Unlocked Futures Fund

About

Unlocked Futures is an initiative launched in partnership by New Profit, FREEAMERICA, and Bank of America designed to unleash the expertise and insight of social entrepreneurs who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system. Unlocked Futures recognizes that entrepreneurship is a pathway for formerly incarcerated individuals to earn a family-sustaining income and build a career, and that these individuals are uniquely positioned to develop solutions that help the 600,000+ individuals re-entering society each year based on their first-hand experience of the criminal justice system. Unlocked Futures supports cohorts of eight entrepreneurs leading mission-driven organizations by providing a one-time unrestricted grant of $50,000, intensive group learning sessions on topics such as leadership and organizational development, regular consultations with New Profit partners with expertise in nonprofit capacity building, and access to New Profit’s larger community of social entrepreneurs and other social sector leaders.

Unlocked Futures has two key goals: Back entrepreneurs who have direct experience with the criminal justice system and change the public conversation about the role and talents people can bring to communities after incarceration. In its first year, Unlocked Futures has supported eight early-stage entrepreneurs with unrestricted funding and strategic support and engaged them as key voices in FREEAMERICA, a multi-year culture campaign backed by John Legend that aims to shine a light on the injustices of mass incarceration.

To learn more, donors can reach out directly to Tulaine Montgomery at tulaine_montgomery@newprofit.org.

About the Host

New Profit is a pioneering venture philanthropy organization (501c3). We back a portfolio of breakthrough social entrepreneurs who are taking on America's toughest, most entrenched challenges. In partnership with a national network of philanthropists, we provide social entrepreneurs with unrestricted grants and strategic support to help them build high-impact organizations. We also strengthen the ecosystem that surrounds our grantee-partners to help them thrive and invest in new social innovations aimed at driving widespread change.