Accountable Justice Action Fund
Accountable Justice Action Fund is a public charity based in Albany, New York. Its stated mission is to support and promote criminal justice reform through public education, advocacy, donor advising, and grantmaking, with grants and donor advising identified as its core program areas.
Accountable Justice Action Fund at a glance
In short: Accountable Justice Action Fund gave $2.9M across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $287K), mostly in New York. 50% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,870,000
- -42.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- -23.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $287,000
- -25.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $192,500
- Total assets
- $22,453,578
- +21.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (5 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (51% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Accountable Justice Action Fund
- Contact
Mailing address: 418 Broadway 5040, Albany, NY 12207
Phone: (802) 823-2911
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Accountable Justice Action Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Working Families Party National Pac ($1.5M). Together the top 10 received $2.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
67 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 17 grants of 67 (25%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states. The largest shares went to New York (51%), Pennsylvania (14%), California (9%), Illinois (8%), and Virginia (7%). These figures describe the locations of 2025 grant recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Accountable Justice Action Fund open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 10 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $119K; repeat grants $455K. How we count
Medians: $70K first-time, $200K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.1M (2021) to $8.0M (2020). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $2.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Working Families Party National Pac Brooklyn, NY | Criminal Justice Reform | $1,470,000 |
| Straight Ahead Organization Pittsburg, PA | Criminal Justice Reform/General Support | $400,000 |
| Organize Action Cloverdale, CA | Impact Strategy Action Initiative's Criminal Justice Reform | $250,000 |
| Governance Protection Project Falls Church, VA | Criminal Justice Reform | $200,000 |
| Step up for Action New Orleans, LA | Criminal Justice Reform | $200,000 |
| The People's Lobby Chicago, IL | Criminal Justice Reform/General Support | $185,000 |
| Equity Action Austin, TX | Criminal Justice Reform | $70,000 |
| TPL Justice Pac Chicago, IL | Criminal Justice Reform | $50,000 |
| Caldwell-Hays Examiner Lockhart, TX | General Support | $25,000 |
| Tides Advocacy San Francisco, CA | Solidaire Action | $20,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $22,453,578 | $10,481,549 | $5,997,970 | $2,870,000 | 10 | $972,704 |
| 2024 | $18,456,403 | $3,101,859 | $6,921,226 | $4,998,000 | 13 | $1,001,859 |
| 2023 | $21,304,501 | $12,127,576 | $7,428,068 | $5,405,000 | 16 | $602,576 |
| 2022 | $17,302,951 | $19,744,733 | $8,532,839 | $7,360,000 | 13 | $-130,267 |
| 2021 | $5,793,511 | $8,000,684 | $2,510,579 | $2,076,645 | 15 | $684 |
| 2020 | $3,490,926 | $8,451,294 | $8,660,830 | $7,995,765 | 24 | $51,294 |
| 2019 | $2,130,983 | $270,350 | $4,679,783 | $4,222,142 | 11 | $70,350 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The funder says it supports organizations working to reform the criminal legal system and reduce incarceration in the United States. Its filing describes past grant support for community organizing, leadership development, direct advocacy, journalism, narrative change, and policy reform. It says it seeks to fund innovative leaders and organizations pursuing strategies to reduce incarceration and develop effective alternatives to incarceration that keep communities safe.
The funder also reports providing grantees and peer movement leaders with support that can include fundraising, operational assistance, partnership building, and strategic planning. Its filing describes a four-day convening in FY25 for 450 leaders, with workshops and trainings on organizing, strategy, communications, interpersonal healing, and management.
Examples of grantees’ own stated missions illustrate the range of organizations receiving support. Organize Action says it advances social welfare and the common good by promoting democracy and human rights. The Governance Protection Project says it organizes and provides financial support for elected officials facing anti-democratic attempts at removal from office. Step Up for Action says it organizes for education and economic justice. The People’s Lobby says it educates citizens about public policy and organizes them to act in the public arena for social, racial, and economic justice. Equity Action describes itself as a Texas nonprofit focused on strengthening and advancing local transformative criminal justice efforts.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the funder reported 10 grants totaling $2,870,000. Grant amounts ranged from $20,000 to $1,470,000, with a median of $192,500.
