Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Initiate Justice

EIN 82-1028920 · Los Angeles, CA

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong100 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

Initiate Justice's mission is to activate the power of people directly impacted by mass incarceration to be leaders in the movement to end it. Through direct outreach and trainings,we develop organizers both inside and outside of prisons, and identify our members' top priorities to reduce prison populations and increase the human rights of those currently incarcerated. We envision a California with healthy and economically empowered communities, free from mass criminalization.

Income
$3.0 million
Spending
$1.5 million
Spent on programs
78%
Reserves
21.5 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 98%
Employees
13
Volunteers
238
Highest pay
$131,232, executive dir.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 90% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 21.5 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 7% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 50% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 111% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    78% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 57% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    5 of 6 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (3)
  1. $849,849 spent. Inside-Outside Organizing: Initiate Justice has an inside-outside strategy where we prioritize organizing people directly impacted by incarceration, inside and outside prison walls. Our inside organizing takes place in the prison visiting rooms, in front of state prisons, and inside prisons through workshops, mailings, and in-person or phone training. Our outside organizing occurs through membership meetings and member committees that meet monthly with participants from around CA. We keep our community informed about the latest changes to California laws and prison policies that affect them. In 2024, we sent 200,072 newsletters to our 40,000+ incarcerated members and 4,818 newsletters to our 470+ inside organizers. We also aired Abolition is for Everybody Podcast," which hosts conversations led by our system-impacted co-hosts. These conversations explore the history, futures, obstacles, and joys of abolition. The podcast intends to connect the day-to-day legislative work of Initiate Justice with larger abolitionist theory and to engage new audiences in a way that allows them to lead and participate in meaningful conversations about prison reform and abolition. This project is also intended to be a resource for our primary and system-impacted audiences to help them shift the culture of punishment into a culture of care.
  2. $227,472 spent. Initiate Justice gathers policy priorities and bill ideas from our incarcerated members and organizers that guide our policy goals and culture change work that is necessary to educate the public and change the policy landscape around incarceration in California. We create guides, public educations materials, and offer training on how the public policy process works and how to create, support, and implement state policy. In 2024, we passed AB 1186 (Bonta), AB 1986 (Bryan), AB 2310 (Hart), AB 2483 (Ting)
  3. $111,130 spent. The Institute of Impacted Leaders is a 12-week organizing training and leadership development program designed for people directly impacted by mass incarceration. Each cohort trains between 20-25 people on community organizing principles, political education materials, and training on how the California legislative process works so that graduates are empowered to join Initiate Justices work or lead their own campaigns in their communities. By the end of 2024, the Institute has graduated 357 people across Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento, Fresno, San Diego, Bakersfield, Santa Barbara, San Jose, Orange County, Long Beach, Contra Costa, San Joaquin County, and the Inland Empire

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since July 2019.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.