Evaluation of the Michigan Justice Fund's First Four Years
Michigan's communities and economy continue to bear the costs of mass incarceration — and the need for effective, equitable justice reform has never been more urgent. In February 2020, a coalition of 15 Michigan-based and national funders came together to form the Michigan Justice Fund (MJF), committed to shifting power, centering justice-impacted leaders, and advancing policy reform across the state.
Since 2023, Engage R+D has served as MJF's evaluation and learning partner, gathering perspectives from grantees, funders, advisors, government stakeholders, and independent leaders to assess progress and surface field-relevant lessons. This work draws on surveys, interviews, participatory observation, and the bellwether methodology — gathering candid perspectives from leaders with no direct funding relationship to MJF.
This series of five briefs, Working Together Toward a More Just Michigan, shares MJF's impact, key strategies, and lessons from its first four years. Brief 1 provides an impact summary across MJF's three goals. Briefs 2–4 take a deeper look at promising strategies for incorporating justice-impacted leadership, building nonprofit capacity, and deepening partnerships. Brief 5 looks ahead, identifying priorities for sustaining progress in a shifting political and funding landscape.
Image: Chip Tomas, Reconnecting With Friends, photo by Brooke Eileen.
