Public Welfare Foundation Inc
Historical FunderWashington, District of Columbia · EIN 54-0597601 · Private foundation · Website
Grants paid (2024)$25.8M
Organizations funded164
Typical grant$132,000
Total assets$614.7M
Half of its grants to organizations were between $50,000 and $200,000.
From the return
How to apply
The foundation filed the following application information (Form 990-PF Part XV, tax year 2024):
| Contact | GRANTS MANAGEMENT |
|---|---|
| Address | 1200 U STREET NW, WASHINGTON OC |
| Phone | 2029651800 |
| Form and materials | APPLICANTS SHOULD COMPLETE AN ONLINE LETTER OF INQUIRY IN WHICH THE APPLICANT PROVIDES A BASIC INTRODUCTION TO ITS PROJECT AND ORGANIZATION AND PROVIDES THE PURPOSE OF ITS GRANT REQUEST. ALL APPLICANTS MUST COMPLETE AN ONLINE LETTER OF INQUIRY WHICH ARE ACCEPTED ON A ROLLING BASIS. IF AFTER REVIEWING THE ONLINE LETTER OF INQUIRY, THE FOUNDATION DETERMINES THAT THE PROJECT FITS ITS FUNDING GOALS, AN INVITATION TO SUBMIT A FULL PROPOSAL IS SENT VIA EMAIL. IF AN APPLICANT RECEIVES AN EMAIL REQUESTING THE SUBMISSION OF A FULL PROPOSAL, THE APPLICANT SHOULD FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS AT THE FOUNDATION'S WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.PUBLICWELFARE.ORG/GRANTS/APPLY-FOR-A-GRANT/ |
| Deadlines | LETTERS OF INQUIRY ARE EXAMINED ON A ROLLING BASIS. |
| Restrictions | THE PUBLIC WELFARE FOUNDATION SUPPORTS EFFORTS TO ENSURE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE IN NEED. WE LOOK FOR CAREFULLY DEFINED POINTS WHERE OUR FUNDS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN BRINGING ABOUT SYSTEMIC CHANGES THAT CAN IMPROVE LIVES. WE FOCUS IN TWO PROGRAM AREAS: CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND YOUTH JUSTICE. |
Copied as filed. Deadlines on a tax return describe the foundation's usual process; they are not confirmation of a current open cycle.
What it funds
Share of grant lines on the latest return, classified from the purpose each grant states.
Where it gives
84% of grants went outside District of Columbia.
Grants paid in tax year 2024
| Recipient | Location | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan | Detroit, MI | Support for michigan justice fund, phase II | $500,000 |
| Foundation for Louisiana | New Orleans, LA | Support for louisiana justice fund | $500,000 |
| Minneapolis Foundation | Minneapolis, MN | Support for sector support fund | $500,000 |
| Social & Environmental Entrepreneurs | Calabasas, CA | Support for women on the rise ga | $500,000 |
| The Just Trust for Education | Tulsa, OK | Support for oklahoma justice funders collaborative fund | $500,000 |
| Amalgamated Charitable Foundation | Washington, DC | Support for courage project | $499,999 |
| Ors Impact | Seattle, WA | Support for evaluation and learning partnership | $489,800 |
| National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform | Oakland, CA | Support for violence reduction research and practice network | $472,000 |
| Possibility Labs | San Francisco, CA | Support for pwf convening led by catalyze justice | $440,000 |
| Princeton University | Princeton, NJ | Support for violence reduction research and practice network | $409,323 |
| Deep Center | Savannah, GA | Support for - building community power in chatham county, ga | $400,000 |
| Michigan Liberation Education Fund | Detroit, MI | Support for michigan liberation education fund | $400,000 |
| Nation Outside | Detroit, MI | General support | $400,000 |
| Stand for Children Leadership Center | Portland, OR | Support for justice and community safety in memphis | $400,000 |
| Vera Institute of Justice Inc | Brooklyn, NY | Support for safety and justice narrative change | $400,000 |
| The Praxis Project | Oakland, CA | Support for building mass freedom: a roadmap to decarceration, healing, and power | $350,000 |
| Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition | Denver, CO | Support for transforming justice in colorado | $300,000 |
| Community Initiatives | San Francisco, CA | General support | $300,000 |
| DC Justice Lab | Washington, DC | Support for DC justice lab | $300,000 |
| Latino Coalition for Community Leadership | Colorado Springs, CO | Support for transforming justice initiative | $300,000 |
| Muckrock Foundation | Boston, MA | Support for public safety reporting and community engagement to mlk50: justice through journalism | $300,000 |
