What Austin Justice Coalition does

Austin Justice Coalition (AJC) is a Black-led, 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 in Austin, Texas by Chas Moore, operating today under Executive Director Ishia Lynette with a leadership team of approximately 1-10 staff including a Development Director. Its stated mission is to elevate lived experience, build leadership, organize, and mobilize people to fight racist systems through a Black abolitionist lens, serving Black, Brown, and marginalized communities in Austin that are historically impacted by over-policing, gentrification, and lack of fair educational and housing opportunities.

AJC's product surface is a portfolio of nine community programs rather than a unified technology platform: Radical Advocates Academy (a year-long paid organizer training launched in October 2022), Housing & Mobility Justice, Economic Justice, BASS (school-system reform), Black Art Matters (annual fundraiser), Black Food Month, Bro Brunch, Project Orange (incarcerated voter access in partnership with Houston Justice Coalition), and the Justice Access Support Initiative (reduced-rate legal services via Tolbert Law Firm, launched March 2025). Underlying infrastructure is lightweight: an EveryAction donation and volunteer platform, a WordPress-based website, and standard social media channels.

The organization's business and revenue model is donation- and membership-driven. It offers five publicly disclosed "Equity Ambassador" tiers (Friends & Family $20 one-time / $25 monthly, Supporter up to $500 annual, Advocate up to $550 annual, Ally up to $1,080 annual, and Co-Conspirator up to $5,400 annual) with discounts for longer commitments. Supplemental revenue comes from annual events such as Black Art Matters and Black Food Month, grants, and the legal-services channel through JASI. AJC achieved financial independence from the Texas Fair Defense Project in 2020, filing its first independent 990 for that year, and operates exclusively within Austin, Texas.

Name

Austin Justice Coalition

Legal name

Austin Justice Coalition

Website

https://austinjustice.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Austin Justice Coalition is a Black-led, 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 in Austin, Texas, that delivers policy advocacy and community programs — including the Radical Advocates Academy, JASI legal services, Project Orange, and annual Black Art Matters events — to Black, Brown, and marginalized communities impacted by over-policing, housing inequity, and educational disparity.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Advocacy and Social Justice Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Racial & Ethnic Justice Organizations (BPAGAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Criminal Justice Reform & Legal System Advocacy (BPAGAFAI), Reentry & Justice-Involved Support Services (BPAGAEAN), Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

Keywords

• Community advocacy services
• Criminal justice reform
• Civic engagement programs
• Community organizing
• Policy reform advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership/Donation Program: AJC generates revenue through a tiered membership program called 'Equity Ambassadors' with five donation tiers (Friends & Family, Supporter, Advocate, Ally, Co-Conspirator), offered as one-time, 3-month, 6-month, or annual recurring donations. Discounts incentivize longer commitment periods. Most operational funds come from community donations.
2. Events and Fundraisers: Annual events such as Black Art Matters (BAM) serve as both community engagement and fundraising vehicles, featuring Black artists, musicians, chefs, and vendors. Black Food Month drives visibility and support for Black-owned restaurants.
3. Fiscal Sponsorship & Grants: Until 2020, AJC was fiscally sponsored by the Texas Fair Defense Project and filed its first independent 990 for tax year 2020. The organization may also pursue grants and public funding for specific programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Austin Justice Coalition is a Black-led nonprofit community organization that delivers social justice programs for Black, Brown, and marginalized residents of Austin, Texas. Its offerings combine community empowerment, civic engagement, policy advocacy, and direct services across criminal justice reform, housing and mobility justice, economic inclusion, education equity, voter access, and legal support. Programs are sustained through a tiered membership/donation structure, fundraising events, and grants.

