Prison Policy Initiative

The Prison Policy Initiative is a left-progressive 501(c)(3) organization which advocates for reducing the number of incarcerated people in the United States.1

At-A-Glance

Location: Northampton, MA View on map
Tax ID: 20-3671130
Most Recent Filing: 2025
Budget (2025): Assets: $9,516,444 Revenue: $3,075,124 Expenses: $1,911,368

The Prison Policy Initiative is a left-progressive 501(c)(3) organization which advocates for reducing the number of incarcerated people in the United States.1

Financial Statistics

Total Assets

Total Revenue

Total Expenses

YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
2025 $9,516,444 $3,075,124 $1,911,368 View
2024 $8,305,767 $4,146,849 $1,697,210 View
2023 $5,839,916 $2,458,940 $1,403,872 View
2022 $4,786,331 $1,959,116 $1,568,651 View
2021 $4,387,287 $3,394,592 $1,125,225 View
2020 $2,222,093 $1,170,674 $684,660 View

Prior year filings: 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

Revenue Detail

Expenses Detail

Employee Compensation

  • Number of Employees: 12

Highest Earning Employees

EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
Peter WagnerExecutive Director$258,437
Wendy SawyerResearch Director$194,348
Mike WesslerCommunications Director$159,093
Aleksandra KajsturaLegal Director$157,956
Sarah StaudtPolicy & Advocacy Manager$132,948
Brian Nam-SonensteinSenior Editor and Researcher$111,190

Grant Activity

All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

  • Total Grant Value: $15,796,452
  • Number of Grants: 247
  • Number of Funders: 67

Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

AmountYearFunderSubject
$2,000,0002023 MacKenzie ScottMacKenzie Scott made an unrestricted grant of $2 million to Prison Policy Initiative. The non-profit, non-partisan Prison Policy Initiative produces cutting edge research to expose the broader harm of mass criminalization, and then sparks advocacy campaigns to create a more just society.
$1,059,3082021 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
$1,000,0002020 StartSmall LLCTo support the Prison Policy Initiative in building the long-term movement to end mass incarceration by providing advocates key data, research, technical support, and skills training.
$575,0002022 New Venture FundCIVIL RIGHTS, SOCIAL ACTION, ADVOCACY
$489,6002023 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
$375,0002024 The Just Trust for EducationGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
$375,0002023 The Just Trust for EducationGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
$375,0002022 Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Inc.GENERAL
$375,0002021 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
$300,0002023 John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundationto support policy research and advocacy highlighting the need for local criminal justice reform as part of the Safety and Justice Challenge.
$300,0002021 The Ford FoundationGeneral support to challenge over-criminalization and mass incarceration through research, advocacy, and narrative change work
$250,0002025 The Ford FoundationGeneral support to challenge over-criminalization and mass incarceration through research, advocacy, and narrative change work
$250,0002023 The Ford FoundationGeneral support to challenge over-criminalization and mass incarceration through research, advocacy, and narrative change work
$250,0002021 Coefficient GivingTo produce reports and data analysis that are useful for campaigns by criminal justice reform partners across the country and to build out a new training and advocacy program for grassroots groups
$250,0002021 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
$225,0002021 John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur FoundationTo support policy research and advocacy highlighting the need for local criminal justice reform as part of the Safety and Justice Challenge.
$200,0002023 Public Welfare FoundationGeneral Support
$200,0002021 Public Welfare FoundationGeneral Support
$150,0002024 New Venture FundCIVIL RIGHTS, SOCIAL ACTION, ADVOCACY
$125,0002022 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
$125,0002022 Silicon Valley Community FoundationCivil Participation
$125,0002021 Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Inc.GENERAL
$125,0002020 Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Inc.GENERAL
$101,0002023 Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund for Wealth Management IncCOMMUNITY & HUMAN SERVICES
$100,0002024 Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Inc.For general support

References

1. Prison Policy Initiative. “About the Prison Policy Initiative.” https://www.prisonpolicy.org/about.html. Accessed July 26, 2022.