local organizations to strengthen your proposal and expand the potential reach of your program.
• Research potential funder. Read the website’s of funders before applying to ensure that donor priorities match with your organization’s goals.

Want to improve your grant prospecting strategy? Master the process with our detailed guide to grant prospect research.