Product overview

Austin Justice Coalition is a Black-led community organization that offers a portfolio of social justice programs rather than a unified technology product. Its core programs include: Radical Advocates Academy (a year-long paid advocacy training), Housing & Mobility Justice (advocacy for equitable housing and transit), Economic Justice (corporate-community collaboration), BASS (school system reform), Black Art Matters (annual fundraiser), Black Food Month (Black business celebration), Bro Brunch (community building for Black men), Project Orange (voting rights for incarcerated individuals), and Justice Access Support Initiative (legal assistance). The organization also facilitates volunteer engagement and membership-based donations through its website platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Radical Advocates Academy (RAA) A year-long paid advocacy training program that trains aspiring advocates in organizing and managing policy campaigns, building community-led advocacy skills to strengthen impact in the movement for justice.
• Housing & Mobility Justice Advocacy initiative championing safe, affordable housing and reliable transportation while challenging segregation, displacement, and economic barriers through equitable housing policies and accessible public transit.
• Economic Justice Initiative that unites city leaders and major corporations to drive projects aligned with Austin's 2023 Strategic Direction, fostering innovation, economic inclusion, and lasting change for historically excluded communities.
• Building Austin School Systems (BASS) Community-powered initiative creating transformative change within Austin school systems by advocating for police-free, equitable learning environments where BIPOC students, families, and staff can thrive.
• Black Art Matters (BAM) AJC's annual art show and fundraiser dedicated to amplifying Black voices through artistic expression, featuring Black artists, local musicians, chefs, and vendors in celebration of Black culture and the fight for justice.
• Black Food Month Month-long citywide celebration of Black-owned restaurants and food businesses in Austin, spotlighting Black chefs and restaurateurs through digital campaigns encouraging the community to EAT, SHARE, and SUPPORT.
• Bro Brunch Community initiative designed to cultivate a supportive network among Black men in Austin through gatherings featuring food, music, and conversations on mental health, masculinity, and identity.
• Project Orange Voting rights initiative that empowers incarcerated individuals in Travis County Jail to exercise their right to vote through education, resources, and advocacy in partnership with Houston Justice Coalition.
• Justice Access Support Initiative (JASI) Program providing legal assistance to those marginalized by the legal system, connecting individuals with justice-oriented attorneys for fair representation in housing disputes, criminal cases, and civil rights violations.
• Equity Ambassadors Membership Program Tiered membership and recurring donation program (Friends & Family, Supporter, Advocate, Ally, Co-Conspirator) that underwrites AJC's programs and provides members with event access, branded merchandise, and direct engagement with AJC leaders.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% reduction in use of excessive force incidents in Austin over the past three years
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tolbert Law FirmcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Tolbert Law Firm partnered with AJC to launch the Justice Access Support Initiative (JASI), providing reduced-rate legal services to marginalized community members in civil, criminal, and family law cases. AJC facilitates client connections through its community relationships while Tolbert Law provides legal representation. The firm operates in Dallas, Austin, and Atlanta. Reduced fee rates are determined on a case-by-case basis.
• Texas Fair Defense ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Until 2020, AJC operated under the fiscal sponsorship of the Texas Fair Defense Project, which provided administrative and financial infrastructure. AJC filed its first independent 990 for tax year 2020.
• Houston Justice CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAJC partners with Houston Justice Coalition on Project Orange, a voting rights initiative for incarcerated individuals in Travis County Jail. Together, the organizations educate detainees on their voting rights, challenge systemic barriers to ballot access, and amplify the voices of those impacted by the justice system.
• Austin Film SocietyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAustin Film Society serves as the venue host for AJC's film screening events, such as 'The Trouble I SEE' documentary screening, providing physical space for community engagement and educational programming.
• Equity ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEquity Action is a political action committee that collaborates with AJC on police oversight ballot initiatives, citizen input on city budgets, and advocacy for police contract reform. AJC staff (including Chris Harris) serve on Equity Action's board.
• Repro Power AustinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepro Power Austin is a coalition formed in 2017 that lobbied local governments to protect reproductive justice policies. AJC participated in the coalition's work that led to the GRACE Act and budget measures supporting abortion access.
• Lilith FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLilith Fund is a reproductive rights organization that collaborated with AJC on the GRACE Act resolution to decriminalize abortion in Austin, focusing on the intersection of criminal justice and abortion care access.
• Avow TexasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAvow Texas is a reproductive justice organization that partnered with AJC and other advocates in crafting the GRACE Act, a resolution directing Austin Police Department to deprioritize abortion-related investigations.
• Just LibertyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJust Liberty is a criminal justice reform organization that worked with AJC as part of the 2017 coalition advocating for real police oversight in Austin's contract negotiations with the Austin Police Association.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Chicago Community Bond Fund: Grassroots bail and pre-trial freedom fund that also drives policy and community-led campaigns on criminal legal system reform; comparable direct-service-plus-advocacy model to AJC's JASI and Project Orange programs.
• Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ): National network of local chapters organizing white allies for racial justice campaigns including policing and housing; shares AJC's coalition-building and grassroots organizing approach at a different scale.

Direct peers

• Texas Fair Defense Project: Statewide nonprofit providing public defense support and policy advocacy on indigent defense and criminal justice; AJC operated as a fiscal project of TFDP until 2020, making TFDP a foundational peer.
• Dallas Justice Now: Dallas grassroots coalition addressing policing, housing, and economic justice for Black and Brown communities; a near-mirror of AJC's model in another major Texas metro.
• Just Liberty: Texas statewide criminal justice reform nonprofit; AJC has co-led police oversight coalition work with Just Liberty in Austin, sharing overlapping advocacy targets, donor base, and policy wins.
• Equity Action: Texas-based political action committee focused on police oversight and budget accountability; shares board members with AJC and has co-run ballot and budget campaigns in Austin.
• Houston Justice Coalition: Houston-based grassroots racial and criminal justice coalition directly comparable to AJC in mission, organizing model, and Texas regional focus; AJC already partners with HJC on Project Orange voting rights work.

Broad incumbents

• Color Of Change: Largest national online racial justice organization; competes for the same donor pool and policy campaigns (criminal justice, economic inclusion) but operates at a national scale with significantly more resources than AJC.
• Vera Institute of Justice: National criminal justice reform nonprofit working on policing, incarceration, and racial equity through research, technical assistance, and advocacy; comparable mission, far broader institutional footprint.
• NAACP: Long-standing civil rights organization addressing criminal justice, voting rights, housing, and economic equity — directly overlapping AJC's issue portfolio, though far larger, older, and nationally federated.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@austinjusticecoalition5924
• Facebookfacebook.com/austinjusticecoalition
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/austin-justice-coalition
• Instagraminstagram.com/austinjusticecoalition
• Xx.com/atxjustice

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Austin Justice Coalition