Foundation for Louisiana is proud to launch a new grant opportunity through the Louisiana Justice Fund.  

The Louisiana Justice Fund (LJF) is a pooled fund housed at FFL that supports projects that reduce incarceration, improve reentry outcomes, and remove barriers to economic mobility for individuals disproportionately affected by the criminal legal system. The Fund strategically invests resources to drive meaningful and lasting change. LJF values collaboration, capacity building, and strategic advocacy in its efforts to bring about lasting change in Louisiana's criminal legal landscape. LJF aims to achieve this through strategic investments in north Louisiana, central Louisiana, southwest Louisiana, Greater New Orleans, and Greater Baton Rouge areas through three grantmaking goals: 1) strengthen the ecosystem of criminal legal system reform organizations, 2) invest in organizations to shift narratives on safety, crime, and accountability, and 3) increase economic mobility for criminal legal system impacted folks.

LJF's Coalition and Collaborative Advocacy Power grant supports Louisiana-based coalitions and organizations defending criminal legal system reforms and advancing policy and advocacy efforts to reduce incarceration rates, improve reentry outcomes, and eliminate barriers to economic mobility for criminal legal system-impacted folks.

What the Grant Supports:

1. Coalitions advancing systemic or structural criminal legal system reforms through strategic collaboration. Funded activities can include convening and strengthening multi-organization coalitions, developing shared policy agendas, mobilizing community voices and the voices of those with lived experience, and engaging in legislative or administrative advocacy. Priority will be given to initiatives that reduce incarceration, enhance reentry supports, and expand equitable access to economic opportunity for system-impacted folks and their families.
2. Organizations working to advance reforms within the criminal legal system through collaborative advocacy. Eligible strategies include joint policy campaigns, coordinated public education and narrative change efforts, shared research and data analysis, cross-sector partnerships that build community power, and others. Grants support initiatives that reduce incarceration rates, improve reentry outcomes, and eliminate barriers to economic mobility for individuals impacted by the criminal legal system.

Eligibility: 

Applicants must be based in North Louisiana, Central Louisiana, or Southwest Louisiana. Applicants based in the greater New Orleans and greater Baton Rouge areas are eligible if their work includes north, central, and/or southwest Louisiana communities.

Applicants must either have federal tax-exempt/501(c)3 status or have a fiscal sponsor with federal tax-exempt/501(c)3 status.

Applicants with leadership that includes system-impacted individuals or those from communities most affected by criminalization and incarceration are encouraged.

Selection Criteria:

Applications for Coalitions advancing policy change will be assessed on the following criteria:

• Coalition Structure and Governance
  • The Coalition must include at least three independent organizations with complementary expertise (e.g., advocacy, research, lived experience, direct service).
  • Must demonstrate shared decision-making structures and clear roles among partners.
  • Evidence of long-term partnership and trust-building, not just short-term or project-based collaboration.
• Strategic Focus and Alignment
  • Proposed work must advance systemic or structural reforms (policy, practice, or institutional change) rather than individual-level interventions.
  • Clear alignment with fund priorities:
    • Reducing incarceration
    • Expanding equitable reentry supports
    • Increasing access to economic opportunity for system-impacted individuals and families
    • Shifting narratives on crime, safety, justice, and incarceration in Louisiana.
• Community Engagement
  • Strong demonstration of community voice and leadership, especially of those with lived experience.
  • Mechanisms for community leadership, consultation, co-creation, and feedback are embedded in planning and implementation.
  • Commitment to narrative change that centers dignity, agency, and systemic accountability.
• Advocacy Strategy and Impact
  • Defined policy or advocacy goals that are specific, achievable, measurable, relevant, and time-bound.
  • Evidence of strategic collaboration (e.g., joint policy agendas, coordinated legislative or administrative advocacy).
  • Clear pathways to influence policy or practice, identifying relevant decision-makers or processes.
  • Demonstrated potential for lasting structural impact, not just programmatic outcomes.
• Organizational Capacity and Learning
  • Capacity to manage multi-partner initiatives.
  • Commitment to evaluation and shared learning, including how coalition progress and community impact will be measured.
  • Plan for sustainability beyond the grant period, including leadership development and institutional strengthening.

Applications from organizations advancing reforms through Collaborative Advocacy will be assessed on the following criteria:

• Strategic Collaboration
  • Applicants must demonstrate active partnerships with other organizations, networks, or sectors (e.g., workforce, housing, health).
  • Clear articulation of shared goals and collective impact strategies.
  • Commitment to transparent communication, joint decision-making, and equitable resource sharing.
• Approach and Activities
  • Eligible activities may include:

• • • Joint policy campaigns or legislative advocacy
    • Coordinated public education and narrative change initiatives
    • Shared research, data analysis, or storytelling projects
    • Cross-sector collaborations that strengthen community power and policy influence
• Outcomes and Impact
  • Proposed activities must contribute to:
    • Reducing incarceration rates
    • Improving reentry outcomes
    • Eliminating economic barriers for system-impacted individuals and their families
  • Applications should include clear successes, such as policy wins, engagement levels, or shifts in public perception.
• Organizational Learning and Accountability
  • Plans for data collection, reflection, and adaptive strategy.
  • Commitment to transparency, equity, and accountability within partnerships and communities served.
  • Willingness to participate in peer learning cohorts or shared evaluation frameworks.

Applications for either Coalition or Collaborative Advocacy will be reviewed. However, Coalition applications proposing collaborative advocacy as part of the proposal are allowed.

All applicants will also be assessed on the following criteria:

• A clear explanation of how their organization approaches or would like to approach coalition building or collaborative advocacy for protecting existing or advancing new criminal legal system reforms statewide, regionally, or locally.
• A proven track record of engagement in criminal legal system reform, social justice organizing, or related policy advocacy, and readiness to engage in policy advocacy at local, state, or regional levels.
• Scalability of advocacy approaches.
• An easy-to-understand plan for the use of funds.
• Reflection on the alignment of their organizational mission and the proposed use of funds with FFL values.
• Racial and economic justice orientation is integrated throughout the organizational mission and activities.
• Ethical storytelling and narrative integrity when representing impacted communities.

Grant Amounts

Up to eight (8) Louisiana-based organizations will be awarded up to $100,000 each, and may be renewable for up to one year.

Timeline:

• October 24: Application opens
• November 12: Informational webinar
• December 5: Applications due by 11:59 pm CT
• January 5-30, 2026: Review period
• February 2, 2026: Notification of award
• February 9, 2026: Anticipated grant start date

To Apply:

We use Submittable to accept and review our submissions.  Please access the application here.

This application has five sections:

1. Contact Information & Organization Overview
2. Narrative
3. Budget
4. Supporting Documents
5. Project Support

More Information:

An FAQ with more information about eligibility and applying can be found here.

Resources and support for our online application portal, Submittable, are available here.

Download a PDF of this RFP here.

For questions about this opportunity, eligibility, or how to prepare your application materials. Email us at ljfsupport@foundationforlouisiana.org.

Want to learn more about how our application has been designed to be inclusive of Louisianans with disabilities?  Learn more here. To discuss accommodations, please contact Jamie Schmill at jschmill@foundationforlouisiana.org or call us at (225)383-1672.  Please refrain from calling or emailing except to discuss accommodations.

Foundation for Louisiana follows an equal opportunity employment policy, hiring personnel without regard to race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations, criminal legal background, or marital status.