Minnesota Elder Justice Center (MEJC)
The Minnesota Elder Justice Center (MEJC) is a left-of-center advocacy and direct-service organization based in Minneapolis that focuses on combatting elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. Founded in 2014, the group provides victim services, professional training, community education, and legislative advocacy targeting Minnesota’s long-term care regulatory framework and adult protective services systems. The organization has historically drawn over 60 percent of its operating budget from government sources, including state crime victim services funding and federal awards from the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime. The group’s stated organizational values explicitly incorporate a left-of-center diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) framework. 1 2 3
Contents
Background
The Minnesota Elder Justice Center was incorporated in 2014 through the merger of two predecessor coalitions: the Minnesota Stop Abuse and Financial Exploitation (S.A.F.E.) Elders Initiative, which the Anoka County Attorney’s office founded in 2012, and the Vulnerable Adult Justice Project. The predecessor coalitions operated primarily as volunteer organizations with partial support from small foundation grants before consolidating into a formal nonprofit. 4 5
Activities
The Minnesota Elder Justice Center operates across four program areas: direct victim services, community education, professional training, and public policy advocacy. 1
The organization provides free advocacy services to older and vulnerable adults across Minnesota, including a telephone helpline, assistance navigating legal and social service systems, and pro bono legal representation. In 2020, the group reported providing support to over 625 victims and delivering more than 70 free trainings reaching over 5,400 professionals and community members statewide. 6 7
Advocacy
The Minnesota Elder Justice Center has frequently lobbied the state legislature of Minnesota. The organization was among the coalitions credited with helping to develop and advance the Elder Care and Vulnerable Adult Protection Act of 2019, which established Minnesota’s first licensing framework for assisted-living facilities. 8 9
In 2022, MEJC submitted written testimony to the Minnesota House Human Services Finance and Policy Committee urging updates to the Vulnerable Adult Act and calling on the state to address what the group described as “structural inequities” within Adult Protective Services systems. In 2024, the group joined with the Arc Minnesota and the Center for Excellence in Supported Decision-Making to advocate for legislation limiting guardian immunity and for greater use of Supported Decision-Making as an alternative to guardianship. 10 11
The group told its supporters following the 2023 legislative session that the legislature had made what it described as “the largest investments in Adult Protection Services systems to counties since the creation of the Vulnerable Adult Act,” including creation of a new grant program for supported decision-making organizations totaling over $4 million. 12
Funding
Minnesota Elder Justice Center has historically been funded primarily through government grants and contracts, which comprised over 60 percent of the organization’s 2024 revenue. The organization has received awards under U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) programs, including $499,000 granted from 2020 to 2023. 13
Financial Statistics
Total Assets
Total Revenue
Total Expenses
Revenue Detail
Expenses Detail
Employee Compensation
- Number of Employees: 12
Highest Earning Employees
| Employee | Title | Total Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Amanda Vickstrom | EXECUTIVE DI | $125,213 |
Grant Activity
All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $685,921
- Number of Grants: 37
- Number of Funders: 10
Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years: