To combat gun violence in our city, we need to get into communities and partner with organizations that are on the ground doing meaningful, hands-on work with residents. Our new grant program will help us do just that.

The Targeted Community Investment Grant Program will provide funding to community-based organizations that offer high-quality violence-prevention services and support. Ranging from $500 to $20,000, the grants will support both new and existing programs that will help prevent or reduce gun violence among youth and young adults. We’ll focus on the neighborhoods that are most prone to violence.

Apply for Targeted Community Investment Grant here. We’re accepting applications for the first cycle of funding now through April 30. We’ll open a second application period this summer.

What you need to know about the application

Applicants must be able to:

  • Detail how it helps reduce gun violence in a sustainable way.
  • Explain the potential impact on the community related to reducing the risk of gun violence.
  • Demonstrate community support for violence prevention and anti-violence activities and programs.

We’ll give special consideration to programs and organizations that:

  • Meet the educational or employment needs of young men between the ages of 18 to 34.
  • Demonstrate a willingness to serve the most at risk young men living in the Philadelphia communities most affected by gun violence.

Other criteria:

  • Applicants must be Philadelphia residents or an organization with strong ties to the community and based in Philadelphia.
  • Neighborhood and cultural organizations, local businesses, youth-serving agencies, accredited educational institutions, or places of worship may apply if they are located in the neighborhood or serve the residents of the neighborhood in which they are applying for funding.
  • If applying as an individual, applicants must live in the neighborhood in which you are seeking to implement programming or demonstrate strong ties to the neighborhood and residents that you plan to assist.

Find more guidelines and details in the grant application.

What else we’re doing to combat violence

The Targeted Community Investment Grant Program is part of the Philadelphia Roadmap to Safer Communities, an action plan released in January 2019 to address the gun violence in neighborhoods across the city. Mayor Kenney’s proposed budget and five-year plan includes $30 million in additional investments to support that plan. A few examples:

  • Additional funding for the Community Crisis Intervention Program and the Youth Violence Reduction Partnership
  • Enhanced L&I enforcement for unsafe and abandoned properties, vacant lots, and side yards in high risk neighborhoods
  • Nearly $12 million in funding for Neighborhood Resource Centers (PDF), which give people returning from a period of incarceration or on court-mandated supervision access to a broad range of services to support successful reintegration and, ultimately, lower recidivism
  • Additional resources for Operation Pinpoint, the Police Department’s multifaceted crime-fighting and information-sharing strategy

We know the City cannot do this important work alone. The Targeted Community Investment Grant Program is an example of our commitment to investing in community-led programs that are effective and that promote health and social wellness.

Apply for the Targeted Community Investment Grant Program.