The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls
The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Founded in 2010 by incarcerated mothers at the federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut, it works to end the incarceration of women and girls through organizing, advocacy, policy reform, and community-based alternatives.
The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls at a glance
In short: The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls gave $325K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $33K), top state Massachusetts. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $325,000
- +66.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- +66.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $32,500
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $11,857,707
- +16.5% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (23% 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 The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls
- Contact
Mailing address: 100 R Warren Street, Roxbury, MA 02119
Phone: (617) 905-2026
Website: https://nationalcouncil.us
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Families for Justice as Healing ($75K). Together the top 10 received $325K.
Grant Size Distribution
41 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 27 grants of 41 (66%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The council is based in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Its 2024 grants went to organizations in multiple states; the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state were Massachusetts (23%), New York (22%), New Jersey (18%), Illinois (11%), and Florida (9%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls gives
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 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $65K (2021) to $922K (2020). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $325K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Families for Justice as Healing Roxbury, MA | General Operating | $75,000 |
| The Remedy Project Inc New York, NY | Support to file administrative remedies and other filings on behalf of incarcerated individuals | $70,000 |
| Step Beyond Women and Girls Inc Mahwah, NJ | General Operating | $60,000 |
| Women and Girls in Sisterhood for Healing Inc Largo, FL | General Operating | $30,000 |
| Why Not Prosper Norristown, PA | One-time chartiable contribution to support with financial and resource support | $25,000 |
| Illinois Alliance for Re-Entry and Justice Aurora, IL | Support for Administrative Costs | $25,000 |
| Vermont Freedom Fund Huntington, VT | Mother's Day Bail Out Fund | $10,000 |
| A Woman Worth Project Douglasville, GA | General Operating | $10,000 |
| Womens Justice Institute (Fiscally Sponsored Project of a Safe Haven Fdn) Chicago, IL | General Operating (One-Time Charitable Contribution) | $10,000 |
| Social & Environmental Entrepreneurs Inc Calabasas, CA | Rapp Initiative Support | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Filing type: Form 990 (a public charity).
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $11,857,707 | $6,724,839 | $5,104,645 | $325,000 | 10 | $609 |
| 2023 | $10,174,242 | $6,431,862 | $5,029,553 | $195,000 | 6 | $533 |
| 2022 | $8,468,939 | $7,498,777 | $4,603,484 | $90,000 | 3 | $383 |
| 2021 | $5,543,502 | $3,917,109 | $2,526,862 | $65,000 | 2 | $445 |
| 2020 | $4,793,819 | $5,473,173 | $2,818,020 | $921,780 | 20 | — |
| 2019 | $1,438,636 | $2,641,142 | $2,130,654 | $130,000 | 4 | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to end the incarceration of women and girls. Its website describes work including hyper-local organizing, political education, leadership training, business-building programs, and the national FreeHer Campaign. Its Reimagining Communities model includes components such as participatory defense, participatory budgeting, a basic income guarantee, community crisis response, mutual aid, and transforming harm.
In 2024, the council supported organizations whose stated missions included ending women’s incarceration and advocating for community wellness. For example, Families for Justice as Healing describes itself as an organization by and for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women and girls that works to end women’s incarceration. The Remedy Project describes its mission as using student activism and formerly incarcerated advocates’ firsthand experiences to address the U.S. prison system. Why Not Prosper describes its work as providing residential services for female ex-offenders.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the council reported 10 grants totaling $325,000. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $75,000, with a median of $25,000. The largest awards included $75,000 to Families for Justice as Healing for general operating support, $70,000 to The Remedy Project to support administrative remedies and other filings on behalf of incarcerated individuals, and $60,000 to Step Beyond Women and Girls for general operating support. Other awards included $30,000 to Women and Girls in Sisterhood for Healing, $25,000 to Why Not Prosper, and $25,000 to the Illinois Alliance for Re-entry and Justice.
The 2024 filing states that the council executes memorandums of understanding with grant recipients specifying interim status reports and narratives, a final overview narrative, and a final budget-to-actual reconciliation showing how grant funds were used.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Andrea James as president/executive director; Phyllis Hardy as secretary; and Tiawana Brown as treasurer. Directors listed are Lisa Fortunato, Charles Thornton, Kristie Puckett, Andrea Hudson, and Joanne Brown. Catherine B. Sevchenko is listed as senior legal council.
The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls is led by Andrea James, President & Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 2 of 9 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Andrea James
President & Executive Director
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$73K (2019) → $268K (2024)
Charles Thornton
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Fortunato
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrea Hudson
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joanne Brown
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kristie Puckett
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Catherine B. Sevcenko
Senior Legal Council
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$101K (2021) → $158K (2024)
Phyllis Hardy
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2020
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tiawana Brown
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2020
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Dolores Canales (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Starlene Peterson (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Tarra Simmons (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Amy Povah (2019) — Former Secretary & Clerk
- Former: Patricia Williams (2019) — Former Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 $268K, to Andrea James (President/Executive Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls
How much does The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls give each year?
The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls gave $325K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $195K across 6 grants.
What is The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls's typical grant size?
The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $32,500, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls give grants?
The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls's top state is Massachusetts, with 23% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were New York (22%) and New Jersey (18%).
Does The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls give general operating support?
Yes: 50% of The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (5 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Who are The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls's largest grantees?
The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls's largest 2024 grantees include Families for Justice as Healing ($75,000), The Remedy Project Inc ($70,000) and Step Beyond Women and Girls Inc ($60,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls?
The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls reported $11.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $6.7M.
What does The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to end the incarceration of women and girls. Its website describes work including hyper-local organizing, political education, leadership training, business-building programs, and the national FreeHer Campaign. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls?
The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check nationalcouncil.us for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls's EIN?
The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-3980673. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 5, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 31, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 22, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 15, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-national-council-for-incarcerated-and-formerly-incarcerated-women-and-girls-morg_e06c784d92d342df98acb72b7afe5bed
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_813980673_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women \& Girls funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-national-council-for-incarcerated-and-formerly-incarcerated-women-and-girls-morg_e06c784d92d342df98acb72b7afe5bed},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. 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 National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls'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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