Galaxy Gives, the Philanthropic Entity of the Novogratz Family, Announces Its 2024 Galaxy Leader Fellows

NEW YORK (January 24, 2024) – Galaxy Gives, the philanthropic entity of the Mike and Sukey Novogratz Family, proudly announces the fifth cohort of its Galaxy Leader Fellowship Program for 2024.

Launched in 2019, the Fellowship has provided more than $10 million to support nonprofit leaders, artists, journalists, and advocates in their efforts to heal systematically disinvested communities, reduce the impact of crime, over-policing, and break America’s reliance on incarceration and criminalization.  This year, Galaxy Gives has partnered with the Mellon Foundation and the Heising-Simons Foundation to award thirteen fellowships.

The Fellowship is committed to supporting those most impacted by the criminal legal system. This year’s group of leaders includes two currently incarcerated fellows, painter Lamarr Little, and journalist Christopher Blackwell, bringing to three the number of incarcerated fellows (renowned prison journalist John Lennon is a member of the 2023 cohort).

All of our Fellows have demonstrated extraordinary vision, tenacity, and hope as they build power in their communities by leading efforts to end mass incarceration, roll back overly punitive laws and policies, and support harmed communities. This work has been at various intersections, including gender, immigrant, and disability justice. For example, 2024 Galaxy Leader Fellow Ny Nourn, co-director of the Asian Prisoner Support Committee, will use her fellowship to expand ROOTS, an ethnic studies class offered in San Quentin Prison, support incarcerated people in ICE detention who are seeking post-conviction relief and will stand up the California Clemency Coalition. 

Galaxy believes in prioritizing and supporting the health and wellness of our Fellows, many of whom have been traumatized by the violence and racism they’ve experienced throughout their lives. “We adopt a holistic approach to the program. Healing and transformation have always been at the heart of the Fellowship, and our goal is to integrate this into the support we offer our Fellows,” explained Senior Program Officer Aliyah Salim who manages the Galaxy Leader Fellowship. “Last year, we launched a healing and equity cohort, where our fellows had access to health care, wellness services, care packages, and sessions with therapists and coaches. The focus is on collective mental health and community care.” 

“The approach we seek as a society should not contribute to the cycle of violence that so powerfully propels the criminal legal system. We should focus instead on making healing and freedom attainable to everyone,” said Sukey Novogratz, Co-Founder of Galaxy Gives. “This year’s cohort of Galaxy Leader Fellows is doing the hard work of encouraging healing–in individuals, communities, and systemically.”

To learn more about the Galaxy Leader Fellowship, please visit our website galaxygives.com or send an email to GLFellowship@galaxygives.com.