From Wall Street to Silicon Valley to Hollywood, the backgrounds of leaders in philanthropy and the nonprofit world can be diverse. But criminal justice reform organization REFORM Alliance might take the cake for the sheer variety of big-name supporters it has pulled in. Among its board are billionaires and business leaders: Priscilla Chan, Clara Wu-Tsai, Laura Arnold, Robert Kraft, Michael Novogratz and Robert F. Smith. There are two rappers: Jay Z and Meek Mill. And then there’s star commentator and activist Van Jones.
REFORM Alliance was launched in January 2019 on the heels of the #FreeMeek movement on social media, which led to the release of Meek Mill, who had been reincarcerated for a parole violation. Since its founding, the organization has raked in strong support and claimed key victories in states across the country. In the early days of the pandemic, Jack Dorsey’s grantmaking outfit Start Small directed $10 million to REFORM to help bolster COVID-19 relief efforts and deliver personal protective equipment to prison and jail facilities across America. Hollywood couple Jessica Alba and Cash Warren are also involved with REFORM.
“They really help educate you on what’s going on in jails and prisons and target areas where your efforts can be impactful,” Warren, a Hollywood producer, told me. “A lot of times, you’re dealing with a country that’s not empathetic enough toward this cause.”
But what’s new with REFORM these days? And why are donors continuing to flock to the organization? I recently caught up with REFORM CEO Robert Rooks and with donors and board members Michael Novogratz and Laura Arnold to find out.
Hard-earned wins
Within the broader arena of criminal justice reform, REFORM Alliance focuses on probation and parole, bringing together bipartisan experts, leaders, advocates and policymakers to attempt to transform the system. The organization aims to help people “reenter society with dignity, create meaningful pathways to work and equip them with the tools to succeed, all while making families and communities safer and stronger.” REFORM is structured for ready engagement in political lobbying — REFORM Action Fund is its 501(c)(4) entity.
Rooks, who has led REFORM for about a year now, grew up in a working-class community in Dallas during the height of the crack cocaine epidemic. “I saw friends lose their homes. I saw a loved one get caught up in addiction. And so I committed myself to social justice work,” he said.
After graduate school, Rooks worked at the NAACP, designing and implementing its first criminal justice program. At REFORM, Rooks continues the same work he’s been doing for more than two decades. “I’m super-proud of the work that REFORM has done in just three years. We have passed 13 pieces of legislation in eight states, and have created pathways for more than 500,000 people to exit the justice system,” Rooks said.
One such effort in Georgia last year involved improving the state’s supervision system in partnership with Georgia Justice Project, RestoreHER and other organizations on the ground. Georgia, by the way, has the highest population under supervision in the United States, with more than 200,000 people currently on probation, or 1 in 18 Georgia adults. REFORM’s bill, SB105, which was signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp, closes loopholes in Georgia law and creates a pathway to early termination for tens of thousands of Georgians on probation.
Rooks believes that while policy wins matter, the implementation of those policies matters even more. Over the next year, REFORM will launch a county-based engagement strategy that will work closely with county governments and probation departments.
“REFORM is not just about advocating to change laws, but advocating to ensure that people are connected to systems of health, wellness and stability,” Rooks said. “We believe that if we can transform probation systems, it will deliver better public safety and will help communities and families be stronger. A solutions-based approach to justice reform is what I’m seeing more of across the space.”
REFORM has also focused on connecting those on probation and parole to jobs, including by holding a pilot job fair at Madison Square Garden in partnership with Roc Nation last year. A similar event is planned for June at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Joining the “Avengers”
Part of what makes REFORM stand out, of course, is the star power and diversity of its board. “I love working with this board, [who come from] so many different sectors and can use many platforms. I don’t think there’s an organization like REFORM in the criminal justice space,” Rooks said.
Wall Street veteran and cryptocurrency investor Michael Novogratz is another REFORM founding partner. Galaxy Gives, the philanthropic vehicle he runs with his wife Sukey, aims to take down the barriers imposed by structural poverty, oppression and racism. As I’ve reported, the Novogratzes were also early signers of the One for Democracy Pledge, and are members of the associated donor collaborative focused on shoring up voter protection and engagement.
Novogratz told me he started digging into the criminal justice reform space about five years ago. He joined The Bail Project, where he is now chairman of the board, and was struck by the statistic that some 500,000 people will sleep in jail every night, even though they have not been convicted, because they cannot afford bail.
Novogratz started mapping out the space looking for the best place to effect change, and settled on probation and parole — which, he notes, only receive a sliver of justice reform funding. Later, when REFORM co-chairs Michael Rubin and Meek Mill visited Novogratz’s office to make their pitch, it was a matter of aligned goals.
“REFORM Alliance filled a big void in funding, activity and energy in that space. It was a great chance to join a great board. Michael Rubin has supernatural energy,” Novogratz said, crediting Rubin for tapping his vast rolodex and uniting a seemingly disparate group of figures to lead the organization. He dubs them an “Avengers” of sorts.
“Robert Kraft might be the most credible messenger. No one would think he would be a criminal justice guy. But when he speaks, people listen. So it’s been a really interesting mix,” Novogratz said.
Novogratz is particularly excited about REFORM’s wins in California. They include the passage of three bills, which, among other things, mandate evidence-based limits to probation and parole terms, and increase pathways for sick and elderly people to return safely home.
“It came at a time when the governor just didn’t seem to want to move. At times, criminal justice [reform] is good politics. At others, it’s difficult politics. But our board has a lot of clout,” Novogratz said.
The Arnolds’ commitment
Laura Arnold, one-half of the philanthropic billionaire couple behind Arnold Ventures, is also deeply committed to REFORM as a founding partner. Now in their late 40s, Laura and John Arnold have been digging into criminal justice reform for a decade and a half.
“This was one of the first areas that we researched and began investing in as a foundation, and certainly now, as a broader philanthropic entity,” Arnold said. “Our interest in criminal justice was rooted in our mission, which is to maximize opportunity and minimize injustice. And the criminal justice system is sadly one of the drivers of inequality in this country.”
Like Novogratz, Arnold was struck by REFORM’s exclusive focus on probation and parole. Arnold Ventures had been working with The Pew Charitable Trusts and other organizations on those issues, and liked REFORM’s focus on advocacy.
“I think Rubin and Jay and Meek and the team thought they could elevate this issue among a broader range of constituencies and really help the movement in that way. It was a good opportunity for us at Arnold Ventures to amplify this work,” Arnold said.
Those following big-donor giving will know that Laura and John Arnold’s philanthropic vehicle has evolved from a 501(c)(3) family foundation into a multi-pronged LLC known as Arnold Ventures, which acts all at once as a private foundation, a donor-advised fund and a 501(c)(4). Beyond criminal justice, Arnold Ventures also works in areas like healthcare, democracy, journalism, higher education and affordable housing.
In the early days of their philanthropy, the Arnolds focused on highlighting systemic failures and figuring out what they could do to contribute to the conversation. Since they made the switch to an LLC, the Arnolds have been able to tap a larger suite of tools, including direct political advocacy.
Overall, Arnold believes philanthropy’s greatest value add is to propose alternatives, de-risk the implementation of those alternatives for governments, and do the hard work of research and development.
“When I think about REFORM, it’s been just that. It’s been to highlight that something doesn’t work. And then explain what can be done to create a better society for all of us,” Arnold said.