Quick Stats
- Annual Giving: $954,250 (2023 tax year, from 990-PF field: contrpdpbks)
- Grant Range: $500 to $50,000 (based on Inside Philanthropy records)
- Geographic Focus: National, with emphasis on communities where board members live and work
- Application Method: Invitation-only
- Number of Grants: 51 grants (2023 tax year)
- Average Grant: $18,711 (2023 tax year)
- Total Assets: $10,934,945 (2023 tax year)
Contact Details
- Website: www.butlerfamilyfund.org
- Email: info@butlerfamilyfund.org
- Phone: (202) 463-8288
- Address: 4200 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 106-342, Washington, DC 20016-2143
Funding Priorities
The Butler Family Fund seeks lasting solutions for people experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness and an equitable criminal legal system, operating through a racial justice lens.
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Housing Justice: Supports organisations examining generations of housing and lending discrimination that have prevented people of colour from experiencing the benefits of affordable, safe, and healthy homes. Focuses on partnerships and advocacy work aiming to impact systems-level change and drive investment of public funds.
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Criminal Legal Reform: Supports organisations examining how structural racism is embedded in the criminal legal system and those working to develop an equitable system. Specific focus areas include:
- Ending extreme sentencing, capital punishment, and life without parole for juvenile offenders
- Drug policy reform promoting decriminalisation of simple drug possession and use
- Treatment over incarceration policies
- Improving opportunity and access to re-entry programmes and services, especially for women
Recent Grant Pattern
Based on most recent 990-PF grant records, the fund supports organisations across multiple states including Maryland, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee, and Florida. Typical grantee types include criminal justice reform organisations, housing advocacy groups, and community organising groups, particularly those that are BIPOC-led.
Representative recent grantees include:
- Texas Centre for Justice and Equity
- Life After Release of Maryland
- Black Lives Matter of Oklahoma City
- Action St. Louis
- Nashville Organised for Action and Hope
- Miami Workers Centre
- Funders for Justice
What They Don't Fund
- Unsolicited proposals (does not accept)
- Direct service programmes (prefers advocacy and policy work over traditional direct services)
- At-risk youth programmes (moved away from this focus area in 2001)
- Organisations outside criminal legal reform and housing justice
- Individuals
Application Process & Timeline
The fund does not accept unsolicited proposals and only makes contributions to preselected charitable organisations. The foundation tends to stick with organisations with which it has collaborated in the past, making it particularly difficult for new organisations to receive funding.
Interested organisations cannot apply directly. The fund proactively identifies and approaches potential grantees based on board members' connections and communities.
References
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