Safety and Justice Oregon

What Safety and Justice Oregon does

Safety and Justice Oregon is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 2007 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, that transforms Oregon's public safety and criminal justice systems through civic engagement, education, policy advocacy, and political/electoral organizing. Its mission centers on advancing responses to violence rooted in accountability, racial equity, and healing rather than punishment, addressing mass incarceration, racial disparities, gaps in addiction and mental health treatment, harsh mandatory minimum sentences, and insufficient services for crime survivors. The organization operates through three affiliated entities: the 501(c)(4) parent, its 501(c)(3) affiliate Partnership for Safety and Justice (founded in the early 2000s), and Safety and Justice PAC (founded in 2010). Safety and Justice Oregon does not sell a commercial product or operate a technology platform; its deliverables are advocacy programs, candidate endorsements, educational resources (webinars, toolkits, press releases), a newsletter subscription service, and donation capabilities accessible via its website.

The organization was among the first in the United States to engage in district attorney races, helping a progressive candidate unseat a tough-on-crime incumbent in Deschutes County by 2014 and sustaining a 9-of-10 endorsement win rate. It operates statewide across Oregon, including Portland, Eugene, Springfield, Salem, Keizer, Beaverton, and Aloha, and has built a coalition of advocacy partners including ACLU of Oregon, Latino Network, Basic Rights Oregon, Portland for All, NextUp Action Fund, Unite Oregon, APANO, Coalition of Communities of Color, and East County Rising. In 2022 it co-developed the "Eight Steps to Justice" framework for district attorneys.

Safety and Justice Oregon is funded through individual donations and political contributions to its affiliated PAC; it does not disclose revenue figures. Revenue mechanics consist of monthly and one-time donor contributions, PAC fundraising, and newsletter/petition-driven supporter acquisition. The organization is led by Executive Director Shannon Wight (30 years of criminal and juvenile justice reform experience) and a board that includes senior leaders from SEIU 49, Oregon AFSCME, Children's Institute, and Western Oregon University. Customer segments are non-commercial: Oregonians supporting criminal justice reform, crime survivors, people who have been convicted of crime, families and communities, and elected officials and candidates.

Name

Safety and Justice Oregon

Legal name

Safety and Justice Oregon

Website

https://sjoregon.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Safety and Justice Oregon is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocacy organization, founded in 2007 and headquartered in Portland, that advances criminal justice reform in Oregon through civic engagement, policy advocacy, and electoral organizing via its affiliated 501(c)(3) and PAC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Criminal Justice Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Criminal Justice Reform & Legal System Advocacy (BPAGAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Criminal justice reform
• Policy advocacy
• Civic engagement
• Electoral organizing
• Community safety

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Safety and Justice Oregon is funded through individual donations from supporters who fund Oregon's criminal justice reform movement. Monthly donors and one-time contributors support education, policy advocacy, and candidate support programs.
2. PAC Contributions: Safety and Justice PAC collects political contributions to support candidates who share the organization's public safety values and are committed to reducing reliance on incarceration, investing in victim services, and prioritizing addiction and mental health treatment programs.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Safety and Justice Oregon is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) advocacy organization that transforms Oregon's public safety and criminal justice systems through civic engagement, community education, policy advocacy, and political/electoral organizing. Its affiliated 501(c)(3) (Partnership for Safety and Justice) handles community education and policy work, while Safety and Justice PAC (founded 2010) endorses and supports candidates who share its values on accountability, racial equity, and healing. Offerings include educational webinars, resource-center content, newsletter outreach, online petitions, candidate endorsements, and PAC fundraising.

