Vera Institute of Justice Inc
Vera Institute of Justice Inc is a public charity based in Brooklyn, New York. Founded in 1961, Vera is a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders to transform criminal and immigration justice systems through research, policy, advocacy, and practical programs.
Vera Institute of Justice Inc at a glance
In short: Vera Institute of Justice Inc gave $2.1M across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $77K), top state Delaware. 54% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,142,324
- -77.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- -36.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $76,512
- -64.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $45,000
- Total assets
- $144,646,646
- -13.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 54% first-time grantees (15 of 28, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Delaware (26% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Vera Institute of Justice Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 34 35Th Street 4-2A, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Phone: (212) 334-1300
Website: https://vera.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Vera Institute of Justice Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Activating Change Inc ($561K). Together the top 10 received $1.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
326 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 155 grants of 326 (48%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Vera describes itself as a national organization and says it works with communities across the country. Its In Our Backyards initiative focuses on reducing incarceration in small cities and rural communities. In filing year 2025, the largest shares of reported grant dollars by recipient state were Delaware (26%), New York (18%), Illinois (12%), Virginia (11%), and Hawaii (5%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Vera Institute of Justice Inc open to new grantees?
54%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 15 of 28 grantees (54%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $54K; repeat grants $103K. How we count
Medians: $65K first-time, $36K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.9M (2019) to $37.7M (2022). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $2.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Activating Change Inc Wilmington, DE | To end victimization, criminalization, incarceration, and institutionalization of people with disabilities and deaf people. | $560,598 |
| National Partnership for New Americans Chicago, IL | Fairness to Freedom Campaign | $250,000 |
| The New York Immigration Coalition Inc New York, NY | Campaign for access, representation, and equity for immigrant families | $200,000 |
| Project Guardianship Inc Brooklyn, NY | Guardianship Services | $138,208 |
| Legal Aid Justice Center Charlottesville, VA | Safe Network | $100,000 |
| The Legal Clinic Honolulu, HI | Safe Network | $100,000 |
| Onward Legacy Foundation Cortez, CO | Building and Researching Community-Based Diversion Programs | $68,400 |
| Communities for Restorative Justice Inc Boston, MA | Building and Researching Community-Based Diversion Programs | $64,800 |
| Nichols Center Inc Douglasville, GA | Building and Researching Community-Based Diversion Programs | $64,800 |
| Oar of Fairfax Inc Fairfax, VA | Building and Researching Community-Based Diversion Programs | $64,800 |
Ready to take the next step with Vera Institute of Justice Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $144,646,646 | $40,162,188 | $50,053,981 | $2,142,324 | 28 | $10,682,080 |
| 2024 | $167,541,428 | $142,283,899 | $151,205,102 | $9,483,737 | 44 | $2,476,525 |
| 2023 | $256,287,526 | $263,167,197 | $262,476,408 | $14,504,882 | 68 | $2,967,365 |
| 2022 | $247,197,850 | $265,119,422 | $245,436,672 | $37,680,675 | 126 | $1,219,371 |
| 2021 | $152,864,033 | $183,290,508 | $173,665,500 | $3,309,363 | 60 | $2,537,659 |
| 2020 | $170,625,693 | $177,865,111 | $156,589,569 | $3,529,041 | 67 | $3,472,620 |
| 2019 | $136,341,948 | $137,528,156 | $130,260,814 | $1,941,038 | 33 | $1,021,064 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Vera’s stated mission is to end the criminalization and mass incarceration of people of color, immigrants, and people experiencing poverty. Its strategic priorities include ending unjust criminalization, reducing the use of jails, prisons, and detention centers, centering dignity for people affected by justice systems, and supporting safe and thriving communities.
Vera’s website describes initiatives including universal representation for immigrants facing deportation, access to college for incarcerated people, prosecution reform, dignity-focused housing for young adults in prison, reducing jail populations, community-centered public safety, and housing access for formerly incarcerated people.
In 2025, Vera’s grants included support for organizations whose stated missions span immigrant equity and legal services, guardianship, poverty-related justice, and restorative justice. For example, the National Partnership for New Americans says it advances an immigrant equity and inclusion agenda; The Legal Clinic says it provides immigration legal services, education, and advocacy for low-income immigrants and migrants in Hawaii; and Communities for Restorative Justice says it uses a circle process to address harm and build stronger communities. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Vera reported 28 grants totaling $2,142,324. Grant amounts ranged from $6,720 to $560,598, with a median of $45,000.
Largest reported grants included $560,598 to Activating Change Inc. for work to end the victimization, criminalization, incarceration, and institutionalization of people with disabilities and Deaf people; $250,000 to the National Partnership for New Americans for the Fairness to Freedom Campaign; and $200,000 to the New York Immigration Coalition for a campaign focused on access, representation, and equity for immigrant families. Vera also awarded $138,208 to Project Guardianship for guardianship services and $100,000 each to Legal Aid Justice Center and The Legal Clinic for the Safe Network.
Several grants of $64,800 supported building and researching community-based diversion programs, including awards to Communities for Restorative Justice, Nichols Center, OAR of Fairfax, Orange County North Carolina, and Restorative Arlington.
Vera’s website describes a separate contracting process for nonprofit organizations, government agencies, for-profit entities, and individuals seeking to provide vendor or consulting services. Applicants for open RFPs or RFQs are directed to review the requirements and deadline, register on the proposal platform, follow the application instructions, and submit supporting documentation by the specified deadline.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Khalil Gibran Muhammad as chair; Evan C. Guillemin as vice chair/treasurer; and Lili Lynton as vice chair. Listed trustees include Debo P. Adegbile, Sandra Buchanan, Caron Butler, Damien Dwin, Nelson O. Fitts, James Forman (through March 18, 2025), and Helam Gebremariam.
Vera Institute of Justice Inc is led by Nicholas R. Turner, President & Director since 2020 (on filings since 2019); 14 of 35 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Nicholas R. Turner
President & Director
CEO → President & Director, 2020
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$372K (2019) → $597K (2025)
Khalil Gibran Muhammad
Chair
Trustee → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Margaret R. Dizerega
Managing Director & Initiatives
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$188K (2023) → $236K (2025)
Vivian Siu
Managing Director
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$229K (2025)
James Parsons Program
Director & Special Advisor
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$239K (2025)
Karen Su Yin Tan
Director, Innovation & Strategy
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$200K (2025)
Danya Perry
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Debo P. Adegbile
Trustee
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Madsen
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anilu Vazquez-Ubarri
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bari Mattes
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Caron Butler
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Damien Dwin
Trustee
Board Chair → Chair, 2022
Chair → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Justin Tuck
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Klafter
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Helam Gebremariam
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nelson O. Fitts
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tali Farhadian Weinstein
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lola Velazquez-Aguilu
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Desire Vincent Levy
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James Forman
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mindy Tarlow
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sandra Buchanan
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sean Hecker
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Adair H. Iacono
Chief Legal Officer
General Cousel & Secretary → General Counsel & Secretary, 2021
General Counsel & Secretary → Chief Legal Officer, 2025
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$149K (2020) → $302K (2025)
Tracey Thomas-Wilmot
Vice President & Chief People Officer
Director of People Resources → Chief People Officer, 2022
Chief People Officer → Vice President & Chief People Officer, 2024
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$176K (2021) → $265K (2025)
Edward Kwangyoon Chung
Vice President & Initiatives
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$60K (2022) → $352K (2025)
Insha Rahman
Vice President, Advocacy & Partnership
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$253K (2022) → $355K (2025)
Stacey Strongarone
Vice President & Chief of Staff
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$226K (2022) → $299K (2025)
Theresa Raffaele Jefferson
Vice President, Comms. & External Affairs
Vice President, Comms & External Affairs → Vice President, Comms. & External Affairs, 2024
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$240K (2022) → $305K (2025)
Gretchen Haskins Page
Vice President & Development
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$252K (2024) → $275K (2025)
Vina Morris Director
Technology Innovation & Strategy
Technology Advancement & Operations → Technology Innovation & Strategy, 2025
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$214K (2024) → $218K (2025)
Rob Young
Chief Financial & Operating Officer
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$66K (2025)
Evan C. Guillemin
Vice Chair & Treasurer
Trustee → Treasurer, 2020
Treasurer → Vice Chair & Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lili Lynton
Vice Chair
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (48)
- Former: John Gleeson (2019–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Nina Siulc (2021–2024) — Director of Research & Initiatives
- Former: Gregory M. Klemm Cfo Coo (2022–2024) — Assistant Treasurer
- Former: Victor Osamudiame Obaseki (2022–2024) — Managing Director, Race, Equity & Incl.
