Giving Tuesday

As 2025 draws to a close, we would like to share a story—not just about one young person, one community, or one program, but about a movement that continues to grow because of people like you. 

It begins the way many of our stories do: with a community searching for safety, families searching for support, and young people searching for hope. 

This year began with a powerful reminder of our collective strength. In January, 41 states and territories renewed their State Advisory Group (SAG) memberships with CJJ, reaffirming a shared commitment to safety, accountability, and justice for young people. Each renewal represented a community standing up to say: We believe in supporting systems that help youth thrive. 

But just a few months later, the ground shifted beneath us. In April, CJJ lost a key source of federal funding—a sudden blow that reverberated across our work and across the country. The needs of youth did not shrink, but the resources to meet them did. And yet, instead of stepping back, we stepped forward. Our members, partners, youth leaders, and supporters refused to let this moment define us. 

Across the country this year, we also heard from jurisdictions and communities struggling with shrinking resources and rising needs. We met youth who spoke about the pressures they carry, families doing everything they can to keep their children safe, and state leaders working tirelessly to respond to harm in ways that truly strengthen communities. 

And in every one of those stories, CJJ showed up—just as we have for 41 years—guided by our vision that all children, youth, and families deserve opportunities to live safe, fulfilling lives in their communities.  

Through our mission, convening national and local state partners to educate on and advocate for youth-serving systems to be fair, effective, and rooted in community values, we lead with the shared values that unite us: safety, accountability, and justice. Not as competing ideas, but as interconnected commitments. Real safety means surrounding youth with support before harm occurs. Real accountability means helping young people repair damage while growing into their potential. Real justice means systems that are effective, equitable, and rooted in community. 

This year, because of your support, our shared story moved forward. 

In June, hundreds gathered at CJJ’s Annual Youth Justice Conference, where practitioners, state leaders, families, and young people exchanged ideas around the theme, “Growing Together: Systems Rooted in Youth, Truth, and Community.” Youth from our Emerging Leaders Committee took the stage—sharing their experiences, their solutions, and their vision for a future where accountability is meaningful and justice is transformative. 

Throughout the year, states and territories turned to CJJ for training and technical assistance. We worked side by side with jurisdictions implementing trauma-responsive practices, strengthening diversion pathways, improving conditions of confinement, and developing collaborations across housing, education, behavioral health, and community support. These efforts weren’t just policy changes—they were commitments to long-term safety and opportunity for youth and families. 

We saw communities shifting the narrative. More and more people recognized that “tough-on-crime” approaches alone do not keep us safe. They asked for what research and lived experience tell us works: prevention, connection, and comprehensive solutions. And CJJ was there to help jurisdictions design those pathways. 

If we’re honest, the most powerful stories came from the youth themselves. At the Youth Justice in Action Conference this October in Minneapolis, MN, we heard powerful stories from young people whose experiences underscored the impact of meaningful support. 

These stories fuel our work. They remind us what is at stake—and what is possible. 

As we prepare for 2026, the demand from the field continues to grow. Communities are looking for leadership, guidance, and hope. CJJ is committed to answering that call, but we cannot do it alone. 

Your year-end gift ensures that the next chapter of this story is one of progress, compassion, and impact. It ensures that young people have the support they need, that states and territories have the guidance they rely on, and that our nation continues moving toward a future rooted in safety, accountability, and justice. 

We invite you to be part of our 41 Years of Impact Campaign and help us write the next chapter—one where every young person is safe, supported, and given the chance to thrive. It is thanks to our community partnerships that we have contributed over four decades of service to our youth. Your support helps drive our mission to secure safe and fulfilling lives for all children, youth, and families.  

Thank you for standing with us. Together, we are building the future our young people deserve.

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