Justice Catalyst Partnerships
Justice Catalyst Partnerships is a public charity based in Charlottesville, Virginia. It supports public-interest legal work and collaborations that use the legal system to address widespread injustices, including through grantmaking, philanthropic advising, convenings, and a fellowship program.
Justice Catalyst Partnerships at a glance
In short: Justice Catalyst Partnerships gave $1.7M across 21 grants in 2024 (avg $83K), top state New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,735,782
- +137.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 21
- +600.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $82,656
- -66.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $70,000
- Total assets
- $1,977,102
- -9.7% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- New York (48% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Justice Catalyst Partnerships
- Invitation Only
-
General grantmaking is by invitation only; the fellowship program is the exception. The organization says it monitors grant use against agreed project activities and charitable purposes. Recipients submit periodic reports, and, where appropriate, subsequent grant payments are made only after reporting on proper use of funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 937 Belmont Ave, Charlottesville, VA 22902
Phone: (434) 305-0375
Website: https://justicecatalyst.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from Justice Catalyst Partnerships
Jonathan W. Cuneo COSAL/Justice Catalyst Antitrust Fellowship
Justice Catalyst Partnerships
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Justice Catalyst Access Fund (JCAF) - Justice Note
Justice Catalyst Partnerships
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling (quarterly review)
Justice Catalyst Fellowship
Justice Catalyst Partnerships
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Justice Catalyst Partnerships funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was North Star Fund Inc ($406K). Together the top 10 received $1.3M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($32,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
27 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 11 grants of 27 (41%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The fellowship program is listed as United States-wide. In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in New York (48%), Illinois (18%), and the District of Columbia (13%); West Virginia received 5% and Alaska 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Justice Catalyst Partnerships gives
- Giving grew 594% from 2021 to 2024. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $250K (2021) to $1.7M (2024). In 2024 it made 21 grants totaling $1.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| North Star Fund Inc New York, NY | Charitable Fellowship Projects | $406,000 |
| Kaplan & Grady LLC Chicago, IL | Charitable Public Health (Access to Medication) Litigation | $167,672 |
| Roderick and Solange Macarthur Justice Center Niles, IL | Charitable Fellowship Projects | $140,660 |
| Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Inc New York, NY | Charitable Fellowship Projects | $140,000 |
| Community Education Group Inc Lost City, WV | Charitable Public Health (Access to Medication) Advocacy | $95,000 |
| American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska Foundation Anchorage, AK | Charitable Fellowship Project | $70,000 |
| Cuneo Gilbert & Laduca LLP Washington, DC | Charitable Fellowship Project | $70,000 |
| Legal Action Center of the City of New York Inc New York, NY | Charitable Fellowship Project | $70,000 |
| New York Legal Assistance Group New York, NY | Charitable Fellowship Project | $70,000 |
| National Advocates for Pregnant Women New York, NY | Charitable Fellowship Project | $70,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Justice Catalyst Partnerships?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,977,102 | $2,297,216 | $2,920,113 | $1,735,782 | 21 | $639 |
| 2023 | $2,190,664 | $2,713,729 | $1,441,502 | $730,000 | 3 | $983 |
| 2022 | $894,149 | $105,912 | $1,151,729 | $1,080,000 | 2 | $312 |
| 2021 | $1,941,725 | $2,210,086 | $417,744 | $250,000 | 1 | $86 |
| 2020 | $150,631 | $210,000 | $63,791 | — | — | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Justice Catalyst Partnerships’ stated mission is to promote valuable public-interest legal work that seeks to improve the lives of people often denied access to justice and to achieve systemic change within the legal system and profession.
Its 2024 filing describes a project-based fellowship program supporting public-interest projects at legal and law-related organizations, as well as grantmaking and philanthropic advising on issues such as civil rights, workers’ rights, access to justice, and public health. The organization also describes convenings of justice-focused litigators and experts to develop strategies for justice. Its website identifies social and economic justice and corporate and state accountability as areas of work.
Grantees’ own descriptions show a range of supported organizations and work. North Star Fund says it supports community organizing in New York and awards grants to emerging grassroots groups. Legal Aid at Work says it helps people understand and assert workplace rights and advocates for employment systems that empower low-paid workers and marginalized communities. Upper Seven Law says it works to hold the powerful accountable and advocate for Montanans’ constitutional rights.
