Safety + Justice Challenge
Grant Fund

The Lucas County MacArthur Safety + Justice Challenge Grant Fund will make grants available for community-based organizations doing work in the ZIP codes 43604, 43607, 43608, and 43610. These initiatives should advance criminal justice reform and jail reduction strategies through policy change, community engagement, or programing. Initiatives should be in collaboration with the community and community focused. Deadline for applications will be at noon, Friday, September 1, 2023.

• Policy Change - Develop new and creative approaches to criminal justice reform to make a positive impact to safely reduce the local jail population and/or reduce racial, ethnic, and economic disparities in the criminal justice system in one or more of the targeted ZIP codes.
• Community Engagement - Collaborative efforts to engage community/neighborhood residents located within one or more of the targeted ZIP codes impacted by the criminal justice system and create opportunities for people to engage in practical ways to affect change in their neighborhoods and the local criminal justice system.
• Programming - Programming located within one or more of the targeted ZIP codes to support youth, individuals, and/or families impacted or potentially impacted by the criminal justice system. Provide services to individuals and/or families that have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system from various perspectives and empower individuals and/or families to become agents of change in communities that have been affected by their involvement with the criminal justice system.

As required by the United States Tax Code (Section 1.501 (c)(3)-1 (c) (3). (ii)), grant funds cannot be used to:

• Engage in direct lobbying activities (i.e., contacting legislators regarding specific legislation).
• Engage in grassroots lobbying activities (i.e., encouraging the public to contact legislators regarding specific legislation).
• Participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of or to oppose a candidate for elective public office.
• Support a voter registration drive (unless the grantee is a Section 4945(f) organization).
• Benefit a private party (other than through providing grant funds to conduct activities in furtherance of charitable and educational purposes.