OTF Funding Strategy

The OTF supports work with people most affected by the justice system at the center, seeking to build local and statewide networks of youth, families, communities, and allied institutions serving in leadership roles to form and drive the statewide strategy. The OTF prioritizes work that organizes, trains, and mobilizes impacted constituencies, in addition to policy advocacy that informed by impacted communities.

Criminal Justice Ecosystem  & Collateral Sanctions Targeted Grant Programs

OTF priorities advocacy promoting the development, adoption, implementation, and enforcement of policy changes that address the systemic inequities of Ohio's collateral sanctions for adults and youth. Approaches of interest to the OTF include  impact litigation, and policy analysis and advocacy. 

The OTF  also  funds direct grassroots organizing that engages individuals, families, youth, community members, and allied institutions in movement building, mobilization, and direct action campaigns, and that support the vision of systematic change of the criminal legal system in Ohio. 

Both the Collateral Sanctions and Ecosystem grants are by invitation only.  If you feel your organization may be a fit for our grant program, please contact Elissa Schneider at [email protected].

Rapid Response Grants

The Ohio Transformation Fund provides a limited number of Rapid Response grants outside the traditional grantmaking timeline. The purpose of the Rapid Response program is to provide flexible and responsive support when windows of opportunity emerge to take immediate action. 

Eligibility 
Requests for OTF Rapid Response grants must meet the following criteria: 
  • Strategic – The action promotes the advancement of criminal justice reform in Ohio and is focused on advocacy or organizing efforts. 
  • Unanticipated and/or time urgent – The specific event or situation your organization is responding to was unanticipated and/or the action must happen quickly to be effective. 

For more information on the application process, please click here. 
​​RECENT RECIPIENTS

OTF recent grant recipients include:
- ACLU of Ohio
-Building Freedom Ohio
-Freedom ROC
​-Greater Cleveland Congregations
- Juvenile Justice Coalition
-Legal Works, Inc
- Ohio Justice & Policy Center
-Ohio Families Against Police Brutality 
-Ohioans to Stop Executions
-People's Justice Project
-Racial Justice Now
- Ohio Organizing Collaborative
- Policy Matters Ohio
- Vincentian Ohio Action Network