Public Welfare Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 54-0597601 · since 1966publicwelfare.org·Colorado, Georgia, Jackson, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Milwaukee, Oklahoma, Tennessee, United St…·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$25.5M

Annual giving, 2023 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$10,000 to $300k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$100k

Typical grant (median)

210 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

Rolling, no deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

Public Welfare Foundation funds criminal justice reform, youth justice reform, community violence reduction and justice storytelling across the United States, with priority given to Colorado, Georgia, Jackson, Mississippi, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Milwaukee, Wisc., Oklahoma, Tennessee and Washington, D.C.; a project matching these themes and areas is the clearest fit.
Most grants to organisations fall between $10,000 and $300,000, and half of its grants are $120,000 or less, so a request in this range is realistic, and the Foundation often makes multi-year and general support grants.
Applicants should start with an online Letter of Inquiry describing the project, organisation and purpose of the request; the IRS filing gives no deadlines, and only ideas that fit the Foundation's funding goals are invited by email to submit a full proposal.
In its most recent filing, 61% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded the year before, suggesting it leans towards sustained relationships with grantees, though this is a share of dollars rather than of the number of grants made.
The Foundation does not fund individuals, scholarships, direct service work such as individual support services or case management, or international projects, and organisations must hold 501(c)(3) status or apply through a fiscal sponsor.

Overview

Public Welfare Foundation is a US private foundation based in Washington, DC.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

Public Welfare Foundation supports nonprofits working to transform adult criminal justice and youth justice in the United States. It seeks a community-led, restorative and racially just approach, backing policy and system reform intended to improve lives. It looks for strategic points where its funding can make a difference and prioritises leadership by people most proximate to the issues. Its work includes community-centred interventions to reduce harm and violence, as well as storytelling, journalism and other efforts to reframe the criminal justice system. It often makes multi-year and general support grants and clusters funding under targeted strategies for longer-term change. Organisations must hold 501(c)(3) status or apply through a fiscal sponsor.

Themes

Criminal justice reform
Youth justice reform
Community violence reduction
Justice storytelling

Geographic Focus

United States. Priority: Colorado; Georgia; Jackson, Mississippi; Louisiana; Maryland; Michigan; Milwaukee, Wisc.; Oklahoma; Tennessee; Washington, D.C.

What They Don't Fund

Individuals
Scholarships
Direct service work (ex. individual support services, case management)
International projects

How to apply

Organisations submit an online Letter of Inquiry describing the project, organisation and purpose of the request. If the Foundation determines that a project fits its funding goals, it invites the applicant by email to submit a full proposal.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2023 filing, 61% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2022 and TY2023 filings, half of its 369 grants to organisations were $120,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

It prioritises leadership by people most proximate to the issues facing the nation.
Staff assess whether the proposed project fits the Foundation’s funding guidelines and available resources.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2023.

Grant dollars by state

Louisiana12%

New York10%

California10%

District of Columbia9%

Colorado9%

Michigan8%

6 other states: 30%

Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 11%

The largest single recipient received 2% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2023, 61% of grant dollars went to organisations Public Welfare Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
14% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

210 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $100k

How much do they typically give?

Share of 210 grants in tax year 2023 by size

Under $1k5%

$1k–$2.5k1%

$2.5k–$5k<1%

$5k–$10k2%

$10k–$25k10%

$25k–$50k10%

$50k–$100k8%

$100k–$250k53%

$250k–$500k9%

$500k–$1M1%

Median $100k (tax year 2023)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan · Support for the Michigan Justice Fund
$500,0002023 tax year
Foundation for Louisiana · Support for Louisiana Justice Fund
$500,0002023 tax year
Just Trust for Education · Support for the Oklahoma Justice Funders Collaborative
$500,0002023 tax year
Princeton University · Support for Research and Practice Network on Gun Violence Reduction
$409,3232023 tax year
ORS Impact · Support for 2024 Evaluation and Learning Partnership
$405,0002023 tax year
Ubuntu Village Nola · Support for Mission Support Funding
$400,0002023 tax year
Vera Institute of Justice · Support for Vera's True Line Project
$400,0002023 tax year
Operation Restoration · Support for Continuing to meet the needs of our community
$300,0002023 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Mananzala Rickke — Director
Diaz Evelyn — Director
Washington Eric — Director
Taylor-Thompson Kim — Director
Oliveros Gumersindo — Director
Meade Sheena — Director
Larsen Tamara — Director
Graham Christopher — Director
Byrd Donna — Director
Jones Candice — President
Alexander Craig — CFAO

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

2 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$40,014,035	$24,734,650	$567,506,423	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$32,952,461	$25,497,906	$601,086,862	Filing for 2023 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.