Supporters
We are grateful to our funding partners, past and present, for their support.
Current
Bechdel Project is a feminist arts incubator for dramatic writers. With over 50 years of combined experience in arts management, advocacy, and new work development, we move nimbly to deliver a unique blend of art, activism, and education.
Dignity in Schools Campaign – NY is a local chapter of the national Dignity in Schools Campaign coalition. DSC-NY is made up of 23 New York City organizations led by students, parents, educators, and advocates working to end school pushout, stop the overuse of suspensions, and end school-based arrests and summonses. We call on the New York City Mayor and Department of Education to implement positive approaches to school discipline, like restorative justice practices and mental health supports.
Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice: Community-Based Restorative Justice Program advises the Mayor on all matters relating to the maintenance and improvement of a fair and equitable justice system. Recognizing that public safety cannot be achieved by law enforcement alone, MOCJ brings together community and institutional stakeholders to address the systemic issues that undermine the safety and stability of our neighborhoods. We work to move our city forward by providing better resources and expanding access to support and services needed to maintain healthy communities and improve public safety for all New Yorkers.
Trinity Church Trinity Church is an Episcopal parish in New York City, founded in 1697. They work for justice, serve our neighbors, and bring people together to experience God’s love, in community. Trinity’s outreach includes worship and faith education, charitable grantmaking, and hands-on assistance for those in need. They offer 20 weekly church services, food assistance seven days a week for people in need, support for asylum seekers, housing for the elderly and people living with disabilities, youth programs, and a wide array of free music and educational events throughout the year. The church also supports communities and ministries serving the world in Africa, Asia, and across the Americas. With an endowment of $6 billion, Trinity has quadrupled its philanthropic giving since 2020, providing more than $200 million to almost 500 organizations.
The Annabelle Foundation works to provide financial support via micro-grants to small, NYC-area based 501c3 organizations who work to address the root causes of our most common challenges. Many of our neighbors face challenges in the areas of food security, education, health, and equal justice. Many smaller, community-based programs can best understand and meet the needs of their clients, but their low profile in the wider community means their biggest obstacle is lack of funding. The Annabelle Foundation seeks to identify and promote local problem-solvers by providing grants to these 501c3 organizations.
Past
The David and Minnie Berk Foundation was created in 1961 by the family and friends of David and Minnie Berk and the members of the Progressive Synagogue, Brooklyn, N.Y. in honor of David and Minnie Berk’s many years of service to their community.
Although the original goal of the Foundation was to provide educational scholarships, soon after it was created the Foundation decided “to help any person in need.” Today the foundation awards grants to charitable organizations working in the areas of the arts, education, and social services for youth, the elderly and the needy.
The Eugene M. Lang Foundation is a private family foundation that seeks to effect change in the areas of arts and culture, education, health and human services, and justice. The Foundation prioritizes giving to programs and organizations that are demonstrably creative in concept and excellent in substance; that elevate people’s spirits, goals and capacities above the level of basic needs, primarily through opportunities for meaningful education, participation in the arts and civic activity, and enhanced health education and social services; and that promote inventiveness and entrepreneurship.
The Max & Anna Levinson Foundation
The New York State Senate: Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance (JAG) Grant Program (42 U.S.C. 3751 (a)) is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions. The Byrne JAG Program is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs and was created in 2005 by merging the Edward Byrne Memorial Grant Program (Byrne) with the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant Program (LLEBG). Byrne JAG funding can be used to support a broad range of state and local government projects, including those designed to prevent and control crime and to improve the criminal justice system.
The Project for Integrating Spirituality, Law, and Politics (PISLAP), is a nationwide group of lawyers, law professors, and law students seeking to transform our legal culture from its current adversarial, individualist emphasis to a healing-centered and communitarian one. We believe law should foster empathy, compassion, and mutual understanding, and we are committed to social activism that is non-violent, and loving in intention.
Ralph E. Ogden Foundation, Inc.
The Sparkplug Foundation is a family foundation that funds start-up organizations and new projects of established organizations in music, education and community organizing. They aim to support the development of emerging democratic movements and communities working on issues of local democracy, justice, and sustainable energy in the rebuilding of the U.S. and global economies.
The Tow Foundation is a family foundation that supports visionary leaders and nonprofit organizations that serve historically marginalized populations, help individuals contribute to their communities, and champion advancements and experiences that make it possible for all people to live healthy and joyous lives.
RJI welcomes new funding partnerships with institutional and individual donors. To become a supporter of change in New York City, you can donate online or mail a check to:
Restorative Justice Initiative
P.O. Box 0619, 950 Fulton Street
Brooklyn, NY 11238-9997
Please make all checks payable to the Fund for the City of New York and write “Restorative Justice Initiative” on the memo line.
Header Photo by Maurice Pinzon
What people are saying about Restorative Justice Initiative
As both a practitioner and researcher, I am especially grateful for RJI's emails about events and research that are important and timely.
Additionally, RJI helps practitioners connect with others doing this very challenging work nationwide and globally. RJI serves as a professional learning community for those involved in the restorative justice movement.
Finally, practitioners can access information on how to maintain their own wellness as they carry out this very important work."
— Virginia Diaz
“The Restorative Justice Initiative (RJI) is a critical source of information and resources. Along with providing accessible and useful material for program development, RJI keeps us abreast of training opportunities and introduces us to other organizations in the restorative justice space. Connecting with RJI has been key to our progress creating an organization wide commitment to restorative principles and practice.”
—Stephen Tosh, Boys’ Club of New York Executive Director/CEO
“I didn’t think I could make friends with people who were from different places than me.”“We were quiet before you all got here. You brought the voice out of us.”“We all get to be weird here, together, and accept one another’s weird”
“What Restorative Justice Initiative is doing to bring together people working in restorative justice in different arenas is truly amazing. People are learning from each other, updating ideas, and finding ways to make restorative justice work in complex real life situations in New York.
— Tracey
“In my role as a law professor, I teach students about ways to resolve conflict and achieve justice that are healing rather than adversarial and punitive, exposing them to compassionate alternatives to traditional legal practice. Students are excited to learn about the healing potential of restorative practices and the empirical evidence demonstrating that such practices reduce recidivism among those who may have engaged in transgressions against their communities. The Restorative Justice Initiative is an indispensable resource enabling me to share with my students placement opportunities, trainings, and conferences, that may offer them pathways to using their legal talents to engage in this vital work. There is nothing else like it in New York.
— Marjorie
“Expanding non-adversarial ways to resolve wrong-doing that includes perpetrator, victim, and community—is essential if our country is to move in the direction of peace. RJI does a wonderful job of pulling together many New York City area organizations that are working toward this goal.
— Julia
“The Restorative Justice Initiative is essential in helping New York City build and grow a network of stakeholders from the government, nonprofit and private sectors interested in advancing restorative principles, practices and policies in our criminal , education and social service systems.
— Julie