Overview of the Opportunity

The Louisiana Justice Fund (LJF) is a pooled fund housed at FFL that supports projects aimed at reducing incarceration rates, improving reentry outcomes, and dismantling barriers to economic mobility, particularly for individuals disproportionately represented in the criminal legal system. The Fund focuses on deploying resources strategically to drive change and create lasting impact. 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.

The Louisiana Justice Fund’s (LJF) 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 may 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.

We fund, lead, convene, and collaborate to build on the existing power in our communities and address the greatest and most critical needs facing Louisiana. FFL uses this common grant application form for all applications, with supplemental materials requested as needed.  Applicants should gather all required documentation prior to starting the online application.

Electronic Submissions:

• To submit an application, you will need to create a Submittable account. All you need is an email and password to create your account. It's that simple. For further instructions, visit the following help center article How to submit.
• Supported internet browsers include: Google Chrome, Apple Safari, & Mozilla Firefox.
• If you have any technical issues, please contact Submittable through the following link: Submittable technical support 

Overview of Opportunity

The Louisiana Justice Fund (LJF) is a pooled fund housed at FFL that supports projects aimed at reducing incarceration rates, improving reentry outcomes, and dismantling barriers to economic mobility, particularly for individuals disparately represented in the criminal legal system. The Fund focuses on deploying resources strategically to drive change and create lasting impact. LJF also 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.

The LJF Reentry & Economic Mobility grant supports Louisiana-based organizations conducting workforce advocacy and providing reentry services with a systems analysis that addresses economic mobility, workforce development, expanded and coordinated services for formerly-incarcerated persons (FIPs) and families of system-involved folks.

What the Grant Supports

Louisiana-based organizations implementing programs or initiatives that aim to improve employment opportunities for FIPs through direct services with an ecological systems analysis of the criminal justice system in Louisiana, policy advocacy, or integrated advocacy with direct services.

Examples of the type of work this grant will support include but are not limited to: 

• “clean slate” legislative advocacy and connecting that work to the national movement;
• removing barriers to vocations and fixing the gaps in reentry services that create unnecessary barriers to living-wage employment (e.g., occupational licensure);
• strategies to ensure implementation of existing policies and laws facilitating access to employment, housing, voting, healthcare, etc. for formerly incarcerated persons; 
• policy advocacy to improve employment opportunities and economic mobility for FIPs integrated with direct services); 
• services/programs/policy advocacy to mitigate the economic burden on families of detained or incarcerated folks.

Electronic Submissions:

• To submit an application, you will need to create a Submittable account. All you need is an email and password to create your account. It's that simple. For further instructions, visit the following help center article How to submit.
• Supported internet browsers include: Google Chrome, Apple Safari, & Mozilla Firefox.
• If you have any technical issues, please contact Submittable through the following link: Submittable technical support

Overview of the Opportunity

The Louisiana Justice Fund (LJF) is a pooled fund housed at FFL that supports projects aimed at reducing incarceration rates, improving reentry outcomes, and dismantling barriers to economic mobility, particularly for individuals disproportionately represented in the criminal legal system. The Fund focuses on deploying resources strategically to drive change and create lasting impact. 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.

The Louisiana Justice Fund’s (LJF) Narrative Change grants support development and dissemination of counternarratives to criminality of youth, communities of color, immigrants, unhoused and poor people in Louisiana as well defensive and affirmative communications and narrative strategies that shift narratives on safety, crime, and accountability prioritizing prevention, equity, and restoration and contributing to an enabling environment for legal policy and social change.

What the Grant Supports

Examples of the type of work LJF will support include but are not limited to: 

• counternarrative and message development;
• polling, public opinion research, spokesperson development, story-gathering and collateral (marketing and promo materials) development; 
• coordinated message deployment and use; 
• dissemination and amplification of counternarratives and messages (earned media, digital campaigns, owned media, and social medial); and
• training and technical assistance to strengthen the overall communications capacity and skill sets of the ecosystem. 

