"Every time you've ordered merch, we've sent money directly to Season of Justice. When you pay your monthly fan club membership, money goes to SOJ. And if you've listened to our ads on crime junkie, we have donated to SOJ." — Ashley Flowers
Ashley Flowers, host of Crime Junkie, delivered an unexpected and significant announcement regarding the podcast's impact beyond storytelling. She revealed the establishment of a new nonprofit organization called "Season of Justice," which is entirely funded by the engagement of the podcast's listeners. This initiative is dedicated to providing crucial funding to law enforcement agencies and families in their efforts to solve cold cases. The organization achieves this by offering grants for advanced DNA testing, including genealogical DNA analysis and techniques for extracting usable DNA from challenging samples.
"Season of Justice" also extends support to victims of violent crimes and their families, assisting them in achieving closure for their cases. This aid can manifest in various forms, such as supporting awareness campaigns or funding private investigators. While "Season of Justice" operates independently from the "Crime Junkie" podcast, it is overseen by an executive director with extensive law enforcement experience and an unpaid board comprised of professionals in law, public affairs, crime victim advocacy, and journalism. The financial contributions from the podcast's ecosystem—including merchandise sales, fan club memberships, and ad listens—have already enabled "Season of Justice" to award $145,000 in grants, impacting 25 cold cases.
Flowers expressed profound gratitude to the listeners, emphasizing that their support is instrumental in the nonprofit's success and its mission to create responsible true crime content. The ultimate goal is to make a tangible difference by ensuring justice is served for the individuals whose stories are told. "Season of Justice" is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and donations are tax-deductible. The organization actively encourages law enforcement agencies with eligible cold cases and families seeking to advance their loved ones' cases to apply for grants on their website, seasonofjustice.org.