Southern Coalition for Social Justice
The Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and public interest law firm based in Durham, North Carolina. Founded in August 2007, SCSJ is a multidisciplinary organization composed of lawyers, social scientists, community organizers, and media specialists. The organization operates as a nonpartisan legal and advocacy entity dedicated to supporting communities of color and economically disadvantaged communities across the South in dismantling systems of structural racism and oppression.
Key facts about Southern Coalition for Social Justice
- EIN
- 26-0688375
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $297,500
- Grants made (2024)
- 30
- Average grant
- $9,917
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $19,528,240
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (13% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026.
Who Southern Coalition for Social Justice funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Southern Coalition for Social Justice's 30 itemized 2024 grants were Tennessee (13%), Alabama (13%) and Florida (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Baton Rouge, LA (2 grants) and Nashville, TN (2 grants). None of its 30 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Solve Spark Grant" (26 grants) and "Spark Grant" (3 grants).
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 IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with Southern Coalition for Social Justice
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Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$19.5M
+4.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$298K
+20.9% YoY
Grant Count
30
+25.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$10K
-3.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: SCSJ partners with communities of color and economically disadvantaged communities across the South to defend and advance their political, social, and economic rights. Through an intersectional and interdisciplinary approach, the organization combines legal advocacy, litigation, research, and strategic communications to expand access to justice for all.
Primary Focus Areas:
Voting Rights: Protecting minority voting rights and strengthening meaningful opportunities for effective civic participation. Work includes defending the Voting Rights Act through fair redistricting and minimizing elections administration practices that threaten free democratic participation, such as photo ID requirements, restrictions on voter registration and early voting, and election day voter challenges.
Criminal Justice Reform: Challenging racial discrimination at all stages of the criminal justice system and its impact on racial and ethnic minority communities. Through its Justice System Reform (JSR) initiative, SCSJ works to end the school-to-prison pipeline, ensure police accountability, end racial profiling and mass incarceration, eliminate unfair collateral consequences of involvement with the criminal legal system, and challenge systemic racial discrimination.
Environmental Justice: Advancing environmental justice and advocacy, supporting community-driven efforts.
Human Rights: Ending discrimination against immigrants and the mistreatment of undocumented persons.
Grantmaking
SCSJ engages in grantmaking activities with typical awards ranging from $5,500 to $522,933. The organization's grant-making focuses on education, philanthropy, voluntarism and grantmaking, and human services. Total giving reported was $298,000 based on the most recent IRS Form 990 filing.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
SCSJ operates throughout the southern United States, with current work in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Mississippi. The organization defines the South as encompassing Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. The organization's work is grounded in deep, trust-based relationships with community-based organizations across the region.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 30 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Financial Data (2024):
- Total Assets: $19,528,240
- Total Revenue: $5,865,439
- Total Expenses: $4,919,171
Previous Year Data (2023):
- Total Assets: $18.6M
- Total Revenue: $4.41M
- Total Expenses: $4.4M
- Total Liabilities: $381k
Staffing: The organization employs approximately 30 people across multiple departments including legal, research, marketing, communications, and consulting functions.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $19,528,240 | $18,622,649 | $18,648,922 |
| Revenue | $5,865,439 | $4,414,000 | $6,106,263 |
| Expenses | $4,919,171 | $4,402,390 | $5,476,326 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $440,325 | $447,141 | $133,486 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
137 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include A Bella Lafemme Society ($11,500), Aliefvotes ($10,000), American Muslim Advisory Council ($10,000).
| 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 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Executive Director: Ryan Roberson, Esq.
- Founder: Anita Earls (2007-2017)
- Research Director: Christopher Ketchie
- Communications Director: Melissa Boughton
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
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
SCSJ has been active in funding grassroots organizing efforts across the South, directing resources to southern grassroots groups to engage and empower voters. The organization has also been involved in significant criminal justice advocacy, including work related to death row commutations and broader justice system reform initiatives.
Funding Heads to Southern Grassroots Groups, Empowers Voters | SCSJSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Southern Coalition for Social Justice fund?
**Mission Statement:** SCSJ partners with communities of color and economically disadvantaged communities across the South to defend and advance their political, social, and economic rights. Through an intersectional and interdisciplinary approach, the organization combines legal advocacy, litigation, research, and strategic communications to expand access to justice for all. **Primary Focus Areas:** • **Voting Rights:** Protecting minority voting rights and strengthening meaningful opportuniti…
How do I apply for a grant from Southern Coalition for Social Justice?
SCSJ engages in grantmaking activities with typical awards ranging from $5,500 to $522,933. The organization's grant-making focuses on education, philanthropy, voluntarism and grantmaking, and human services. Total giving reported was $298,000 based on the most recent IRS Form 990 filing.
Where does Southern Coalition for Social Justice make grants?
SCSJ operates throughout the southern United States, with current work in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Mississippi. The organization defines the South as encompassing Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. The organization's work is grounded in deep, trust-based relationships with community-based organizations across the region.
What size grants does Southern Coalition for Social Justice award?
In 2024, Southern Coalition for Social Justice awarded 30 grants totaling $298K — an average of about $10K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
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.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.