We fund, lead, convene, and collaborate to build on the existing power in our communities and address the greatest and most critical needs facing Louisiana. FFL uses this common grant application form for all applications, with supplemental materials requested as needed.  Applicants should gather all required documentation prior to starting the online application.

Electronic Submissions:

• To submit an application, you will need to create a Submittable account. All you need is an email and password to create your account. It's that simple. For further instructions, visit the following help center article How to submit.
• Supported internet browsers include: Google Chrome, Apple Safari, & Mozilla Firefox.
• If you have any technical issues, please contact Submittable through the following link: Submittable technical support

Foundation for Louisiana is proud to launch a new grant opportunity for community-based organizations in New Orleans and Baton Rouge to deepen their approaches to racial healing.

In alignment with the National Day of Racial Healing in January 2026, we will award ten grants of up to $10,000 each to support organizations in strengthening their internal and/or external racial healing practices. Grantees will use the National Day of Racial Healing Conversation Guide and related resources as a foundation to design staff engagements, community events, or other healing-centered processes that reflect their unique histories, cultures, and lived experiences.

This opportunity is designed not just for public programming, but to support organizations in answering: What does racial healing look like for us? Whether focused on internal team-building or broader community work, the goal is to build lasting practices rooted in truth-telling, relationship-building, and visioning for a more just and liberated Louisiana.

Participating organizations will adapt and implement the National Day of Racial Healing tools effectively between January 16 and January 25, and attend a shared learning roundtable after their events to help inform Foundation for Louisiana’s future racial healing initiatives.

This grant opportunity is part of Foundation for Louisiana’s ongoing commitment to investing in truth-telling, movement building, and healing justice. We welcome applications from organizations deeply connected to their communities and committed to advancing racial equity and collective healing.

Timeline:

• October 16, 2025: RFP goes live
• October 28, 2025: RFP closes
• November 14, 2025: Award Announcement
• January 16 - 25, 2026: National Day of Racial Healing Events are held
   

Eligibility:
Eligible organizations must:

• Have 501c3 determination or a fiscal sponsor
• Be located and work in Baton Rouge, Louisiana or New Orleans, Louisiana
• Plan to implement the project between January 16–25, 2026
• Use the National Day of Racial Healing (NDORH) tools to design and implement event
   

Selection Criteria:
Applications that meet eligibility requirements will be scored in the following areas:

1. Mission Alignment
We prioritize organizations whose mission and goals reflect a commitment to equity, justice, and the well-being of Louisiana communities, especially those most impacted by structural oppression.

2. Alignment with Racial Healing
We’re looking to partner with organizations that are actively engaging in racial healing. That might look like long-standing racial healing practices, newly emerging approaches, or thoughtful plans to integrate healing into your internal culture or community work. We welcome a wide range of interpretations of what racial healing looks like for your organization.

3. Community Connection & Engagement
Strong proposals will come from organizations that are deeply rooted in their communities. We value applications that show how you listen to and are guided by the people you serve, especially in the design and implementation of your programming.

4. Project Design & Use of National Day Of Racial Healing Tools
We’re excited to see how you make the National Day of Racial Healing conversation and event guides your own. We’re looking for proposals that reflect your community’s history, culture, and realities, and that use National Day Of Racial Healing tools as a framework for designing your National Day of Racial Healing event, staff engagements, or other racial healing-centered process.

5. Budget & Use of Funds
We ask that your budget clearly reflect the work you’re planning to do. We understand that organizations operate with different levels of infrastructure, so we’re not looking for perfection, just clarity and alignment between your intentions, your activities, and your use of funds.
 

More Information

We’re hosting a virtual info session on October 22, 2025 at 12pm. Email grants@foundationforlouisiana.org to RSVP.

A FAQ with more information about eligibility and funding range can be found here.

Resources and support for using our online application portal Submittable is available here.

Questions about this opportunity, eligibility, or how to prepare your application materials? Want to discuss accommodations for people with disabilities?  Other questions or concerns? Email us at grants@foundationforlouisiana.org.