Deadline: 17-Nov-23
Racism and racial biases are embedded in the criminal legal system and lead to disproportionate harm to communities of color, particularly the Black community. The Urban Institute and the Microsoft Justice Reform Initiative are collaborating on the Catalyst Grant Program to help nonprofits address these inequities by using data and technology to advance racial equity and reform at the front end of the adult criminal legal system.
They are seeking proposals for local projects that advance the focus areas of the Microsoft Justice Reform Initiative, which include supporting policies, programs, and practices that prevent unnecessary system involvement and decrease racial and ethnic disparities in policing and prosecution. They look forward to hearing from organizations across the United States who want to join the 64 grantees from three previous cohorts as they work to deploy technology and analysis, visualization, and dissemination of data toward better systems and outcomes for all people.
Goals
- The goals of the Catalyst Grant Program include the following:
- To create a space for locally embedded non-profit organizations to implement data- and technology-focused projects to advance racial equity and reform in the criminal legal system in the focus areas of prevention, policing, and prosecution.
- To enhance the technological and data capacity of nonprofit organizations focused on promoting justice and racial equity through project assistance, peer-learning opportunities, and financial support.
- To disseminate innovative practices and lessons learned during implementation to stakeholders throughout the criminal legal reform community.
Award and Benefits
- Those selected to participate in the Catalyst Grant Program will benefit from:
- $40,000 in funding to support project implementation expenses during the grant period;
- Light-touch expert project assistance on data, policy, and community engagement from Urban as needed;
- Access to Microsoft technology for nonprofits and related support as needed;
- Virtual peer-learning opportunities with Urban, Microsoft, and other awardees; and
- Amplification of their work through public-facing communications such as blogs, webinars, or conference panels.
Expectations of Awardees
- Awardees will be expected to do the following:
- Commit to participate in the Catalyst Grant Program and advance proposed projects over the project performance period.
- Engage with Urban experts and other grantees, including engaging with the Urban project assistance teams through periodic calls and email communications and participating in three or four virtual peer-learning opportunities, which may include giving informal presentations to other grantees.
- Complete reporting requirements (a final report to Urban and Microsoft and periodic brief feedback surveys from Microsoft).
- Develop a plan for how data and technology will be used responsibly and ethically in the project, including protecting individuals and data as appropriate for the proposed activities, technology uses, and data sources (and, if needed, identifying and receiving approval for research activities from an institutional review board).
- If using Microsoft technology, engage as needed with available in-kind expert assistance.
- Acknowledge the support from the Catalyst Grant Program in any products resulting from this grant.
- Follow the Urban Institute’s Justice Policy Center’s Code of Conduct for Catalyst Grant Program meetings, written communications, and events, including treating program staff and local participants with respect and professional courtesy, assuming good intentions, and appreciating participants’ different backgrounds.
Eligibility Criteria
- Lead Applicant Organizations
- They are seeking lead organizations that are locally embedded with demonstrated relationships and connections to the communities where project activities will occur. Understanding that inequities in the criminal legal system disproportionately affect people of color, particularly Black communities, they also focus on organizations that reflect these communities by having people of color in staff leadership and trusted relationships with communities of color. They encourage small community-based organizations to apply. Each organization may submit only one application. Eligibility requirements for lead applicant organizations are as follows:
- Lead applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations based in the United States.
- Colleges and universities are not eligible to be lead organizations but can be a partner organization with an eligible lead organization.
- Any organization that will be receiving funding from the Microsoft Justice Reform Initiative outside of the Catalyst Program as of January 2, 2024 is not eligible to be a lead applicant but can be a partner organization with an eligible lead organization.
- They are seeking lead organizations that are locally embedded with demonstrated relationships and connections to the communities where project activities will occur. Understanding that inequities in the criminal legal system disproportionately affect people of color, particularly Black communities, they also focus on organizations that reflect these communities by having people of color in staff leadership and trusted relationships with communities of color. They encourage small community-based organizations to apply. Each organization may submit only one application. Eligibility requirements for lead applicant organizations are as follows:
- Partner Organizations and Individuals
- A partner is any organization or individual outside of the lead applicant organization that is providing personnel or expertise necessary to key project tasks or deliverables, whether paid or unpaid.
- All partner organizations or individuals playing key roles in the proposed activities must be on the application, and their roles described in the proposal.
- As part of the application, you must provide a participation letter from partners (paid or unpaid, whether organizations or individuals), that confirms their commitment to participate in the project consistent with their role as described in the proposal.
- Organizations eligible to be partners include:
- local, state, or national nonprofit organizations, with or without 501(c)(3) status;
- colleges or universities (public or nonprofit);
- local or state governments; and
- for-profit organizations.
- The above organizations can receive funding as part of the grant with the exception of local and state governments and their employees; they can be partners in proposed projects but cannot receive funds.
- Individuals may be partners on an application and may receive funding as part of the grant.
For more information, visit Urban Institute.