Product overview

Safety and Justice Oregon is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) advocacy organization (with an affiliated PAC founded in 2010) that advances criminal justice reform in Oregon through civic engagement, policy advocacy, and political/electoral organizing. The organization does not offer a commercial product or software platform — its offerings consist of advocacy programs, candidate endorsements, educational resources (webinars, toolkits, columns, press releases), a newsletter subscription service, and donation/pac donation capabilities accessible via its website. There are no distinct named software products, modules, or digital product lines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civic Engagement and Community Education Program Educational advocacy program that delivers training and resources to Oregonians on lobbying, strategic communications, and policy solutions related to criminal justice reform. Targeted at individual advocates and community members who want to engage in reform efforts.
• Safety and Justice PAC Candidate Endorsement Program Electoral endorsement and financial support program run through Safety and Justice PAC. The PAC endorses candidates at city, county, state, and executive levels, and provides campaign contributions and organizing assistance to candidates aligned with values of accountability, racial equity, and healing. Targeted at candidates and Oregon voters.
• Educational Webinars and Resource Center Educational webinar series and online resource center publishing press releases, statements, news articles, and op-eds on criminal justice reform topics. Targeted at advocates, journalists, and community members seeking deeper understanding of reform issues.
• Advocacy Newsletter Subscription Free email newsletter subscription delivering opportunities, events, resources, education opportunities, and advocacy tools to subscribers. Targeted at individual Oregonians who want ongoing engagement with the reform movement.
• Online Petition Campaigns Online petitions through which Oregonians can publicly endorse core beliefs about community safety and add their names to the movement. Targeted at individual Oregonians who support reform values.
• Policy Advocacy Program Policy advocacy program advancing state legislation on racial justice, drug policy reform, sentencing reform (Measure 11, SB 819, Youth Sentencing Reform), expungement, restorative justice, and elimination of unnecessary police stops. Targeted at Oregon legislators and policymakers.
• Eight Steps to Justice Framework Policy framework co-developed with APANO, Coalition of Communities of Color, and East County Rising that outlines steps for district attorneys to transform justice in their communities. Targeted at district attorneys and prosecutor offices in Oregon.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9 out of 10 endorsed candidates won their campaigns
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Latino NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2024Coalition partner in criminal justice reform advocacy. Signed joint statements supporting Multnomah County DA Mike Schmidt's policy to end discriminatory jury practices. Collaborates on policy positions and community engagement.
• Basic Rights OregoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2024Coalition partner in criminal justice reform advocacy. Signed joint statements supporting equity measures in the justice system.
• Portland for AllcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2024Coalition partner advocating for equitable criminal justice policies. Collaborated on opposition to drug prosecution funding requests.
• ACLU of OregoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2024Long-standing coalition partner on criminal justice reform. Joint signatory on statements regarding jury practices, addiction prosecution, and systemic reforms.
• NextUp Action FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2024Coalition partner in advocacy efforts. Joint signatory on statements opposing DDA Nathan Vasquez's funding request for drug prosecutions.
• Unite OregoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2024Coalition partner in criminal justice reform. Joint signatory on advocacy statements and collaborative policy work.
• Partners for Hunger-Free OregonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 June 2024Coalition partner in joint advocacy statement opposing addiction prosecution funding. Broader social justice coalition partner.
• Oregon Food BankminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 June 2024Coalition partner in joint advocacy statement. Broader social justice and community support network partner.
• APANO (Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 May 2022Co-developer of 'Eight Steps to Justice' framework for district attorneys to transform justice in communities. Coalition partner in broader reform efforts.
• Coalition of Communities of ColorcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 May 2022Coalition partner in developing 'Eight Steps to Justice' framework. Represents communities of color in criminal justice reform advocacy.
• East County RisingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 May 2022Coalition partner in developing criminal justice reform frameworks and policy advocacy.
• Partnership for Safety and JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSafety and Justice Oregon's 501c3 affiliate organization. Founded in early 2000s as Oregon's most prominent criminal justice reform nonprofit. Focused on community education and policy work. Partnership for Safety and Justice celebrated 25th anniversary in 2024.
• Safety and Justice PACcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolitical action committee founded in 2010 to support and endorse candidates who share reform values. Enables electoral organizing and candidate support beyond what the 501c4 can do.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• JustLeadershipUSA: National organization led by directly impacted people working to cut the U.S. correctional population and advocate for second-chance policies. Comparable reform priorities including reentry, sentencing reform, and impacted-leader engagement.
• Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM): National organization advocating for sentencing reform and elimination of mandatory minimums. Directly comparable to SJO's criminal justice reform work, particularly on issues like Measure 11 and SB 819 that SJO's Senior Policy Manager focuses on.
• ACLU of Oregon: Long-standing coalition partner that engages in criminal justice reform advocacy through litigation, policy work, and public education in Oregon. Operates in the same reform space with overlapping policy priorities including jury equity, addiction prosecution, and systemic reform.
• Partnership for Safety and Justice: The 501c3 affiliate of Safety and Justice Oregon focused on community education and policy work in Oregon. Operates the same criminal justice reform mission through a complementary tax structure, making it the closest organizational mirror.

Broad incumbents

• Drug Policy Alliance: National organization advancing drug policy reform and harm reduction, including successful advocacy for Oregon's Measure 110. Operates in an overlapping reform lane but at national scale with broader drug-policy scope beyond criminal justice.
• Smart Justice (American Civil Liberties Union): ACLU's national campaign to cut the U.S. prison population in half and combat racial disparities in the criminal justice system. Operates at national scale with comparable reform priorities including prosecutor elections and sentencing reform.
• The Sentencing Project: National research and advocacy organization focused on criminal justice reform, racial disparities, and sentencing policy. Directly comparable mission with overlapping emphasis on mass incarceration reform and progressive prosecution.
• Brennan Center for Justice: National law and policy institute working on criminal justice reform, voting rights, and democracy. Overlaps with SJO on prosecution reform and racial equity in the justice system but at much larger institutional scale.
• Vera Institute of Justice: National research and policy organization working on criminal justice reform, including prosecutorial accountability and sentencing. Operates at national scale with deeper research capacity but similar reform mission.

Regional players

• Restore Justice Illinois: Illinois-based criminal justice reform advocacy organization focused on sentencing reform and reentry. Operates in a comparable regional reform space with similar focus on prosecutor accountability and rehabilitation-centered policy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/safety-justice-oregon
• Xx.com/SafeJustOR
• Facebookfacebook.com/sjoregon

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Safety and Justice Oregon