Leading Foundations Support President’s New Collaborative to Reduce Violence, Increase Public Safety in 15 Cities

Washington, DC — Today, more than a dozen philanthropies joined together to support President Biden’s new Community Violence Intervention Collaborative that aims to strengthen and scale community-led and evidence-based interventions in 15 jurisdictions to reduce violence, promote safety and justice, and bolster community healing.

Philanthropies supporting this effort include Arnold Ventures, The California Endowment, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Emerson Collective, Ford Foundation, Heising-Simons Foundation, Joyce Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Kresge Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Microsoft Corporation, Open Society Foundations, and Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies. 

Committed to reducing violence and increasing public safety, the Biden-Harris Administration has substantially expanded funding for community violence interventions through the American Rescue Plan (ARP), 26 existing programs across federal agencies, and a proposed $5.2 billion allocation in the American Jobs Plan (AJP). Through the newly formed Community Violence Intervention Collaborative, the White House is convening 15 jurisdictions committing to use a portion of their ARP funding, or other public funding, to increase investment in their community-led violence intervention infrastructure, including youth workforce programs and other violence reduction strategies this summer.

These jurisdictions are: Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Baltimore, MD; Baton Rouge, LA; Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; King County, WA; Los Angeles, CA; Memphis, TN; Minneapolis & St. Paul, MN; Newark, NJ; Rapid City, SD; St. Louis, MO; Philadelphia, PA; and Washington, DC.

Participating philanthropies will support this collaborative effort by deploying experts to provide training and technical assistance, identify best practices, integrate proven and innovative public-health approaches, and help local community-based organizations scale intervention efforts this summer and beyond. 

The Administration will convene meetings with officials from these communities, facilitate peer-to-peer learning, and provide technical assistance through multiple federal agencies. This effort will support both effective and promising strategies that reduce violence and strengthen community-based infrastructure to enhance public safety for children, families, and communities and to advance equity. 

Violence is a public-health epidemic that has a devastating impact on children, youth, and families, disproportionately harming Black and Latino communities. Research has found community violence intervention programs to be highly effective, reducing violence by as much as 60%. Evaluations show that one such program in the South Bronx reduced shootings by 63 percent and injuries by 37 percent, and another helped Oakland achieve five consecutive years of reductions in fatal and non-fatal shootings. These programs are effective because they leverage trusted messengers who work directly with individuals most likely to commit violence, intervene in conflicts, and connect people to social, health and wellness, and economic services to reduce the likelihood of violence as an answer to conflict.

Hyphen, a nonprofit intermediary, will anchor and lead this effort; Hyphen facilitates high-impact public-philanthropic partnerships and collaborations to address the most urgent issues facing the nation and advance long-term solutions to achieve equitable outcomes for all. Panorama Global, a 501(c)(3) organization that serves as Hyphen’s fiscal sponsor, will provide fiduciary and compliance oversight and support a rapid-response grantmaking process as needed. 

Media Contact: Bilen Mesfin Packwood, bilen@​change-​llc.​com