Southern Coalition for Social Justice
Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ) is a public charity based in Durham, North Carolina, formed in 2007. It partners with communities of color and economically disadvantaged communities across the South to defend and advance their rights, using legal advocacy, litigation, research, and strategic communications.
Southern Coalition for Social Justice at a glance
In short: Southern Coalition for Social Justice gave $298K across 30 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), top state Tennessee. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $297,500
- +20.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 30
- +25.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $9,917
- -3.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $19,528,240
- +4.9% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (13% 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 Southern Coalition for Social Justice
- Review Cycle
- The 2024–2025 application period opened May 28, 2024, and closed June 17, 2024.
- Deadline
- The 2024–2025 application period opened May 28, 2024, and closed June 17, 2024.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 51280, Durham, NC 27717
Phone: (919) 323-3380
Website: https://southerncoalition.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Southern Coalition for Social Justice funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was A Bella Lafemme Society ($12K). Together the top 10 received $102K.
Grant Size Distribution
137 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 134 grants of 137 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
SCSJ describes its work as serving communities across the South. Its website lists work across Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. The SOLVE Southern Spark Grants also named these ten states as its partner-state footprint.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Southern Coalition for Social Justice gives
- 20% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+6%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $30K (2020) to $1.3M (2022). In 2024 it made 30 grants totaling $298K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| A Bella Lafemme Society Baton Rouge, LA | Solve Spark Grant | $11,500 |
| Aliefvotes Houston, TX | Solve Spark Grant | $10,000 |
| American Muslim Advisory Council Nashville, TN | Solve Spark Grant | $10,000 |
| Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis Memphis, TN | Solve Spark Grant | $10,000 |
| El Paso Civic Education Organization El Paso, TX | Solve Spark Grant | $10,000 |
| Equal Ground Education Fund Orlando, FL | Solve Spark Grant | $10,000 |
| Farmworkers Self-Help Inc Dade City, FL | Solve Spark Grant | $10,000 |
| Hancock Community Development Corp Athens, GA | Solve Spark Grant | $10,000 |
| Harriet Tubman Freedom Fighters Jacksonville, FL | Solve Spark Grant | $10,000 |
| Hopeprint Inc Syracuse, NY | Solve Spark Grant | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $19,528,240 | $5,865,439 | $4,919,171 | $297,500 | 30 | $440,325 |
| 2023 | $18,622,649 | $4,414,000 | $4,402,390 | $246,000 | 24 | $447,141 |
| 2022 | $18,648,922 | $6,106,263 | $5,476,326 | $1,320,183 | 63 | $133,486 |
| 2021 | $17,670,501 | $7,784,740 | $4,356,993 | $280,000 | 19 | $6,160 |
| 2020 | $14,572,291 | $8,888,698 | $3,033,203 | $30,000 | 1 | $41,574 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
SCSJ’s stated mission is to partner with communities of color and economically disadvantaged communities across the South to defend and advance their political, social, and economic rights, and to expand access to justice through an intersectional and interdisciplinary approach.
Its stated program areas include protecting voting rights; addressing racial discrimination and inequities in the criminal legal system; and countering environmental inequities and discriminatory land-use practices. Its grantmaking through the SOLVE Southern Spark Grants supports organizational capacity-building for election protection, civic education, engagement, and participation.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of grantees. Equal Ground Education Fund describes its mission as engaging the rising American electorate through equal access to voting education and empowerment. El Paso Civic Education Organization says it promotes civic education and leadership skills, including outreach to low- and moderate-income families. Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights describes itself as a multiracial, multiethnic coalition working for dignity, power, and quality of life for immigrant and refugee communities.
Grantmaking
SCSJ administers grants for the SOLVE Network, a multi-state collaborative focused on protecting and expanding voting rights. Its 2024–2025 Southern Spark Grants were one-year project grants for community-based organizations working to advance an inclusive democracy. The program announced 30 awards of $10,000 across SOLVE’s ten partner states. The 2024 filing lists 30 grants totaling $297,500, with a median grant of $10,000 and individual grants ranging from $6,000 to $11,500.
The filing lists, among other grants, $11,500 to A Bella LaFemme Society and $10,000 each to Equal Ground Education Fund, Farmworkers Self-Help, Harriet Tubman Freedom Fighters, El Paso Civic Education Organization, and Hancock Community Development Corp. The 2024–2025 program announcement described projects including voter education about felony disenfranchisement and voter empowerment events.
