The Just Trust for Action
The Just Trust for Action is a public charity based in Durham, North Carolina, formed in 2021. It supports criminal justice reform advocacy at the state and national levels through grantmaking and other field-support activities.
The Just Trust for Action at a glance
In short: The Just Trust for Action gave $15.8M across 24 grants in 2024 (avg $659K), top state District of Columbia. 26% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $15,805,000
- -15.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 24
- +14.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $658,542
- -25.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $100,000
- Total assets
- $56,968,972
- -17.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (5 of 19, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (35% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Just Trust for Action
- How to Apply
-
The organization invites funding inquiries through a rolling grant inquiry form. It describes this as an open call for people advancing justice reform to share information about their work for consideration for future funding opportunities. Its filing says grant recipients are selected through internal review and, when applicable under organizational policies, board approval and notification. Grantees are monitored and submit narrative and financial progress reports; second-year payments on two-year grants depend on review and approval of interim reports.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2530 Meridian Parkway 300, Durham, NC 27713
Phone: (984) 263-9039
Website: https://thejusttrust.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Just Trust for Action funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was FWDUS ($5.0M). Together the top 10 received $14.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
74 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 29 grants of 74 (39%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization’s website describes its work as supporting criminal justice reform across the country and identifies a goal of building advocacy infrastructure in all 50 states. In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state went to Washington, DC (35%), New York (34%), and California (22%). Oregon accounted for 3% and Kentucky for 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Just Trust for Action open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 19 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $131K; repeat grants $1.1M. How we count
Medians: $135K first-time, $300K repeat.
- 63% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2022–2024). 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 2022 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $15.8M (2024) to $18.6M (2023). In 2024 it made 24 grants totaling $15.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| FWDUS Washington, DC | Project Support for Criminal Justice Reform Advocacy | $5,000,000 |
| Action for Safety and Justice Sacramento, CA | General Operating Support | $3,000,000 |
| American Civil Liberties Union New York, NY | Project Support for Criminal Justice Reform Advocacy | $3,000,000 |
| Drug Policy Action New York, NY | General Operating Support | $1,500,000 |
| Vera Action Brooklyn, NY | Project Support for Criminal Justice Reform Advocacy | $750,000 |
| Families Against Mandatory Minimums Washington, DC | General Operating Support | $500,000 |
| Rebuild the Dream Oakland, CA | Project Support for Criminal Justice Reform Advocacy | $300,000 |
| Stand for Children Portland, OR | Project Support for Criminal Justice Reform Advocacy | $300,000 |
| American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Louisiana New Orleans, LA | Project Support for Criminal Justice Reform Advocacy | $200,000 |
| Empower Mississippi Ridgeland, MS | Project Support for Criminal Justice Reform Advocacy | $200,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Just Trust for Action?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $56,968,972 | $2,659,898 | $17,253,007 | $15,805,000 | 24 | $1,597,003 |
| 2023 | $69,064,381 | $2,935,851 | $22,812,285 | $18,645,000 | 21 | $853,097 |
| 2022 | $89,222,270 | — | $21,549,327 | $16,834,500 | 29 | — |
| 2021 | $109,893,082 | $109,900,000 | $290,077 | — | — | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to accelerate the momentum of criminal justice reform advocates, from legislative victories to long-term efforts to change perceptions. Its filing describes support for criminal justice reform at the state and national levels, including grantmaking, strategic field support, donor alignment, network-building, and research supporting policy goals and campaigns.
Its website identifies focus areas including advocacy infrastructure, campaign moments, community safer solutions, partnership and coordination, media and narrative projects, and rapid response. For advocacy organizations, it says it provides stable, largely multiyear general operating support; for multi-issue organizations, it provides project support for criminal justice reform advocacy.
The 2024 grantees illustrate the range of organizations supported. FWD.US describes its work as organizing constituencies around policy changes, including criminal justice reform. The ACLU describes its mission as advancing civil liberties and rights. Drug Policy Action says it seeks to reform drug policies, while Vera Action describes its advocacy work as addressing mass incarceration and building safe and thriving communities. FAMM describes its work as advocating for fair sentencing laws and prison reform. Other 2024 grantees include Stand for Children, which describes its mission as advancing educational success and social progress; Rebuild the Dream, which says it works on issues including excessive incarceration; and Justice Research Group, which says it provides research and analysis to support efforts to make America safer.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, The Just Trust for Action reported 24 grants totaling $15,805,000. Grant amounts ranged from $15,000 to $5,000,000, with a median of $100,000.
Its largest reported 2024 grants included $5,000,000 to FWDUS for criminal justice reform advocacy project support; $3,000,000 to Action for Safety and Justice for general operating support; and $3,000,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union for criminal justice reform advocacy project support. Other notable grants were $1,500,000 to Drug Policy Action for general operating support, $750,000 to Vera Action for project support, and $500,000 to Families Against Mandatory Minimums for general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists David Plouffe as board chair; Jenny Kim as board director and secretary; John Bailey as board director and treasurer, with his term beginning in October 2024; and Ana Zamora as executive director. It also lists Kevin Maddenter as a board director and treasurer, with his term ending in October 2024.
The Just Trust for Action is led by Ana Zamora, Executive Director since 2024 (on filings since 2021); none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ana Zamora
Executive Director
Executive Director → CEO, 2022
CEO → Executive Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
9 hrs/week
$78K (2022) → $0 (2024)
David Plouffe
Board Chair
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jenny Kim
Board Director & Secretary
Director → Board Director & Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Baileyterm
Board Director & Treasurer
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Kevin Maddenterm (2024) — Board Director & Treasurer · Filing note: Ended oct 2024
- Former: Kevin Madden (2021–2023) — Board Director & Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2022 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2022 filing was $78K, to Ana Zamora (CEO).
Frequently asked questions about The Just Trust for Action
How much does The Just Trust for Action give each year?
The Just Trust for Action gave $15.8M across 24 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $18.6M across 21 grants.
What is The Just Trust for Action's typical grant size?
The Just Trust for Action's median grant in 2024 was $100,000, and its average grant was $658,542, across 24 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Just Trust for Action that year got $131K on average.
Where does The Just Trust for Action give grants?
The Just Trust for Action's top state is District of Columbia, with 35% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were New York (34%) and California (22%). The most frequent recipient cities were Sheridan, WY (3 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Sacramento, CA (2 grants).
Does The Just Trust for Action give general operating support?
Yes: 17% of The Just Trust for Action's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 24) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Project Support for Criminal Justice Reform Advocacy" (13 grants) and "Contribution for for Criminal Justice Reform Advocacy" (7 grants).
Who are The Just Trust for Action's largest grantees?
The Just Trust for Action's largest 2024 grantees include FWDUS ($5,000,000), Action for Safety and Justice ($3,100,000 across 2 grants) and American Civil Liberties Union ($3,000,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 70% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Just Trust for Action?
The Just Trust for Action reported $57.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.7M.
What does The Just Trust for Action fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to accelerate the momentum of criminal justice reform advocates, from legislative victories to long-term efforts to change perceptions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Just Trust for Action?
The organization invites funding inquiries through a rolling grant inquiry form. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Just Trust for Action's EIN?
The Just Trust for Action's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-1260974. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- 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 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Just Trust for Action's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Just Trust for Action funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-just-trust-for-action-morg_8ea484845b83493fa4eccfa5e010441c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_871260974_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Just Trust for Action funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-just-trust-for-action-morg_8ea484845b83493fa4eccfa5e010441c},
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 The Just Trust for Action'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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