[[link removed]]
Follow us on Twitter [[link removed]] , Instagram [[link removed]] , and Facebook [[link removed]]
Upcoming Events
We are three weeks away from the Advocacy Summit and Lobby Day in Washington D.C.! If you haven’t yet signed up to attend, you can do so here: [link removed] [[link removed]]
Camp End Gun Violence Training in St. Paul, Minnesota – April 13 & 14, 2024
Sign up here: [link removed] [[link removed]]
Next Invest in Us Coalition meeting: The INVEST IN US Coalition consists of national and local gun violence prevention organizations committed to building support to fund evidence-based community solutions to end gun violence and educate leaders and the general public about proactive solutions to make our communities safer. At these meetings we discuss federal and state affairs for gun violence prevention in communities of color, including strategy for Congressional appropriations, funding, and legislative events.
This coalition meets monthly . The next coalition meeting will be on Thursday, April 11 at 3PM EST . If you would like to join this coalition please email us at [email protected] [[email protected]] .
Take Action With our Partners
Join SAFE Illinois for the first-ever All Volunteer Call: Wednesday, April 3 at 6PM CST
Now that the primary election is behind us, things are going to move pretty fast in Springfield before the end of the regular session in May. SAFE Illinois is prioritizing six bills this session, all of which address the root causes of violence by...
Preventing Gun Violence and Increasing Safety
Increasing Access to Mental Healthcare
Advancing Public Health to End Overdose
Click here to join (virtual): [link removed] [[link removed]]
Take action for Maryland’s Victim Compensation Reform Act: The Victim Compensation Reform Act bill is inexplicably still being held back in the State Senate. We’re calling on Marylanders to contact their local representatives to encourage the Judicial Proceedings Committee to help the bill cross the finish line.
March Recap
We are thrilled to announce that we were gifted $1,000,000 from our new funder Ballmer Group this month. Thanks to this donation, we will be able to amplify our message through various events such as our 2 Day Advocacy Day/Lobby Day in Washington D.C., as well as utilize these funds for general support. We are so thankful for this new partnership and funding from the Ballmer Group!
One year of the OGVP in North Carolina: This month, we celebrated ONE YEAR since the establishment of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention in North Carolina — the FIRST Statewide Office of Violence Prevention in the South! This Office is working within the state to prevent violence through health and public safety measures. We’re so glad to see the progress this Office has helped to make in North Carolina over this past year, and we’re excited to see what the future holds!
VPI Report Launch: The 2023 Violence Prevention Index report is now LIVE! The Violence Prevention Index (VPI) and scorecard is the first and only national analysis of municipalities’ programs, services, and policies designed to reduce gun and other forms of violence. The 2023 VPI scorecard assessed and ranked for the first time 100 U.S. cities with the highest incidents of gun violence in 2021 and 2022 based on 35 criteria spanning three categories: Intervention and Risk Factor Reduction, Addressing the Root Causes of Violence, and Local Offices of Violence Prevention . Read the full 2023 Violence Prevention Index report here: [link removed]
Community Conversation with ATX Peace: Community Justice, in partnership with Life Anew and ATX Peace, brought together members of the community and organizations to discuss the launch of the 2023 Violence Prevention Index. Participants heard from Community Justice, Jail to Jobs and Life Anew, engaged in songs for peace, and received remarks from special guest Greg Jackson from the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
Shoutout in The Trace’s The Trajectory: “Community Justice, a Black-led nonprofit that supports community-led violence prevention, recently published its 2023 Violence Prevention Index, a report that scores how 100 cities across the U.S. are doing at implementing comprehensive violence prevention. It found that local governments made progress last year, and that more municipalities are adopting offices of violence prevention.” Read The Trace's full newsletter here: [link removed]
SXSW panel with March for Our Lives: Our founder, Amber Goodwin, represented Community Justice in a panel discussion alongside March for Our Lives at SXSW 2024 to kick off the weekend of events to end gun violence in Austin.
Sports and Racial Equality panel discussion at Harvard University: Amber also sat on a panel discussion on racial justice in the sports arena, hosted by the Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project (IARA) and the Institute of Politics at Harvard University. Once considered a 'politically neutral' space, the sports industry is now a contested stage for American patriotism and dissent — as well as power struggles between white owners and managers, and the vast majority of players, who are of color.
2024 Kelly Report: Representative Robin Kelly launched the 2024 Kelly Report , featuring a statement from Amber. The Kelly Report is a comprehensive presentation of the impacts of and the solutions to gun violence in America. The report features voices from key activists, advocates, policy researchers, and members of Congress.
State & Federal Legislative Updates
CVI Funding in FY24 Appropriations bills. This month, Congress approved two minibus appropriations packages that included life-saving funding to implement CVI strategies.The funding packages include $50 million for the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI) and over $29 million in earmarks for community-based gun violence prevention programming. It also includes $25 million for gun violence prevention research split between the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and $18.1 million for the CDC’s Youth Violence Prevention program.
States in Action
In Maryland , Community Justice, in partnership with the Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence Coalition, testified in favor of the passage of SB0475/HB0583 which would enact the the first-ever statewide Center for Firearm Violence Prevention, in the Maryland Delegate House and Maryland Senate. This office would centralize collaboration across government entities to save lives as well as support the efforts of community violence intervention programs across the state.
In Georgia , Community Justice, in partnership with Sandy Hook Promise, hosted a youth-centered Justice Camp in Atlanta that connects local students that are passionate about gun violence to what gun violence prevention looks like in their community, and providing tools for how they can advocate for the solutions they want to see for gun violence prevention.
In Texas , Community Justice, in partnership with Big Mama’s Safe House, is hosted a policy and advocacy training for CVI in San Antonio to equip our communities the knowledge and skills to successfully advocate for sustainable funding and support from local, state and federal leaders.
In Minnesota , Community Justice, in partnership with Protect Minnesota and the Health Alliance Violence Prevention (HAVI), hosted a training and lobby day in St. Paul about common sense gun reform bills and an Medicaid Community Violence Intervention (CVI) bill that would ensure those CVI groups have access to funding.
Upcoming Trainings & Partnerships
National Policy & Advocacy Summit and Lobby Day (Apr. 16 & 17): This pivotal two-day event will be a convergence of advocates, survivors, and policymakers, aimed at amplifying our collective voice for substantial policy changes. You can sign up for the Advocacy Summit & Lobby Day here: [link removed] [[link removed]]
Camp End Gun Violence Training in St. Paul, MN (April 13 & 14): Our upcoming training sessions are designed to empower community leaders with effective strategies to combat gun violence, reinforcing our commitment to community-led solutions. Sign up here: [link removed] [[link removed]]
News of Interest
National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR) Community Violence Intervention RFP is now LIVE! [[link removed]]
Through this request for proposals (RFP), NICJR will award sub-grants to grassroots nonprofits engaged in community violence intervention (CVI) work with populations at the highest risk for committing or becoming a victim of gun violence. Funding will be paired with personalized training and TA from NICJR staff.
These awards are funded through the federal Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative.

If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe: [link removed] .
[link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]]