The Just Trust For Education

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $29.3 million (2024)
Total Moved to Field: $127.9 million since March 2022
Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
Grant Range: $8,000 - $5,000,000 (typical range $60,000 - $650,000)
Geographic Focus: National (United States)
Application Method: Currently not accepting unsolicited applications; rolling inquiry form available

Contact Details

Partnership Inquiries: partnerships@thejusttrust.org

General Contact: Available through website contact form

Email Format: First@thejusttrust.org

Overview

The Just Trust For Education (EIN 88-3436668) is the 501(c)(3) arm of The Just Trust, launched in January 2021 and based in Durham, NC. Founded by Ana Zamora with a $350 million seed investment from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the organization is dedicated to dramatically improving systems of safety and justice in the United States. Since its first wave of grantmaking in March 2022, The Just Trust has moved $127.9 million to criminal justice reform work, including $77.69 million through its 501(c)(3) arm. The organization operates through a "high trust, high engagement" model that extends beyond traditional grantmaking to provide strategic support, messaging research, narrative change initiatives, and advocacy expertise. In 2024, the organization awarded $29.3 million annually through 147 grants with a median grant of $102,000. The organization is transitioning into a criminal justice funding intermediary as it spends down its initial seed capital while actively fundraising for additional investors.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

General Operating Support: Multi-year general operating funds for criminal justice reform advocacy organizations (typical 2-year commitments, 75% of grants are multi-year)

Campaign Funding: Bounded timeline grants for advocacy moments including public education, ballot measures, and policy campaigns

Safer Communities Accelerator: $500,000 grants disbursed over two years for community-centered crime prevention models

Media & Narrative Projects: Support for news media infrastructure and narrative work that elevates justice reform

Project Support: For multi-issue organizations working on criminal justice reform advocacy projects

Priority Areas

The Just Trust funds work across six funding priorities:

Advocacy Infrastructure: Building state-by-state criminal justice reform advocacy capacity across all 50 states (70% of advocacy grantees engaged in base building, education, and storytelling)
Campaign Moments: Investment in key advocacy moments with bounded timelines and goals, including ballot measures and policy campaigns
Media & Narrative Projects: News media infrastructure and narrative work, including partnerships with Poynter Institute, AP Stylebook, The Marshall Project, Ear Hustle, and film projects like Sing Sing
Justice Alternatives: Bold front-end (pre-arrest & pre-trial) models for preventing crime, repairing harm, centering accountability, and strengthening communities
Partnership & Coordination: Facilitating alignment across the criminal justice reform ecosystem
Rapid Response: Quick deployment of resources during critical moments

Cross-Cutting Priorities:

Shrinking the criminal justice system's footprint
Expanding alternatives to address harm through restorative, community-centered models
Upholding human dignity and grace throughout the justice system
Centering safety and prevention in justice activities

Geographic & Audience Diversity: The organization funds partners working across the political spectrum, including very conservative (15.7%), moderately conservative (16.7%), moderately liberal (18.6%), liberal (9.8%), and mixed audiences (39.2%).

What They Don't Fund

The Just Trust does not:

Provide legal advice or assistance on individual cases
Engage on individual cases
Currently accept unsolicited grant applications (as of 2024-2025)

Governance and Leadership

Leadership

Ana Zamora, Founder & CEO: Zamora founded The Just Trust after serving as Director of Criminal Justice Reform at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, where she incubated her investment strategy. From 2009-2018, she was the criminal justice director of the ACLU of Northern California. Zamora has built The Just Trust to act as a powerful funding intermediary, addressing incarceration, rehabilitation, and systemic overcriminalization.

Ana Zamora on their approach: "We're 100% dedicated to scaling, aligning, and deploying resources across the criminal justice reform ecosystem."

Board Members

The Just Trust for Education (501(c)(3)) Board:

Priscilla Chan (Co-founder, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative)
Larry Miller (Chairman, Jordan Brand at Nike) - joined June 2024

The Just Trust for Action (501(c)(4)) Board:

Kevin Madden (Executive Vice President of Advocacy, Arnold Ventures; former advisor to U.S. Senator Mitt Romney)
David Plouffe (Former CZI executive and advisor to President Barack Obama)
Brian Hooks (CEO, Stand Together)
Jenny Kim (Partner, The Gober Group, formerly Philanthropy Roundtable)

The organization employs 15 staff members, including Senior Program Officers Neha Raval, James Gore, and Rebecca Greenberg.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Current Status: The Just Trust is not currently accepting unsolicited grant applications or proposals for funding as of 2024-2025. However, potential grantseekers can:

Sign up for email updates: Visit thejusttrust.org to join their email list for real-time updates on future funding opportunities
Submit general inquiries: Use the rolling inquiry form on their website contact page
Express interest: Organizations can submit information about their work through the website form to remain "top of mind for future funding opportunities"

Previous Application Process (when open calls were active):

Organizations submitted basic letters of intent through an online form
Select organizations were invited to submit full applications
Grant amounts were not predetermined; organizations requested funding based on their needs

The Just Trust's Grantmaking Philosophy: The organization describes itself as "approachable" and welcomes staying connected with organizations aligned with their mission, even when not actively accepting applications.

Decision Timeline

The Just Trust has not publicly disclosed specific timelines for application review and decision-making processes. Historical patterns show they have issued grants in waves, with their first grants moving in March 2022.

