This week, the Department of Justice announced over $800 million in funding cuts to public safety programs that are proven, bipartisan, and life-saving.
To be clear, I believe in maximizing the efficiency of taxpayer dollars and eliminating unnecessary and wasteful government spending. I also believe one of government’s most essential responsibilities is to prevent, address, and remedy crime and violence–not just react to it. There are smart, proven solutions that do exactly that. Now, many of them are on the chopping block.
These cuts impact proven community safety models, violence intervention programs, victims’ services, addiction treatment and recovery, community-police partnerships, and more.
These are programs with broad public support across the political spectrum. Some of the places that have made the most impact on reducing violence and homicides in the last decade have been places where law enforcement leaders work alongside community based public safety organizations – working hand in hand to deploy the right service for the right moment.
That’s why I’m disappointed to see that nearly every grantee in our Safer Communities Accelerator - nonprofits working tirelessly to reduce violence in their communities - has been impacted by recent federal spending cuts. This means their lifesaving work will be severely impacted. Honestly, I am scared that these cuts will lead to increased crime, violence, and homicide in many communities across the country.
At The Just Trust, we’re really proud to support a diverse and growing ecosystem of nonprofits - conservative, progressive, faith-based, grassroots, survivor-led, and everything in between. All of them are working toward a criminal justice system that prioritizes safety, accountability, and opportunity–not punishment for the sake of punishment.
If you are a foundation or an individual funder and want to help fill some of these critical gaps, we can help connect you to organizations, or you can give directly to our Safer Communities Accelerator to support the full ecosystem and keep this essential work alive.
Finally, I want to send love and deep gratitude to our grantee partners and law enforcement allies across the country who dedicate their lives to our safety and who are now scrambling to protect their communities with fewer resources. And to the neighbors and families who will feel the impact most directly: We see you. We’re fighting for you.
UPDATE 4/28/2025: On Friday, several critical grants for victims services were reinstated. We applaud the DOJ for continuing to fund critical victims support funds and recognizing the importance of this work.
Ana Zamora, Founder & CEO
The Just Trust
