The Andrus Family Fund's Visionary Freedom Fund has announced inaugural grants totaling $2.5 million in support of twenty-six organizations working to transform the youth justice system.

The youth-led organizations were awarded two-year general operating grants to advance their long-term visions for a youth justice system that helps — not harms — young people, communities, and society by advocating for abolition, promoting restorative justice, calling for divestment from policing and prisons, investing in vital community services, and building the leadership and power of young people among other approaches. Selected from among more than six hundred applicants by a panel of eight youth organizers, four adult movement leaders, and eleven funders, all recipient organizations and projects are led by members of Black, immigrant, Indigenous, queer and trans, and AAPI communities.

Recipients include Adelante Student Voices (Poughkeepsie, New York), which organizes and provides a safe space for undocumented students; API Chaya (Seattle, Washington), which provides a helpline, support groups, and interventions for victims of gender-based violence; Destination Innovation (Wichita, Kansas), which runs abolitionist campaigns and promotes alternatives to incarceration; I. Am. Legacy (Rapid City, South Dakota), which is focused on Indigenous youth healing; and My Sistah's House (Memphis, Tennessee), which provides emergency housing, advocacy, and multipronged resource assistance delivered by and for trans and gender non-conforming people of color.

Launched in 2020, VFF aims to support the youth justice movement by providing capacity, space, resources, and time for organizations to engage in long-term strategy development; advance an alternative funding model and approach that build power with grassroots leaders and communities through a participatory grantmaking table; support narrative change efforts and the creation of narrative products and tools; promote learning efforts for field leaders and philanthropy; and catalyze additional philanthropic dollars for the youth justice field.

"Young people are articulating solutions and realizing wins to end our nation's systemic punishment, criminalization and violence against Black, Brown, and Indigenous youth," said Andrus Family Fund director Manuela Arciniegas. "Yet, few funders support youth justice movements, let alone give young people a say in what gets funded. In response, the Visionary Freedom Fund formed the Power Table where youth organizers collaborate with movement leaders and funders to set the grantmaking strategy and determine how VFF's resources are deployed. Power Table members know firsthand what's wrong with the youth justice system and what their communities need, so they've funded an inspiring group of grantees."

(Photo credit: My Sistah's House)