2024 Smart Justice Spark Grants Informational Webinar

Thursday, August 22, 2024 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. PST
Register for the event

The Michelson 20MM Foundation is committed to helping individuals and communities impacted by the criminal justice system forge brighter, more prosperous futures via educational attainment. In keeping with this pledge, we’re launching the 2024 Michelson Spark Grants Smart Justice funding cycle, which will award grants up to $25,000 to nonprofits at the intersection of higher education and criminal justice reform. As a study by the RAND Corporation has shown, “$1 spent on adult education in prison results in a $5 reduction in reincarceration costs in the first 3 years after release.” Investments in the Smart Justice space benefit systems-impacted individuals, their communities, and society as a whole.

The Smart Justice funding cycle will run from September 3, 2024 to September 17, 2024, with an informational webinar on August 22nd at 10:00am PST. This cycle seeks to fund macro-level projects that support systems-level strategies, create impact at scale, and inform public policy. 

Launched in 2019, the Smart Justice Initiative (SJI) leverages higher education as a catalyst for personal transformation and justice reform. In addition to higher education, SJI focuses on reentry, supporting justice-involved students on campus, workforce development and economic success, as well as racial and gender justice, with a particular focus on policy and systems change. Previous Smart Justice grantees include the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program, UCI LIFTED, the Public Policy Institute of California, Impact Justice, Root and Rebound, Vera Institute of Justice, A New Way of Life, and the Campaign for College Opportunity.

Focus Areas 

We are interested in supporting projects that advance:

• Efforts that scale and increase higher education and workforce development programming for incarcerated women. Projects should improve post-release opportunities and reduce recidivism, which can include but is not limited to:
  -Implementing and scaling gender-responsive curricula that address the unique needs and challenges faced by incarcerated women
  -Increasing vocational training opportunities in high-demand fields, ensuring that women gain skills that are relevant to the current job market
  -Incorporating life skills training, including financial literacy, parenting, and relationship management
  -Establishing ongoing partnerships and memorandums with educational institutions and employers to facilitate gender-specific post-release education and employment opportunities
  -Incorporating counseling, mentorship, and other support services to address issues such as trauma, substance abuse, and mental health as part of the educational curricula
• Multigenerational programming that supports the children of incarcerated individuals and prevents the school-to-prison pipeline. Efforts can include but are not limited to:
  -Addressing trauma and mental health needs of children of incarcerated parents
  -Maintaining the parent/child bond during incarceration
  -Supporting the caregivers/guardians of the children of incarcerated parents
  -Offering mentorship programs geared toward college access and success for students with incarcerated parents
  -Providing workforce development opportunities for youth and young adults with incarcerated parents  
• Efforts focused on increasing higher education retention and completion rates for individuals in prison and individuals being released from prison, which includes:
  -Bridging support during a person’s release from prison to ensure continuity and completion of a person’s higher education journey
  -Leveraging the talent and experience of incarcerated graduates in ongoing higher education in prison programs
  -Creating paid tutoring, mentoring, fellowship, and research opportunities for higher education in prison program alumni
• Workforce development efforts focused on engaging, educating, and partnering with employers to create job opportunities for systems-impacted individuals
  -Reducing the stigma of hiring systems impacted individuals
  -Creating more streamlined and equitable hiring practices that open the door for onboarding systems impacted individuals

Funding Cycle Details

The Spark Grant Program provides innovative, just-in-time grants that fill urgent needs for higher education organizations who are well-aligned with our focus areas. Grants are available to United States–based nonprofits. For this round of funding, we are honing our impact on organizations that are doing work in California. Organizations whose work does not impact California will be ineligible for this opportunity. Additional details are below:

• Please note your project must address at least one of the focus areas to be considered.
• We will award grants of up to $25,000 to nonprofits and educational institutions looking for support of projects that hit one of the focus areas outlined below.
• Proposals where Michelson Spark Grant funds are part of a larger overall project with multiple funding streams are welcomed.

Join Us to Learn More

Kenia Miranda Verdugo, Smart Justice Program Manager, and Ryan Erickson-Kulas, Director of Programs and Operations, are hosting an informational webinar on August 22, 2024. They will provide an in-depth overview of the Spark Grants program, highlight past awardees, and share detailed updates on the Smart Justice funding cycle.

Register