Success Rates

The Just Trust does not publicly disclose application success rates or the percentage of applications funded. Given their selective approach and focus on strategic partnerships, the process is highly competitive.

Reapplication Policy

Information about reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants is not publicly available. Organizations are encouraged to stay connected through the email list and inquiry form.

Application Success Factors

Based on The Just Trust's documented priorities and grantmaking patterns, successful applications demonstrate:

1. Alignment with Criminal Justice Reform Mission

Clear focus on one or more of their six funding priorities (advocacy infrastructure, campaign moments, media/narrative, justice alternatives, partnership/coordination, rapid response)
Work that advances their four core goals: shrinking the system's footprint, expanding alternatives to harm, upholding human dignity, and centering safety and prevention

2. Strong Research and Documented Impact According to Inside Philanthropy's analysis, success requires "demonstrating strong research, documented impact, and solid financial reporting aligned with their justice reform mission."

3. System-Impacted Leadership The organization prioritized organizations with system-impacted leaders and staff, having distributed $40.45 million (32% of total grantmaking) to such organizations.

4. Political Diversity and Broad Appeal The Just Trust values partners who work across the political spectrum, with nearly 40% of grantees working with mixed political audiences and others spanning very conservative to liberal constituencies.

5. Examples of Funded Work

Recent grant recipients and their work demonstrate what The Just Trust values:

Recidiviz ($2.5M): Technology solutions that helped over 17,000 people move out of the justice system due to data corrections
Families Against Mandatory Minimums Foundation ($1.0M): General operating support for sentencing reform advocacy
JustLeadershipUSA ($1.0M): General operating support for system-impacted leadership
Reform Alliance ($1.0M): Project support for criminal justice reform campaigns
The Marshall Project ($875K): General operating support for investigative journalism
Law Enforcement Action Partnership: Dayton community responder program (diverted hundreds of nonviolent calls in first three months)
Prison Journalism Project: Two-year grant for media/narrative work
Ear Hustle: Partnership for live tour reaching thousands across the country
Cure Violence Global: Safer Communities Accelerator partnership

6. Capacity for Strategic Engagement

The organization's "high trust, high engagement" model means they value partners who can:

Engage with strategic advisory support (32% of grantees received this)
Collaborate on messaging strategies (30% of grantees)
Connect with aligned organizations (42% of grantees connected with other organizations)
Participate in national justice reform trends discussions (51% of grantees)

7. Prevention and Front-End Solutions

The Just Trust shows strong preference for:

Pre-arrest and pre-trial intervention models
Community-centered accountability systems
Alternatives to incarceration that build genuine safety
Programs that prevent rollbacks of reform gains (66% of advocacy grantees worked on prevention)

8. Media and Narrative Change

For media-focused applicants, success factors include:

Focus on prevention and rehabilitation possibilities (94% of media grantees)
Solutions-oriented coverage (44% included solutions in coverage)
Use of multiple sources vs. single-source reporting (50% increased multiple-source reporting)
Starting or expanding criminal justice coverage (69% of media grantees)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Stay Connected Even When Applications Are Closed: Use the rolling inquiry form and email list to remain on The Just Trust's radar for when funding opportunities reopen, as they are transitioning to an intermediary model and may open new funding streams.
Focus on Multi-Year Sustainability: 75% of inaugural grants were multi-year commitments, typically for 2 years. Frame requests around general operating support or substantial project support rather than short-term projects.
Demonstrate Political Bridge-Building: The Just Trust values organizations that can work across the political spectrum; highlight any conservative partnerships or ability to engage diverse audiences.
Emphasize System-Impacted Leadership: Organizations with system-impacted leaders and staff are a priority, representing 32% of total grantmaking dollars.
Think Beyond Traditional Advocacy: The organization values creative approaches including media partnerships, narrative change, technology solutions, and cultural interventions (like film screenings and podcasts).
Request Amounts Strategically: While grants range from $8,000 to $5 million, the median is $102,000 and the typical range is $60,000-$650,000. Early-stage organizations should aim for the lower-middle range; established organizations with proven track records can request higher amounts.
Prepare for High-Engagement Partnership: This is not a "write the check and walk away" funder. They provide strategic support, messaging research, and advocacy expertise. Be ready to engage deeply if funded.

References

ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Just Trust For Education - Basic organizational information and tax filing data
GrantExec - The Just Trust For Education - Grant amounts and recipient information
InfluenceWatch - The Just Trust for Education - Organizational history and funding sources
The Just Trust - Founding Board Members Announcement - Governance information
TIME - Just Trust CEO Ana Zamora Interview - CEO background and mission
Inside Philanthropy - The Just Trust Profile - Application process and funding priorities
The Just Trust 2023-2024 Annual Report - Financial data, impact metrics, and strategic priorities
PR Newswire - Just Trust Publishes 2022-2023 Annual Report - Historical funding information
Philanthropy News Digest - Just Trust Awards $36.3 Million - Grant recipient examples
PR Newswire - Just Trust Announces First Grants - Initial grantmaking approach
Inside Philanthropy - The Just Trust Becomes Justice Reform Intermediary - Strategic transition information
Prison Journalism Project - Multi-Year Grant Announcement - Grant duration example
The Just Trust - Larry Miller Joins Board - Recent governance updates
Cure Violence Global - Safer Communities Accelerator - Partnership program information

Date accessed: December 25, 2025