Justice Fund

Geographic Scope: Eastern Connecticut (service area)

Focus Areas: Fighting discrimination; women's rights; immigration advocacy; racial justice; criminal justice reform

Established by Mary Waldron (80+ years old) through her will to confront discrimination endured by marginalized people. The fund will continue to allocate grants now and after her lifetime.

What They Fund: Grants to local nonprofits focused on:

• Women's rights: Supporting women impacted by the criminal legal system
• Immigration advocacy: Supporting immigrant communities
• Racial justice: Fighting discrimination based on race and skin color
• Criminal justice reform: Assisting formerly imprisoned people striving to re-establish their lives

Background: Mary Waldron spent decades advocating for justice and marginalized communities:

• Labored to crack the glass ceiling in NYC investment firms dominated by men
• Served 15 years on a nonprofit board assisting formerly imprisoned people
• Advocated on boards for women impacted by the criminal legal system
• Honored as 2011 "Woman of the Year" by the Urban League of Southern Connecticut for her service
• Inspired by her grandfather's refusal to participate in the forced relocation of Native Americans, recognizing early that skin color was critical to whether people received justice