Notable 2025 grants included $1,470,000 to Working Families Party National PAC for criminal justice reform; $400,000 to Straight Ahead Organization for criminal justice reform and general support; $250,000 to Organize Action for the Impact Strategy Action Initiative’s criminal justice reform; and $200,000 each to Governance Protection Project and Step Up for Action for criminal justice reform. The People’s Lobby received $185,000 for criminal justice reform and general support, and Equity Action received $70,000 for criminal justice reform.
The filing says outside legal counsel reviews potential grantees’ eligibility based on tax-exempt status and organization type. Grants are analyzed to determine whether they are for electoral or advocacy purposes. Some grants use formal grant agreements; for others, the funder obtains a receipt or written exchange. The funder reports regular progress reviews and internal reports, typically at six months, one year, and grant closure or renewal. Its filing also describes project-specific grants and contractor work involving political activity, including support for electing public officials whose policy positions align with its mission.
The funder separately reports that it recommended more than $5 million to dozens of organizations through a donor-advised fund in FY25 and that, in 2025, more than $10 million in multiyear commitments to other funders’ grantees were made based on its recommendations. These are reported as donor-advising activity, distinct from the funder’s own grants.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Chloe Cockburn as CEO, president, and secretary; Tim Silard as treasurer; and Michelle Crentsil as a director. It lists Michael Kieschnick as a director until July 2025 and Rashad Robinson as a director until April 2025. Other listed personnel are Zachary Carpenter, senior advisor; Jasson Perez, program lead; and Povneet Dhillon, grants and operation manager.
Accountable Justice Action Fund is led by Chloe Cockburn, CEO, President & Secretary since 2023 (on filings since 2019); 4 of 8 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Chloe Cockburn
CEO, President & Secretary
Treasurer → CEO Treasurer, 2022
CEO Treasurer → CEO, President & Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2019
60 hrs/week
$321K (2022) → $505K (2025)
Michael Kieschnick
Director
On filings since 2019
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rashad Robinson
Director
President → Director, 2023
On filings since 2019
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Crentsil
Director
On filings since 2021
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Zachary Carpenter
Senior Advisor
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$85K (2023) → $187K (2025)
Jasson Perez
Program Lead
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$110K (2024) → $166K (2025)
Povneet Dhillon
Grants & Operation Manager
New on the 2025 filing
30 hrs/week
$117K (2025)
Tim Silard
Treasurer
Secretary → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2019
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $505K, to Chloe Cockburn (CEO/President/Secretary). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Accountable Justice Action Fund
How much does Accountable Justice Action Fund give each year?
Accountable Justice Action Fund gave $2.9M across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $5.0M across 13 grants.
What is Accountable Justice Action Fund's typical grant size?
Accountable Justice Action Fund's median grant in 2025 was $192,500, and its average grant was $287,000, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Accountable Justice Action Fund that year got $119K on average.
Where does Accountable Justice Action Fund give grants?
Accountable Justice Action Fund gives mostly in New York: 51% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (14%) and California (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (2 grants).
Does Accountable Justice Action Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 30% of Accountable Justice Action Fund's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Criminal Justice Reform" (5 grants).
Who are Accountable Justice Action Fund's largest grantees?
Accountable Justice Action Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Working Families Party National Pac ($1,470,000), Straight Ahead Organization ($400,000) and Organize Action ($250,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 74% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Accountable Justice Action Fund?
Accountable Justice Action Fund reported $22.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $10.5M.
What does Accountable Justice Action Fund fund?
The funder says it supports organizations working to reform the criminal legal system and reduce incarceration in the United States. Its filing describes past grant support for community organizing, leadership development, direct advocacy, journalism, narrative change, and policy reform. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Accountable Justice Action Fund?
Accountable Justice Action Fund has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Accountable Justice Action Fund's EIN?
Accountable Justice Action Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-3247136. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 14, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Accountable Justice Action Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/accountable-justice-action-fund-morg_aa29800cbb56457c8cf73c5b37d68d0e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_823247136_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Accountable Justice Action Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/accountable-justice-action-fund-morg_aa29800cbb56457c8cf73c5b37d68d0e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Accountable Justice Action Fund's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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