The death penalty should be abolished because it violates basic human rights. More so, it relies on a system fraught with error, discriminates based on race and socio-economic status, takes up disproportionate time and resources in the courts, and impedes meaningful reform of the criminal justice system.

  1. We were surprised by the quick pace of progress on this issue. We believe the effort gained momentum due to a combination of quick wins, strategic communications and steadfast commitment to incremental progress.
  2. A national advocacy campaign is more likely to succeed when it has a strategy run by an independent leadership team invested with full decision-making authority, accountability mechanisms and influence over funding priorities.
  3. Grants have more impact when donors coordinate with each other to align, pool and commit their funding in support of strategic priorities.

Read the full article on the death penalty at The Atlantic Philanthropies