- Former: David Nidiffer (2024) — Director of Finance
- Former: James Parsons Vp Research (2024) — Monitoring Evaluation & Learning
- Former: Angelica Matos (2021–2023) — Vice President & Initiatives
- Former: Gregory M. Klemm (2021–2023) — CFO, COO & Assistant Treasurer
- Former: James Parsons Vp (2022–2023) — Research, Monitoring Eval & Lrn
- Former: Lidia Shelley (2022–2023) — Director & Workplace Services
- Former: Lola Valezquez-Aguilu (2022–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Vina Morris Director Of (2023) — Technology Advancement & Ops
- Former: Catie Marshall (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Dawn Dover (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Nancy A. Smith (2019–2022) — Center Director
- Former: Roger Blissett (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Theodore A. McKee (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Tiffany Moller (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Cliff Hudson (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Fritz Schwarz (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Jordan Kessler Vp (2022) — Development
- Former: Kevin M. Keenan Vp Of (2022) — Innov. & New Init.
- Former: Ryan K. Shanahan (2022) — Center Director of Research
- Former: Genia Wright (2019–2021) — Former COO & CFO
- Former: John F. Savarese (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Jordan Kessler (2019–2021) — Vice President & Development
- Former: Sandra A. Lamb (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Insha Rahman Vice President- (2021) — Advocacy & Partnerships
- Former: James Parsons Vice President- (2021) — Research, Monitoring & Evaluation
- Former: Kevin Keenan Vice President- (2021) — Innovation & New Initiatives
- Former: Kinsen Siu Director Of- (2021) — Technology Advancement & Operations
- Former: Nancy Smith Director- (2021) — Center on Victimization & Safety
- Former: Stacey Strongarone Senior Adv- (2021) — Strategic Plan Manager
- Former: Theresa Jefferson Vp- (2021) — Communications & External Affairs
- Former: James Parsons (2019–2020) — Vice President & Research
- Former: Kevin Keenan (2019–2020) — Vice President of Innovation & New Initiative
- Former: Mary C. Crowley (2019–2020) — Vice President of Communications & Pub
- Former: Alan Vinegrad (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Amanda Heron Parsons (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Christian H. Henrichson (2019) — Research Director
- Former: Dean M. Esserman (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Frederick A. O. Schwarz Jr. (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Karen Patton Seymour (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Mylan Denerstein (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Oren Root (2019) — Center Director
- Former: Saul A. Green (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Susan Shah (2019) — Director of Programs & Strategy
- Former: William S. Floyd (2019) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $597K, to Nicholas R Turner (President and Director). 14 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Vera Institute of Justice Inc
How much does Vera Institute of Justice Inc give each year?
Vera Institute of Justice Inc gave $2.1M across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $9.5M across 44 grants.
What is Vera Institute of Justice Inc's typical grant size?
Vera Institute of Justice Inc's median grant in 2025 was $45,000, and its average grant was $76,512, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Vera Institute of Justice Inc that year got $54K on average.
Where does Vera Institute of Justice Inc give grants?
Vera Institute of Justice Inc's top state is Delaware, with 26% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were New York (18%) and Illinois (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Brooklyn, NY (3 grants) and New Orleans, LA (3 grants).
Does Vera Institute of Justice Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 14% of Vera Institute of Justice Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 28) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Building and Researching Community-Based Diversion Programs" (7 grants) and "Beyond Jails Initiative" (6 grants).
Who are Vera Institute of Justice Inc's largest grantees?
Vera Institute of Justice Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Activating Change Inc ($560,598), National Partnership for New Americans ($250,000) and The New York Immigration Coalition Inc ($200,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 47% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Vera Institute of Justice Inc?
Vera Institute of Justice Inc reported $144.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $40.2M.
What does Vera Institute of Justice Inc fund?
Vera’s stated mission is to end the criminalization and mass incarceration of people of color, immigrants, and people experiencing poverty. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Vera Institute of Justice Inc?
Vera Institute of Justice Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check vera.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Vera Institute of Justice Inc's EIN?
Vera Institute of Justice Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-1941627. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 15, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Vera Institute of Justice Inc funds
Crime & Legal Related Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Vera Institute of Justice Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Vera Institute of Justice Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/vera-institute-of-justice-inc-morg_50566394e415479d97252bf5b04fc027
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_131941627_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Vera Institute of Justice Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/vera-institute-of-justice-inc-morg_50566394e415479d97252bf5b04fc027},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 Vera Institute of Justice Inc'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.
Vera Institute of Justice Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?