Returning Home Career Grant
The Returning Home Career Grant is a guaranteed-income pilot for adults returning home from incarceration at Santa Rita Jail in Alameda County, California. It is run by Rubicon Programs as the lead "backbone" agency of the Better Careers Design Group (BCDG), a coalition that also includes the Alameda County Workforce Development Board, Alameda County Probation Department, Growth Sector, and Third Sector. At least 15 justice-involved adults, nominated by partner community-based organizations, receive a $1,500 monthly unrestricted stipend for 9-18 months (up to $27,000 total) plus one-on-one mentorship and career coaching. The pilot launched in early 2022 with $500,000 in seed funding from the James Irvine Foundation as part of its statewide Better Careers initiative.
Reentry, Justice-Impacted, Unrestricted Cash, Guaranteed Income, Alameda County, Santa Rita Jail, Fair Chance Hiring
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- Rubicon Programs
- City
- Richmond
- State / Province
- California
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Website
- https://rubiconprograms.org
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Inactive
- Application status
- Timed
- Number of recipients
- 15
- Funding type
- Philanthropic
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 27,000 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 1,500 USD
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 18 months
- Benefit details
Participants receive a $1,500 monthly stipend for 9 to 18 months (up to $27,000 total per participant), described by Rubicon as a larger and longer investment than comparable regional guaranteed-income programs. Funds are fully unrestricted, with no reporting or expense-tracking requirements. Participants also receive one-on-one mentorship from partner CBOs to map career pathways, connect to county resources, and track achievements. Initial seed funding only guaranteed 9 months of support per participant; additional funding was being sought to extend to the full 18-month design and expand the cohort to 25 participants.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Eligibility is limited to justice-involved adults returning home from Santa Rita Jail in Alameda County. There is no direct public application; the pilot cohort is limited to referrals nominated by eligible Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) that provide pre-release and post-release reentry services. Selected CBOs nominate participants already engaged in their programs for whom the grant would help remove barriers to employment and career mobility.
Demographics
- Minimum age
- 18
Justice
- Justice involvement status
- Formerly Incarcerated
Geography
- US states covered
- California
- Countries covered
- United States
- Counties covered
- Alameda
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Application Process
- How to apply
There is no open/public application. Eligible partner Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) providing pre-release and post-release reentry services in Alameda County nominate/refer candidates who are already engaged in their programs.
- Selection process
Select CBO partners nominate participants engaged in their programs and services for whom the grant would alleviate barriers to employment and career mobility; final selection is coordinated through the Better Careers Design Group backbone team led by Rubicon Programs.
