After nearly 10 years, Katal is ending our operations in Connecticut.
Such decisions are rarely easy and are almost always complicated. That’s true for us too. In this instance, our decision ultimately boils down to the unprecedented challenges of this moment.
As you may know, raising funds for the community organizing we do at Katal, especially for a multistate operation like ours, has long been difficult. And over the last few years, financial support for criminal justice reform in particular has steeply declined. Rising authoritarianism in the United States, including executive orders threatening progressive philanthropic foundations and pending executive orders targeting tax-exempt organizations, has caused a chilling effect on the nonprofit funding world, impacting organizations large and small alike.
With growing constraints on our resources and capacity, we’re confronted with tough choices about how best to pursue our mission in this period of uncertainty. We’ve made the decision to reduce our size and scope and streamline our work.
We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished in Connecticut over nearly a decade. And we know that a range of dynamic organizers, community groups, and advocacy organizations continue to serve Connecticut well. If you’ve joined any of the monthly Connecticut Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Calls since we launched them in 2018, you know that many committed groups in the state are working to end mass criminalization and incarceration. The fight goes on.
Thank you for being part of this journey with Katal in Connecticut. Thank you for taking action with us, for attending our meetings and gatherings, for joining us on the statewide calls, for standing with us. The history of our work in Connecticut can be found in our online campaign archives, and in the physical archives in our office.
While smaller, we continue our work in New York. We have a tough fight ahead to save democracy, end mass incarceration, and build a more equitable, healthy, and just world for all. Let’s get to it.
With gratitude, and in solidarity,
gabriel sayegh, Executive Director