Equity and Social Justice Grants: End Mass Incarceration

Equity and Social Justice Grants: End Mass Incarceration

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Pittsburgh Foundation
Amount: US $10,000 - US $75,000
Last Updated: January 08, 2026

Summary

The Pittsburgh Foundation's Equity and Social Justice Grants aim to combat mass incarceration by prioritizing community-led solutions. With a history of supporting vulnerable populations, these grants focus on civic participation and systemic policy changes. Organizations eligible for funding must be 501(c)(3) charities located in or serving Allegheny County. Grant amounts range from $10,000 to $150,000, emphasizing the importance of leadership from those directly affected by injustice.

Overview

Pittsburgh Foundation Established in 1945, The Pittsburgh Foundation is one of the nation’s oldest community foundations and as of 2022 is the 18th largest of more than 750 similar foundations across the United States. As a community foundation, its resources comprise endowment funds established by individuals, businesses and organizations with a passion for charitable giving and fulfilling the Foundation’s mission of improving quality of life for all in the region. Foundation-Directed Grantmaking The Pittsburgh Foundation is committed to helping the communities we serve become equitable and vibrant places where everyone can thrive. We align our grantmaking with resident’s dreams for themselves, their families and their communities and prioritize support in the five focus areas: Basic Needs; Equity and Social Justice; Environmental Action; Arts and Culture; and Economic Mobility. Duration: Generally, grants will be awarded for no more than two years due to limited availability of funds. Amounts: One-year grants generally range from $10,000 to $75,000. Two-year grants will generally not exceed $150,000. Actual grant amounts are determined based on staff review of each individual application and consideration of the funding available at the time the application is received. Equity and Social Justice We seek to support civic participation and community organizing to achieve policy changes. While programmatic interventions can improve outcomes for individuals, equitable access to opportunity will only be possible at scale when systemic policies, practices and cultural messages that perpetuate injustice are eliminated. Our equity and social justice grantmaking places strong emphasis on leadership by individuals who have been directly impacted by systemic injustice, as we believe that they are best positioned to propose solutions that remove barriers that impeded their ability to thrive. Equity and Social Justice Grants: End Mass Incarceration According the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), since 1980, the federal prison population has increased by almost 790% and there are nearly two million people in jail and prison today, far outpacing population growth and crime. Locally, the Allegheny County Jail population grew a reported 70% over the prior two decades even as crime decreased. Notably, roughly 80% of people in jail have not been convicted of a crime. We also recognize that the perspectives and experiences of those most impacted by mass incarceration have often been excluded from systems-driven conversations about the criminal legal system. However, true justice will not be achieved without their leadership. People most impacted by overincarceration, over-policing and police violence must be at the center of creating solutions to the problem of mass incarceration. Through our grantmaking, we seek to uplift and provide resources for systems-change efforts that are community-led -- especially work led by people who are incarcerated or formerly incarcerated. Because this is an emergent area of work for our Foundation and because we believe that resources will be needed to imagine and test solutions that do not yet exist, we do not have additional eligibility criteria at this time. Our grantmaking in this area will be responsive for the next several years. Where appropriate, we will convene organizations that have received grants to understand the ecosystem of organizations working on this issue, share learnings and develop recommendations for future investments.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. To qualify for a grant, your nonprofit organization must be: Located within Allegheny County and/or primarily serve Allegheny County residents (unless otherwise specified in the grant criteria).Designated by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity. (If your organization does not have 501(c)(3) status, you may apply utilizing a fiscal sponsor.)

Ineligibility

What We Do Not Fund The Pittsburgh Foundation does not make grants to any organization not listed in Internal Revenue Code Section 170(b)(1)(A), including private non-operating foundations or any “disqualified supporting organizations” as defined in Internal Revenue Code Section 4966(d) (4).Organizational start-up support.Statewide or national organizations, unless they have an established local office or chapter that meets the above eligibility criteria and priorities.Projects that expressly advocate for or endorse a specific candidate for elected office.Annual appeals or event sponsorships.Episodic and/or one-time programs and events.Capital expenses and/or campaigns.Direct funding for individuals (except individual artists).Payments on organizational debt.Costs and activities that are completed before a requested grant has received a decision from our board.University overhead costs.Single-disease support organizations.Educational scholarships. Academic research.