The Request-for-Proposal (RFP) and other parts of grantmaking often leave out smaller, grassroots community organizations who are closest to those they serve. Using our Community-Based Restorative Justice Program and Grassroots Policy Incubator as examples, we dig into ways that funders and grant managers can create a more inclusive process that uplifts new ideas without sacrificing program quality and accountability.

A snapshot of the work we’ve done this past month, including a report on the constitutionality of NYPD Stop-and-Frisks and incubating grassroots policy ideas.

The 2024-2025 cohort of the Kriegel Fellowship celebrated their graduation at ISLG’s midtown office.

The study assessed how frequently officers who conduct stops violate the Fourth Amendment, examined the conditions in which unconstitutional stops occur, and identified the reasons a stop was unconstitutional.

There’s a shortage of funding and capacity-building opportunities available to small grassroots organizations in NYC, which is why the Grassroots Policy Incubator has been designed specifically to support their needs.

A snapshot of the work we’ve done this past month, including quantifying the need for investment in the human services sector, building the next generation of civic engagement leaders, and building an evidence base on the impact of criminal legal reforms.

The study found the sector has doubled since 2000, but that real wages have stagnated compared to private sector employment—with women of color most impacted.  

The New York City Health Justice Network (NYC HJN) is supporting people returning home from incarceration by providing holistic healthcare and social services. A recent evaluation of the program found evidence that it made a positive impact on reducing future criminal legal system involvement.

The Fellowship aims to tap into the wealth of exemplary CUNY students to build a corps of civically engaged leaders who will embark on a two-year program, training them on voter engagement and education as well as community involvement.

For the fourth year in a row, an analysis of individual-level jail data and county-level crime trends assessing the relationship between pretrial release and crime affirms past findings: violent crime and the rate that people returned to jail after release have remained the same before and after reforms were implemented. 

An overview of the work we did this past month, including tapping into public sector partnerships to prevent hate crimes, helping develop resources to support incarcerated students transition to college after release, and highlighting the amazing women of our Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Project Working Group.

Many survivors of gender-based violence face obstacles in accessing services in their communities. The Gender-Based Violence Project is taking a woman-led approach to better understand the challenges and successes of organizations that provide support to survivors and the survivor experience of receiving support.