For that grant cycle, applicants were expected to organize for equitable and inclusive representation with historically underrepresented communities and to connect voting rights with social, economic, racial, political, and environmental justice. The program prioritized nonpartisan civic education and engagement using advocacy, education, organizing, mobilization, and/or communications strategies. SCSJ states that 501(c)(3) status is not required, but funded activities must be nonpartisan. Grantees must submit final reports summarizing use of the funds. Funding decisions were made by the SOLVE Leadership Council and other state-based evaluators.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Ryan Roberson as Executive Director and Director. It also lists directors Lisa Jones, Gary Traynor, Susan Price, and Dr. Andra Gillespie. Other listed staff include Melissa Boughton, Communications Director; Mitchell Brown, Senior Counsel, Voting Rights; Jacob Sussman, Chief Counsel, Justice System Reform; Jeffrey Loperfido, Chief Counsel, Voting Rights; and Anne Harvey, Chief Counsel, Environmental Justice.
Southern Coalition for Social Justice is led by Ryan Roberson, Executive Director & Director since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 6 of 10 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ryan Roberson
Executive Director & Director
Co-Executive Director → Executive Director, 2023
Executive Director → Executive Director & Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$137K (2020) → $182K (2024)
Melissa Boughton
Communications Director
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$102K (2023) → $105K (2024)
Andra Gillespie
Director
On filings since 2020
0.6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gary Traynor
Director
On filings since 2020
0.6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Jones
Director
On filings since 2020
0.6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan Price
Director
On filings since 2020
0.6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anne Harvey
Chief Counsel & Environmental Justice
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$130K (2023) → $133K (2024)
Jacob Sussman
Chief Counsel & Justice System Reform
Interim Chief Counsel & Justice System Reform → Chief Counsel & Justice System Reform, 2024
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$114K (2023) → $153K (2024)
Jeffrey Loperfido
Chief Counsel & Voting Rights
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$129K (2023) → $131K (2024)
Mitchell Brown
Senior Counsel & Voting Rights
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$102K (2023) → $106K (2024)
Former officers (2)
- Former: Allison Riggs (2020–2023) — Co-Executive Director
- Former: Kareem Crayton (2020) — Executive Director
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 $182K, to Ryan Roberson (Executive Director & Director). 6 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Southern Coalition for Social Justice
How much does Southern Coalition for Social Justice give each year?
Southern Coalition for Social Justice gave $298K across 30 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $246K across 24 grants.
What is Southern Coalition for Social Justice's typical grant size?
Southern Coalition for Social Justice's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $9,917, across 30 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Southern Coalition for Social Justice give grants?
Southern Coalition for Social Justice's top state is Tennessee, with 13% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Alabama (13%) and Florida (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Baton Rouge, LA (2 grants) and Nashville, TN (2 grants).
Does Southern Coalition for Social Justice give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 30 grants with a stated purpose on Southern Coalition for Social Justice's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Solve Spark Grant" (26 grants) and "Spark Grant" (3 grants).
Who are Southern Coalition for Social Justice's largest grantees?
Southern Coalition for Social Justice's largest 2024 grantees include A Bella Lafemme Society ($11,500), Aliefvotes ($10,000) and American Muslim Advisory Council ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 11% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Southern Coalition for Social Justice?
Southern Coalition for Social Justice reported $19.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $5.9M.
What does Southern Coalition for Social Justice fund?
SCSJ’s stated mission is to partner with communities of color and economically disadvantaged communities across the South to defend and advance their political, social, and economic rights, and to expand access to justice through an intersectional and interdisciplinary approach. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Southern Coalition for Social Justice?
Southern Coalition for Social Justice has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check southerncoalition.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Southern Coalition for Social Justice's EIN?
Southern Coalition for Social Justice's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-0688375. 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 8, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Southern Coalition for Social Justice funds
Crime & Legal Related Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Southern Coalition for Social Justice's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Southern Coalition for Social Justice funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/southern-coalition-for-social-justice-morg_b07f1aaf94bb426dbdabbeeb27dbb91a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_260688375_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Southern Coalition for Social Justice funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/southern-coalition-for-social-justice-morg_b07f1aaf94bb426dbdabbeeb27dbb91a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Southern Coalition for Social Justice'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.
Southern Coalition for Social Justice down — hundreds of funders to go?