Grantmaking
In 2024, Justice Catalyst Partnerships reported 21 grants totaling $1,735,782. Grant amounts ranged from $8,950 to $406,000, with a median of $70,000. The largest grants included $406,000 to North Star Fund, $167,672 to Kaplan & Grady LLC for public-health litigation concerning access to medication, $140,660 to the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center, and $140,000 to the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project. Other grants included $95,000 to Community Education Group for public-health advocacy concerning access to medication and $70,000 each to the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska Foundation, Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca LLP, Legal Action Center of the City of New York, New York Legal Assistance Group, National Advocates for Pregnant Women, and the National Police Accountability Project.
The organization says its fellowship program supports high-impact social-justice projects and attorneys’ legal careers. Fellowship projects center on litigation; the organization’s guidance describes projects involving specific litigation, building a sustainable affirmative-litigation practice, or supporting a litigation ecosystem. The regular Justice Catalyst Fellowship is listed as active, with applications generally opening in the fall for a one-year, potentially renewable fellowship. Eligible applicants include graduating law students and law school graduates up to two years out; host organizations may include nonprofits, unions, government agencies, and plaintiff-side or public-interest law firms. The specialized 2025–2026 Jonathan W. Cuneo COSAL/Justice Catalyst Antitrust Fellowship cycle is closed.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Whitney Benns, Esq., as director and president; Blake Strode, Esq., as director and treasurer; Max Utzschneider, Esq., as director and secretary; Jacob Lipton, Esq., as executive director; and Renee Schomp as deputy director.
Justice Catalyst Partnerships is led by Jacob Lipton Esq., Executive Director since 2022 (on filings since 2020); 2 of 5 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jacob Lipton Esq.
Executive Director
Associate Director → Executive Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$119K (2021) → $209K (2024)
Whitney Benns Esq.
Director & President
Director → Director & President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Blake Strode Esq.
Director & Treasurer
Director → Director & Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Max Utzschneider Esq.
Director & Secretary
Director → Director & Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Renee Schomp
Deputy Director
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$146K (2023) → $148K (2024)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $209K, to Jacob Lipton ESQ (Executive Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Justice Catalyst Partnerships
How much does Justice Catalyst Partnerships give each year?
Justice Catalyst Partnerships gave $1.7M across 21 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $730K across 3 grants.
What is Justice Catalyst Partnerships's typical grant size?
Justice Catalyst Partnerships's median grant in 2024 was $70,000, and its average grant was $82,656, across 21 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Justice Catalyst Partnerships give grants?
Justice Catalyst Partnerships's top state is New York, with 48% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Illinois (18%) and District of Columbia (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (7 grants) and Washington, DC (4 grants).
Does Justice Catalyst Partnerships give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on Justice Catalyst Partnerships's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable Fellowship Project" (15 grants) and "Charitable Fellowship Projects" (3 grants).
Who are Justice Catalyst Partnerships's largest grantees?
Justice Catalyst Partnerships's largest 2024 grantees include North Star Fund Inc ($406,000), Kaplan & Grady LLC ($167,672) and Roderick and Solange Macarthur Justice Center ($140,660), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($32,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Justice Catalyst Partnerships?
Justice Catalyst Partnerships reported $2.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.3M.
What does Justice Catalyst Partnerships fund?
Justice Catalyst Partnerships’ stated mission is to promote valuable public-interest legal work that seeks to improve the lives of people often denied access to justice and to achieve systemic change within the legal system and profession. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Justice Catalyst Partnerships?
General grantmaking is by invitation only; the fellowship program is the exception. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Justice Catalyst Partnerships's EIN?
Justice Catalyst Partnerships's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-1462968. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 6, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 10, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Justice Catalyst Partnerships's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Justice Catalyst Partnerships funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/justice-catalyst-partnerships-morg_e09f4c42887b455ba807a2d0ccbfca24
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_851462968_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Justice Catalyst Partnerships funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/justice-catalyst-partnerships-morg_e09f4c42887b455ba807a2d0ccbfca24},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Justice Catalyst Partnerships'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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