| Operation Restoration | New Orleans, LA | Support for continuing to meet the needs of our community | $300,000 |
| Southern Center for Human Rights | Atlanta, GA | Support for campaign to transform georgia's criminal legal system | $300,000 |
| The National Reentry Network for Returning Citizens | Washington, DC | Support for new strategies/systems change work | $300,000 |
| Tulsa Community Foundation | Tulsa, OK | General support | $300,000 |
| Voice of the Experienced | New Orleans, LA | General support | $300,000 |
| Voices for a Second Chance | Washington, DC | Support for pathways forward: the second chance reclamation initiative | $300,000 |
| Justcity | Memphis, TN | General support | $250,304 |
| Essie Justice Group | Oakland, CA | Support for altadena community care & advocacy | $250,000 |
| Highlander Research and Education Center Inc | New Market, TN | Support for towards a people's justice | $250,000 |
| Louisiana Center for Children's Rights | New Orleans, LA | General support | $250,000 |
| Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice | Tulsa, OK | Support for ok appleseed multi-year gen ops support | $250,000 |
| Promise of Justice Initiative | New Orleans, LA | Support for ending plantation prisons & building community power in louisiana | $250,000 |
| The Marshall Project | New York, NY | Support for the marshall project | $250,000 |
| Urban Association of Forestry and Fire Professionals Inc | Azusa, CA | General support | $250,000 |
| Possibility Labs | San Francisco, CA | Support for catalyze justice: supporting partners nationwide in youth justice transformation | $225,000 |
| Youth Law Center | San Francisco, CA | Support for tennessee youth justice reform advocacy | $225,000 |
| Greater Milwaukee Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | Support for zero youth corrections milwaukee | $210,000 |
| Atlantafulton County Prearrest Diversion Initiative Inc | Atlanta, GA | General support | $200,000 |
| Black Swan Academy Inc | Washington, DC | Support for 10 yrs of pride purpose power | $200,000 |
| Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth | Washington, DC | Support for justice reform | $200,000 |
| Capital B News Inc | New York, NY | Support for atlanta criminal justice reporting and community engagement | $200,000 |
| Detroit Justice Center | Detroit, MI | General support | $200,000 |
| Faithfully Organizing Resources for Community Empowerment Detroit | Detroit, MI | Support for from crisis response to lasting change: strengthening detroit's cvi ecosystem | $200,000 |
| Families and Friends of Louisiana's Incarcerated Children | New Orleans, LA | General support | $200,000 |
| First 72 | New Orleans, LA | Support for the first 72 just reentry policy program | $200,000 |
| Free Minds Book Club and Writing Workshop | Washington, DC | General support | $200,000 |
| Freedom Institute Inc | Grand Junction, CO | Support for transforming justice initiative | $200,000 |
| Fund for the City of New York | New York, NY | Support for translation project | $200,000 |
| Hadanou Collective | Denver, CO | Support for eradicating excessive sentencing practices and expanding pathways out of prison in colorado | $200,000 |
| Hive Mentality | Richmond, VA | Support for an alternative to youth incarceration | $200,000 |
| Louisiana Parole Project | Baton Rouge, LA | Support for impacting freedom: pathways to release and reentry success | $200,000 |
| National Public Radio | Washington, DC | Support for support for npr's coverage of criminal justice | $200,000 |
| Prison Journalism Project | Chicago, IL | Support for training and empowering prison journalists for narrative change | $200,000 |
| Safe & Just Michigan | Lansing, MI | General support | $200,000 |
| School Justice Project | Washington, DC | Support for special education legal services & advocacy for court-involved students with disabilities | $200,000 |
| Second Chance Center Inc | Aurora, CO | Support for second chance center's fair chance for housing, hiring and re-entry income | $200,000 |
| Southern Movement Committee | Nashville, TN | Support for youth-led organizing for community-based safety and justice | $200,000 |
| Still She Rises Inc | Tulsa, OK | Support for still she rises impact litigation | $200,000 |
| The Lens | New Orleans, LA | Support for the lens: louisiana criminal justice reporting | $200,000 |
Showing the 60 largest of 164 grants to organizations.
