Stories of Impact

Read about ACJF’s most impactful grant investments

For 33 years, Alabama Civil Justice Foundation (ACJF) has invested in work that addresses the root causes of poverty, helps prevent it, and equips individuals with the knowledge and tools to overcome the challenges that lead them to need access to justice.  Among ACJF’s most impactful investments in our first three decades were grants to Alabama First Class Pre-K and to Alabama’s Family Resource Centers through the Sylacauga Alliance for Family Enhancement.

Alabama School Readiness Alliance / First Class Pre-K

In 2006, the Alabama School Readiness Alliance (ASRA) was established as a partnership among A+ Education Partnership, Alabama Giving, Alabama Partnership for Children, and VOICES for Alabama’s Children. Sue McInnish of Alabama Civil Justice Foundation (ACJF) was a founding ASRA board member, and ACJF was among its earliest donors. From the beginning, ASRA identified pre-k expansion as its primary focus, securing a grant from Pre-K Now, a national campaign of The Pew Charitable Trusts.

In 2007, the National Institute for Early Education Research recognized Alabama’s First Class Pre-K program for meeting all 10 of its recommended quality benchmarks — a distinction the program has maintained for 18 consecutive years.

During Governor Bob Riley’s tenure (2003–2011), state investment in First Class Pre-K grew from $4.3 million to $18.3 million, expanding access from 2% to 6% of four-year-olds statewide.

In 2012, ASRA’s business-led Pre-K Task Force released a visionary set of recommendations to expand high-quality, voluntary pre-k to all Alabama families. Since then, state investment has increased nearly tenfold — from $19 million in 2012 to $181.5 million in 2024. Enrollment has grown from 6% to 41% of four-year-olds, representing more than 59,000 children in 1,484 classrooms.

Long-term research by UAB and the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) has tracked students through eighth grade. Findings show that First Class Pre-K graduates — regardless of zip code, demographics, or school — are:

  • More likely to be proficient in reading and math
  • Less likely to be chronically absent
  • Less likely to be held back a grade
  • Less likely to need special education services
  • Less likely to face serious disciplinary action

These results, published in 2021 in an international scientific journal, confirm what ACJF and Alabama families and educators already know: investment in First Class Pre-K is paying off in measurable, lasting ways.  And this is yet another incredible return (in both monetary and human capital) on ACJF’s initial investment of $5,000 in 2007.

Sylacauga Alliance for Family Enhancement

Back in 1996, the Alabama Civil Justice Foundation invested $5,000 in the City of Sylacauga to begin planning a family support system. Nearly three decades later, that seed grant has grown into something extraordinary: the Sylacauga Alliance for Family Enhancement (SAFE), which has leveraged more than $120 million to strengthen families and children in this East Alabama community. That’s quite a return on investment!

Per ACJF’s Founding Executive Director Sue McInnish: “ACJF has witnessed SAFE’s impact in Sylacauga go beyond any of our expectations. Others across the state have also taken notice. SAFE is now known far and wide as proof of what can happen when determination, innovation, and genuine concern meet the outstanding Family Resource Center model.”

Its most recent expansion occurred in 2023, when SAFE revitalized the former Avondale Mills to create the East Alabama Rural Innovation and Training Hub (EARTH). This 40-acre facility EARTH will deliver economic development solutions tailored to rural communities across the state. Designed to meet the needs of a growing workforce, the Hub will equip individuals with skills in on-demand jobs, K-12 education, agriculture, hospitality training, healthcare and IT, while preparing them to thrive both professionally and personally.

Congratulations to SAFE on 30 years of remarkable service!

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