Calbert Foundation exists to make the promise of the Second Chance Act real in people’s lives — moving individuals from incarceration and homelessness into safe housing, fair-chance employment, and long-term stability.
Calbert Foundation is a nonprofit organization inspired by the federal Second Chance Act and grounded in the belief that people are more than their worst mistake. We work at the intersection of reentry, homelessness, and economic justice.
To reduce recidivism and homelessness by creating clear, navigable pathways from incarceration to housing, employment, record relief, and community belonging.
A country where a criminal record is not a life sentence to poverty, where returning citizens are welcomed home, and where second chances are treated as a public safety strategy — not a risk.
Our work combines direct support, systems navigation, and policy advocacy so that individual stories and structural change move together.
We connect people to housing, jobs, and legal aid — and walk with them through the maze of agencies, applications, and requirements.
We work with shelters, employers, community-based organizations, and faith communities to build shared reentry pathways that actually work.
We help communities, agencies, and coalitions align their efforts with the Second Chance Act and related state legislation.
We measure success in human terms — safety, stability, and dignity — as well as in traditional metrics like recidivism, housing stability, and employment.
Fair-chance employment, record relief, housing stabilization, and community wellbeing are the guiding pillars behind every Calbert initiative.
Impact is more than one number. It is about whether people feel safe, housed, and believed in — and whether systems are changing for the next person coming home.
Calbert Foundation is committed to dignity, transparency, and collaboration in everything we do.
We see every person as more than a case number, charge, or record — and we design systems that reflect that belief.
We honor lived experience and pair it with data so that decision-makers can see both the human and structural impact of policy.
Our work is shaped by the voices of returning citizens, families, and local partners on the ground.
We handle information with care and protect the safety and confidentiality of the people we serve.