Justice Fund of Georgia (JFG)

The Justice Fund of Georgia (JFG) is a statewide philanthropic collaborative advancing adult and youth justice reform and transformation across Georgia. Rooted in the belief that lasting change requires both community leadership and sustained investment, the Fund exists to strengthen the movement for justice by resourcing frontline organizations, building relationships across sectors, and deepening shared understanding of what justice requires in Georgia today.

While the Justice Fund of Georgia operates as a pooled grantmaking vehicle, it is also much more than that. JFG is a learning and strategy table for philanthropy, a bridge between funders and community-based leaders, and a platform for long-term coordination and commitment. At its core, the Fund is designed to expand access to resources for organizations working to reduce incarceration, build community-led safety, end youth detention, and advance solutions grounded in dignity, equity, and healing.

The Fund was created after years of advocacy and reform efforts across the state revealed both the urgency of justice work and the need for more aligned, consistent philanthropic engagement. Inspired by similar collaboratives in other states, a group of local and national funders came together to explore how philanthropy could play a more strategic role in supporting justice-impacted communities and the organizations working alongside them.

Today, the Justice Fund of Georgia serves as:

• A grantmaking collaborative that resources adult and youth justice work
• A learning table for philanthropy focused on justice reform in Georgia
• A bridge between funders and community-based organizations
• A space for strategic coordination and long-term visioning

The Justice Fund of Georgia invests in organizations working to transform the adult and youth justice systems and to build alternatives rooted in community well-being. The Fund prioritizes efforts that seek not only to respond to harm, but to address root causes and create sustainable pathways toward equity and accountability.

Areas of focus include:

• Decarceration and alternatives to incarceration
• Community-led safety and restorative justice
• Reentry and support services for justice-impacted individuals
• Ending youth incarceration and detention
• Youth-led advocacy and organizing
• Advocacy to end criminalization of poverty and marginalization
• Leadership development within impacted communities
• Narrative, cultural, and civic strategies that shift public understanding of justice

The Fund seeks to support organizations deeply rooted in community and, in particular, those led by individuals with lived experience of the justice system. JFG values both systems-level advocacy and hyperlocal work, recognizing that transformation requires change at multiple levels.

In 2025 and 2026, the Justice Fund of Georgia awarded its inaugural round of grants to 44 organizations advancing adult and youth justice work across Georgia. Together, the Fund distributed $700,000 in general operating support, marking an important milestone in building sustained philanthropic investment in justice reform in the state.

We are deeply grateful to our funder partners whose generosity and belief in this vision made these grants possible. We are equally grateful to the organizations and leaders doing this work every single day to make Georgia a more just place.

The Justice Fund of Georgia includes both local and national funders and is fiscally and administratively sponsored by the United Way of Greater Atlanta. The Fund is guided by a Steering Committee of philanthropic partners and informed by Community Partner Advisors whose lived experience and expertise shape its direction.

JFG is committed to transparency, accessibility, and learning in its grantmaking processes. In addition to making grants, the Fund shares insight about the adult and youth justice ecosystem in Georgia and works to build a stronger, more coordinated philanthropic presence in this field over time.

At this time, there are no open grant application opportunities. When future funding cycles become available, information about eligibility, timelines, and application materials will be posted on this page. We encourage organizations and partners to check back periodically for updates.

For more information about the Justice Fund of Georgia, partnership opportunities, or future funding cycles, please contact: JusticeFund@unitedwayatlanta.org