Initiate Justice Action

What it reported doing in 2024

Civic EngagementConducted thirty-five (35) civic engagement workshops at reentry facilities across the state, including in the counties of Los Angeles, San Diego, Kern, and Fresno.For the General Election, we completed twenty civic engagement workshops between August and October, collectively reaching nearly a thousand participants.Organized eighty-one (81) different presentations, workshops, webinars, canvasses, phone banks, and tabling events in opposition to Prop 36, which was on the November 2024 General Election ballot.Power BuildingOrganized virtual check-in meetings with several elected officials on their public safety priorities for the year, and organized numerous lobby days and advocacy opportunities for our Members.Sacramento Lobby Day: Held a Sacramento Lobby Day where more than a dozen of our Impacted Members advocated against harmful incarceration bills. Members got to meet directly in-person with their State Assemblymembers and Senators and provide Me Too testimonialsConducted monthly virtual training opportunities for Members on various topicsDeepened our engagement with currently incarcerated community members byvisiting four prisons to conduct tabling events, collectively reaching several thousandCaliforniansLaunched our first-ever Member competition to encourage more volunteer hours supporting our endorsed candidates and fight against Proposition 36.ElectionsConducted a Candidate Endorsement Process for 2024 General ElectionEndorsed nineteen (19) candidates running for State Senate, StateAssembly, Superior Court Judge, District Attorney, Mayor, or City Council- more than double our total number of endorsed candidates in the 2022. - Thirteen of the nineteen candidates (68%) won their seats.- Endorsement benefits included: monetary donations, staff and memberassistance with voter outreach, and promotions through IJ Actionssocial media and General Election Voter Guide.2024 Voter Guide: Published comprehensive voter guides for both the 2024 Primary Election and General Election covering every candidate for State Assembly and State Senate, and every State ballot proposition.2024 Legislative Scorecard: Published the 2nd Annual Legislative Scorecard, grading every state lawmaker based on their votes on key Public Safety bills.Policy Advocacy-Increased our impact in Sacramento by publicly supporting or opposing ninety (90) different public safety bills and/or budget requests - more than double our rate in 2023.IJ Action submitted a formal position (i.e. support or opposition) on 128 of 453 bad bills/harmful legislation, equaling 28% of all public safety bills introduced this past cycle.Our Executive Director testified twice before the Assembly Public Safety Committee against two bills strongly opposed by IJ Action.IJ Action also released its 2nd Annual Legislative Scorecard, and selected seven bills on which to grade each lawmakers votes.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 96%; rating input score 96
• Program expense ratio: 90.6%; rating input score 91
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Fail
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -6%; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.08; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.2; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0.2%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 19% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 12.2% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -36.5% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings