MacArthur Foundation [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.macfound.org/

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Press release
20 Diverse Communities Receive MacArthur Support to Reduce Jail Populations, Improve Local Systems, and Model Reforms for the Nation
Published April 12, 2016
MacArthur today announced nearly $25 million in support for ambitious plans to create fairer, more effective local justice systems across the country. The Foundation is awarding 11 jurisdictions grants between $1.5M and $3.5M over two years to reduce their jail populations and address racial and ethnic disparities in their justice systems. An additional nine jurisdictions will be given $150,000 grants to continue their reform work and to participate in a growing, collaborative network of cities, counties, and states driving local justice reform.

The grants are part of the Safety and Justice Challenge, a national initiative supported by the Foundation with an initial $75 million to reduce over-incarceration by changing the way America thinks about and uses jails. The Challenge is establishing a network of jurisdictions to model and inspire effective local criminal justice reforms across the country. Last May, MacArthur chose 20 jurisdictions for initial grants and expert counsel to develop plans for reform after a highly competitive selection process that drew applications from nearly 200 jurisdictions in 45 states and territories. All 20 of these Safety and Justice Challenge Network jurisdictions will be eligible for further funding. Depending on continued commitment and significant progress, sites receiving implementation awards will be eligible for additional funding after the initial two years. The remaining jurisdictions are encouraged to sustain their momentum for reform and will be considered for implementation support in 2017.
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Publication
A Mid-term Evaluation of The Conservation & Sustainable Development Program
Published April 5, 2016
Total Awarded: $83m
Total Grants: 221
Duration: 2011 – 2016
Geographic Focus: Andes, Greater Mekong, Great Lakes of East and Central Africa
[Excerpt]
…In addition, the evaluation produced the following lessons:
:: Sustained engagement and flexibility are key to impact. The program’s long-term commitment to the priority land and seascapes, including strong, enduring relationships with grantees that emphasize shared long-term program goals over projects have facilitated results.
:: Striking the right balance between traditional and innovative approaches to conservation is a process that requires experimentation and course corrections.
:: Donor partnerships and coordinated grantmaking around common objectives can enhance collective impact. Working in a donor collaborative helped us to establish a common, and sometimes more sophisticated, understanding of the threats and opportunities in a region.
:: A universal theory of change is most useful for developing and communicating a grantmaking strategy; it is less helpful to guide grantmaking in a given problem and geographic context. The product of a global theory of change may be too broad, and too simplistic, to usefully guide regional grantmaking, where opportunities, threats, and players shift quickly.
:: When investing in science, good planning will determine the conservation payoff. Scientific analysis and communication are valuable, but insufficient means to ensure effective environmental conservation.
:: Defining an appropriate grantmaking niche is critical to success.