About Us
Justice Associates partners with foundations, individual donors, and families to help them advance their philanthropic commitments to social justice and equity. Through thoughtful, creative, and effective engagement, we work closely with you on projects vital to your philanthropic vision and leadership.
Founded by Jason McGill, Justice Associates is driven by his twenty-plus years of executive leadership and learning in the philanthropic sector. Our clients benefit from the breadth and depth of his experience:
- Expertise in the development of impactful philanthropic strategies, programs, and tactics aligned with organizational values and justice.
- Deep skills guiding executives, Boards, and staff in creating grantmaking and related policies and practices that are rooted in equity and social justice.
- Direct, trusted advising of donors and families at all stages of building their philanthropic commitment.
- A wide network of colleague funders, advisors, and consultants with whom we partner to strengthen our work with clients.
How We Partner for Impact
Sample Projects...
- Assist an individual donor to frame a clear philanthropic mission and strategy based on their values, and direct strategy execution.
- Support strategic planning process between a family foundation board and non-family CEO/Senior Staff.
- Design and implement philanthropic exploration, learning, and engagement projects for a donor’s young adult children.
- Facilitate productive dialog among two donors and their adult children to find unity on the family’s philanthropic vision and strategy and verify an execution plan.
Sample Projects...
- Build a short-term grantmaking program to support a funder’s responsiveness to emerging conditions.
- Review an existing grant program to identify changes to strategy and approach that can amplify its impact.
- Design a new grant program strategy, including movement-scoping, relationship building, and grantee identification.
- Guide a foundation in winding down a grant program, tying off strategy, relationships, and grants.
Sample Projects...
- Support a foundation’s senior staff to engage their Board in learning about and committing the foundation to an equity-and-justice framework.
- Guide a foundation in creating grantmaking and governance practices that reflect its commitment to justice and equity.
- Design a learning journey for a family to explore and grow in their understanding of how social justice principles can magnify the impact of their grantmaking.
Guiding Principles
Long-term Perspective
Learning and Rational Strategy
Positive Partnership
Focus on Trust
Depth of Experience
We are a generalist consultancy with a depth of experience in these movements and geographies:
Movements
Aging
Criminal Justice Reform
Education Equity
Environmental Justice and Conservation
Faith-based Philanthropy
Gender Justice/Girls’ and Women’s Rights
Homelessness/Housing Rights
LGBTQ Justice
Racial Justice
Youth
Geographies
Caribbean
Central America
Eastern Africa
Mexico
New York City
Southern Africa
US—National
US—South
US—Southwest
US—West
Bio

Jason McGill
Founder & Principal
Jason McGill has worked at a national and international level in donor-centered and institutional philanthropy for more than twenty years. His path has been fueled by honing long-term, trusting relationships with scores of individual donors, foundation board members, and philanthropy executives; and with numerous valued leaders in social, environmental, and economic justice movements in the Americas and Africa.
He worked most recently at the Arcus Foundation for six years, serving first as Vice President for Social Justice Programs and, for his final three years, as Co-Executive Director. Arcus is one of the most prominent global funders of both social justice and species conservation, with an annual budget of US$40 million. Prior to Arcus, he was for ten years the Vice President for Member Services at Philanthropy New York, the principle professional education and networking organization for New York City’s international philanthropic sector. Philanthropy New York’s 275+ member organizations annually distribute more than US$7 billion in grants globally. Earlier in his career, Jason joined Sponsors for Educational Opportunity to create and lead an innovative national program to engage donors of color in sustained personal philanthropy within their communities of origin.
Jason also has extensive experience in Board governance and leadership. His Board service in the philanthropic sector includes Funders for LGBTQ Issues, Philanthropy New York, and Funders Together to End Homelessness. He has also served on several nonprofit Boards and as a Trustee for his faith denomination. His executive leadership across Board service includes terms as President, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Co-chair of Governance and Nominations, among other roles.
Jason completed his Ph.D. and MA degrees in History at the University of Michigan, and his B.A. (Sociology) and B.S. (Urban Studies) degrees at Cornell University.
Photo Credit: Brad Hamilton
Contact Us
We welcome talking with you about how we can work together to advance your mission.
Based in New York City, we happily work with clients located anywhere.
Jason McGill
+1 917.765.0277
jason@justiceassociates.org
Justice Associates, LLC is a person of color- and LGBTQ-owned business.