Grants approved for future payment
| Recipient | Location | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan Center for Youth Justice | Ann Arbor, MI | General support | $900,000 |
| Milwaukee Turners Inc | Milwaukee, WI | Support for milwaukee turners justice reform | $900,000 |
| DC Justice Lab | Washington, DC | General support | $600,000 |
| Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan | Detroit, MI | Support for michigan justice fund | $500,000 |
| School Justice Project | Washington, DC | Support for special education legal services for court involved students with disabilities | $450,000 |
| Detroit Justice Center | Detroit, MI | General support | $400,000 |
| Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition | Denver, CO | Support for transforming justice in colorado | $300,000 |
| Tides Foundation | San Francisco, CA | Support for advancing justice and liberation | $300,000 |
| Tulsa Community Foundation | Tulsa, OK | General support | $300,000 |
| Voice of the Experienced | New Orleans, LA | Support for vote general operating grant | $300,000 |
| Justcity Inc | Memphis, TN | General support | $250,000 |
| Louisiana Center for Children's Rights | New Orleans, LA | General support | $250,000 |
| Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice | Tulsa, OK | General support | $250,000 |
| Promise of Justice Initiative | New Orleans, LA | Support for ending plantation prisons & building community power in louisiana | $250,000 |
| Possibility Labs | San Francisco, CA | Support for catalyze justice: supporting partners nationwide in youth justice transformation | $225,000 |
| Youth Law Center | San Francisco, CA | Support for tennessee youth justice reform advocacy | $225,000 |
| Greater Milwaukee Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | Support for zero youth corrections milwaukee | $210,000 |
| Faithfully Organizing Resources for Community Empowerment Detroit | Detroit, MI | Support for from crisis response to lasting change | $200,000 |
| Families and Friends of Louisiana's Incarcerated Children | New Orleans, LA | General support | $200,000 |
| Southern Movement Committee | Nashville, TN | Support for youth-led organizing for community-based safety and justice | $200,000 |
| Still She Rises Inc | Tulsa, OK | Support for still she rises impact litigation | $200,000 |
| Oklahoma Policy Institute | Tulsa, OK | Support for reimagining youth justice in oklahoma | $180,000 |
| Colorado Circles for Change | Denver, CO | Support for youth justice community organizing | $150,000 |
| Ex-Incarcerated People Organizing (Expo) | Madison, WI | Support for restoring justice, building abundance | $150,000 |
| Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform | Oklahoma City, OK | General support | $150,000 |
| Partnership for Civil Justice Fund | Washington, DC | Support for DC emergency grant | $150,000 |
| Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs | Calabasas, CA | Support for building community power for liberation | $150,000 |
| Baltimore Banner | Baltimore, MD | Support for criminal legal reform reporting at the baltimore banner | $125,000 |
| Kids Forward | Madison, WI | Support for wi statewide youth justice coalition | $125,000 |
| Prepare Inc | Gaithersburg, MD | Support for programmatic support for prepare | $125,000 |
| Wisconsin Examiner Dba States Newsroom | Madison, WI | Support for wisconsin criminal justice reporting project | $125,000 |
| American Friends Service Committee | Philadelphia, PA | Support for ending life and long sentences | $100,000 |
| Bent Not Broken | Kalamazoo, MI | Support for reimagine youth justice: kalamazoo | $100,000 |
| DC Justice Lab | Washington, DC | Support for DC emergency grant | $100,000 |
| Delta Project | Grand Rapids, MI | Support for advancing understanding of incarcerated youth & families through outreach, engagement & storytelling | $75,000 |
| The Restorative Justice Institute of Oklahoma | Tulsa, OK | Support for a collaborative approach to community transformation | $75,000 |
| Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless | Washington, DC | Support for DC emergency grant | $75,000 |
| Council for Court Excellence | Washington, DC | Support for DC emergency grant | $50,000 |
| Voices for a Second Chance | Washington, DC | Support for DC emergency grant | $50,000 |
| The Trigger Project | Washington, DC | Support for DC emergency grant | $25,000 |
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants paid | Grant lines |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $25,775,563 | 204 |
| 2023 | $25,497,906 | 228 |
| 2022 | $24,734,650 | 193 |
Sources
- IRS Form 990-PF, tax year 2024, filed Jul 29, 2026 - IRS e-file batch, object ID 202632109349101263
- IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search for EIN 54-0597601
- Profile updated Nov 4, 2026
Facts on this page come from the foundation's own IRS Form 990-PF filings as published by the IRS. Grantvello does not know whether a foundation is accepting proposals right now: a past grant is not an open opportunity. Always confirm current guidelines with the funder before applying.