How we’re combining grants, strategic planning, and the power of collaboration to address gun violence
By Melen Hagos & Tonia Wellons
Earlier this week, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a declaration that many in the Greater Washington region have known and recognized for decades – gun violence is a national public health crisis.
“It is up to us to take on this generational challenge with the urgency and clarity the moment demands,” the Surgeon General wrote in the 40-page report. “The safety and well-being of our children and future generations are at stake.”
FROM THE NATIONAL NEWS TO THE LOCAL STREETS
In our region, the Greater Washington Community Foundation has long been committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our local residents – particularly those most at risk – and has been at the forefront of efforts to prevent and respond to gun violence.
We acknowledge that while the issue of gun violence and public safety impacts everyone, there are those in our region who unjustly bear its impact more profoundly than others. Our most recent VoicesDMV report revealed that while everyone in our region deserves to feel safe and welcome in their communities, not everyone does.
Our work to achieve community safety and harm reduction – both across our region and in those areas most impacted – is one of the many ways we honor our commitment and work to create a just, equitable, and thriving community. With strong partnerships and expert guidance from national organizations like the Public Welfare Foundation, we have made a substantial impact over the years. Here are some key examples of our accomplishments:
In partnership with the District government, in 2013, we established a relief fund to aid victims and families affected by the Navy Yard shooting and to address long-term gun violence and mental health issues.
From 2013-2018, the Greater Washington Community Foundation partnered with the District Government and served as administrator of The City Fund, investing $15 million over five years as part of the District’s overall public safety and violence prevention agenda. This effort successfully spanned two political administrations—initially under Mayor Vincent Gray’s One City Action Plan and later repositioned under Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Safer Stronger Initiative.
In 2018, The Community Foundation mobilized local funders to support the implementation of Cure the Streets – a pilot program based on the Cure Violence methodology that worked to better understand the causes of gun violence in specific DC neighborhoods and empower local community organizations to be part of the solution.
More recently, we partnered with the Federal City Council and Peace for DC to host Stopping the Cycle of Violence, a community forum that explored proven solutions from across the country and the roles business and philanthropy leaders play in public safety.
LEADING WITH INTENTIONALITY & COLLABORATION
At The Community Foundation, we acknowledge it’s not enough to merely respond to community violence. Rather, it requires intentional coordination and strategic collaboration with community, local government, and philanthropic partners to proactively address the root causes and build stronger, safer communities.
As a result, we have made strategic decisions to support the development and funding of a comprehensive strategy aimed at enhancing harm reduction efforts in DC. Including:
HIRING A SENIOR FELLOW, COMMUNITY SAFETY & HARM REDUCTION
In partnership with the Public Welfare Foundation, we have hired a Senior Fellow for Community Safety and Harm Reduction. This full-time role is designed to provide leadership for the strategy and coordination of a cohesive and coordinated approach to community safety and harm reduction in the District of Columbia. We look forward to introducing the Fellow to you next month.
PARTICIPATING IN CF LEADS GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION NETWORK
The Community Foundation was selected from community foundations nationwide to participate in the CF Leads Gun Violence Prevention Network. Through this year-long initiative, we will get to learn from leading experts and other foundations to help us catalyze and expand local gun violence prevention efforts by learning and adapting best practices from across the country. We are excited to collaborate with Peace for DC and the DC Office of the Attorney General as we take the opportunity to listen to and learn from each other and all the organizations involved in this important work.
MAKING INVESTMENTS IN HEALTH AND SAFETY
Months before the Surgeon General’s announcement, our Health Equity Fund recognized the connection between the increase in crime and violence in the District and the Fund’s objective to address the social and structural determinants of health.
In March 2024, the Fund committed to making $1 million in matching grants in partnership with the DC Office of the Attorney General and the Office of Neighborhood Engagement and Safety to address youth violence prevention through trauma-informed services, conflict and dispute resolution, mental health and wellbeing, and by assisting families dealing with the grief and trauma caused by these occurrences of violence.
BUILDING NEW STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
In the coming months, we look forward to sharing more about a new strategic partnership that will seek to establish a coordinated body which spans political administrations to develop a long-term strategy for community safety, create a plan for implementation with accountability measures throughout, and establish best practices to align investments across philanthropy, government, and business for maximum impact.
Stay tuned for more details!
We are convinced that philanthropy, especially through community foundations, is ideally positioned to lead a unified response initiative, collaborating with local government, philanthropic entities, and community leaders.
We would love you to join us in this work to promote the overall safety and well-being of residents of the District of Columbia. Please contact us to learn more or get involved in this work.