Eighteen additional organizations to receive more than $7 million in funding; Total of 31 organizations will receive $13.5 million to support anti-violence initiatives

PHILADELPHIA — The City of Philadelphia today announced the fourth and final round of the Anti-Violence Community Expansion Grant Program awardees. The final round of awardees includes 18 additional organizations that will collectively receive more than $7 million in funding, bringing the total amount distributed through this program to the total $13.5 million allocated for the Community Expansion Grant program.

The final awardees are: Put It Down Philly; Unity in the Community; Men Who Care of Germantown; Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia; Guns Down, Gloves Up –  Epiphany Fellowship Church; 100 Black Men Philly (in partnership with Father’s Day Rally Committee); Black Muslim Men United for a Better Philadelphia; Nicetown CDC; Mercy Neighborhood Ministries; Youth Outreach Adolescent Community Awareness Program; Impact Services; Restorative Justice Guild Program, Mural Arts Philadelphia; Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity; New Leash on Life; Educators 4 Education; Timoteo Sports; Urban League of Philadelphia; and Opportunities Industrialization Centers of America, Inc. (OICA) and the Careers & Academic Institute (CADI).

In July 2021, Mayor Jim Kenney and City Council announced a $22 million investment in Anti-Violence Community Partnership Grants, including $13.5 for Community Expansion Grant awards. This is a major piece of the historic $155.7 million investment in a wide array of violence prevention programming and services that contribute to the City’s violence prevention and reduction goals.

To achieve and sustain a reduction in gun violence and improve the quality of life in communities most affected by gun violence, the City is investing in organizations with proven track records of delivering quality anti-violence interventions to help them expand and strengthen their efforts. A key step in this effort is the Anti-Violence Community Expansion Grants.

“When we launched the Anti-Violence Community Expansion Grant Program—in partnership with City Council—earlier this summer, the goal was to do something bold and different to meet the urgency of this crisis: get funding to community organizations doing anti-violence work on the ground in our neighborhoods quickly and efficiently,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “With this funding, 31 organizations will now have enhanced resources to develop and implement innovative solutions that can help address the city’s gun violence crisis. These investments represent a major step in our ongoing fight to help make our communities safer and save lives.”

“The latest round of grants by the city for community-focused violence prevention work is significant,” said Council President Darrell L. Clarke (5th District). “With each round of funding, more organizations and individuals doing the real work of gun violence prevention in neighborhoods are getting the resources they need to help reduce this unacceptable level of gun violence in our city. Thanks to the Kenney administration for its work here—and to City Council for its vision in crafting this community-focused grant process last Spring.”

“Our goal in City Council was to work with the Kenney Administration to get this Anti-Violence Community Partnership Grants money out to boots-on-the-ground organizations fighting gun violence as fast as possible, said City Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson (2nd District), Chairman of Council’s Special Committee on Gun Violence Prevention. “With Philadelphia already surpassing our all-time one-year murder rate, City government needs to do everything it can and use every resource available to reduce the number of homicides in Philadelphia. We did not get to this moment in our history overnight and it will not be solved overnight, but funding these boots-on-the-ground boots will start a long-needed process to save Philadelphia from gun violence deaths.

“I want to praise the team at the City’s Office of Violence Prevention, led by Erica Atwood, for their hard work in selecting such a diverse list of organizations for the Anti-Violence Community Partnership Grants,” Johnson continued. “The Anti-Violence Grants will continue to be a part of a major shift in how City government fights gun violence and fund community groups dealing with the issue for years to come.”

Awardees

Below is a list of new awardees:

New awardees

Put It Down Philly — Grant Award: $729,696

• Put It Down’s mission is to break the cycle of community violence by providing men aged 18 – 30 who are most at risk of victimization or perpetuation of gun violence with the tools and resources required to heal, peacefully navigate conflict, and overcome systemic and structural barriers to success. Put It Down’s leaders have been interrupting violence in their communities since 2005.
• Through the CEG award, Put It Down Philly will expand its Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention Program, which: interrupts violence to de-escalate active conflicts and prevent future conflicts; provides trauma-informed case management to support participants and break the cycle of violence; mobilizes the community to denormalize community violence.

Unity in the Community — Grant Award: $417,900

• Unity in the Community is a South Philadelphia-based organization that changes the lives of Philadelphians through mentoring, employment opportunities, scholarships, housing and utility relief, and community organizing.
• Through the CEG award, Unity in the Community will expand its Carpentry Academy to additional young men. The Carpentry Academy is a 20-week apprenticeship program that deters its participants from engaging in gun violence by providing a safe haven, mentorship, counseling, and job skills training.

Men Who Care of Germantown — Grant Award: $328,669

• Men Who Care of Germantown is a grassroots community organization that has been serving Germantown for 10 years. Men Who Care of Germantown works to reduce gun violence through prevention, intervention, and outreach.
• Through the CEG award, Men Who Care of Germantown will expand their Real Talk session, which encourage peer-to-peer communication and conflict resolution; expand its basketball program, which is centered around ideals of positive conflict resolution and gun violence reduction; enroll additional participants in the Workforce Development Program that teaches trades and supports GED and trade unions tests; and expand its community engagement activities.

Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia — Grant Award: $500,000

• The Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia (AVP) reduces the cycle of violence by providing a wide range of intervention, prevention, and support services to children, youth, and adults traumatized by exposure to violence, to help them rebuild their lives in the aftermath of violence. AVP’s three main programs are Youth Violence Outreach, Counseling Center, and Victim/Witness Services, which is the designated victim services agency for the 12th, 16th, 18th, and 19th Police Districts in West and Southwest Philadelphia.
• Through the CEG award, the Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia will expand the capacity of their Counseling Center and Youth Violence Outreach program to provide evidence-based, trauma-informed mental health services to interrupt the cycle of violence, with a focus on men and boys ages 16 – 34. This funding will provide cognitive behavioral therapy, evidence-based psychoeducational groups, and restorative justice programs to more Philadelphians.

Guns Down, Gloves Up – Epiphany Fellowship Church — Grant Award: $392,313

• Located in North Philadelphia, Epiphany Fellowship Church provides innovative activities for community members who are most likely to be involved in or impacted by gun violence. Guns Down, Gloves Up is a Boxing Program launched in partnership with the 22nd police district that provides a safe haven and mentorships to its participants.
• Through the CEG award, Guns Down Gloves, Up will expand its recruitment, engagement, and retention of 16 – 24 year-old men and boys. Guns Down, Gloves Up will also train its boxing coaches in Youth Mental First Aid to better prepare coaches to respond to the challenges boxing participants share during training sessions and work with Community Behavioral Health to connect participants to behavioral health services.

100 Black Men Philly in partnership with Father’s Day Rally Committee — Grant Award: $480,923

• 100 Black Men of America is the leading mentoring organization for Black youth in the nation. 100 Black Men of Philadelphia currently operates 12 mentoring programs in Philadelphia, including their flagship program, Saturday Leadership Academy that operates from Vaux Big Picture High School. This project is in partnership with Father’s Day Rally Committee, a comprehensive education, employment, and violence intervention program that is designed to reduce violence in the City of Philadelphia among Black/Latino boys and men and members of their families.
• Through the CEG award, this project will expand mentorship programs by expanding:
  • 100 Black Men Philly’s Manhood: 101 mentoring program to target additional high school men
  • 100 Black Men Philly’s Manhood: 101 mentoring program, separately, for men ages 18 – 29.
  • 100 Black Men’s trades program to an additional cohort of 20 people.
  • Father’s Day Rally Committee’s targeted mentoring to individuals involved in the juvenile justice system post incarceration.

Black Muslim Men United for a Better Philadelphia — Grant Award: $502,827

• Black Muslim Men United for a Better Philadelphia has a track record for successfully intervening in the lives of young men. Its leadership has successfully resolved major disputes through conflict resolution for the last 40 years.
• Through the CEG award, this project will provide crisis interventions at key hot spots in West, Southwest, and Northwest Philadelphia, and it will provide individualized, intensive mentoring to people with a focus on education, entrepreneurship, and community strengthening services.

Nicetown CDC — Grant Award: $677,721

• Nicetown Community Development Corporation (CDC) improves the quality of life in the Nicetown neighborhood and surrounding communities. Nicetown CDC fulfills its mission with a holistic approach that focuses on supportive services; commercial corridor revitalization; public health and safety; education and training; affordable housing development; land care; and arts and culture.
• Through the CEG award, Nicetown CDC will expand capacity to offer supportive services to individuals at high-risk of gun violence, including individuals on probation/parole. Supportive services include individualized workforce development training, behavioral health, civic engagement opportunities, and wrap-around supports.

Mercy Neighborhood Ministries — Grant Award: $221,346

• Mercy Neighborhood Ministries improves the quality of life for its neighbors in Nicetown-Tioga and Germantown by establishing a strong academic and economic foundation for future success.
• Through the CEG award, and in partnership with Called to Serve, Mercy Neighborhood Ministries will extend its hours to operate the Mercy Family Center as a job training facility along with providing additional night hours during the hours that gun violence is most prevalent. This funding for this project will serve an additional Adult Education students between the ages of 18 – 34.

Youth Outreach Adolescent Community Awareness Program (YOACAP) — Grant Award: $540,713

• YOACAP enhances the quality of life and health for Philadelphians through community-based and culturally competent interventions. YOACAP has an over 30-year history of providing supportive youth development services and works with youth and communities to encourage increased civic engagement among people of color.
• Through the CEG award, YOACAP will connect individuals at high-risk of gun violence to resources using trusted community figures: Barbers. YOACAP will train barbers in West, Southwest, and North Philadelphia to identify their clients who are at-risk of gun violence and have conversations with and connect them to YOACAP case management or other services. In addition, YOACAP will expand slots in their  building trades pre-apprenticeship program for individuals highly at-risk of engaging in gun violence.

Impact Services — Grant Award: $456,600

• Impact Services is a community action organization mobilizing people and resources to create connected, resilient, thriving communities. By assisting with re-entry, improving pathways for career development, increasing affordable housing, and investing in community development, Impact Services helps advance equity in Kensington and across Philadelphia.
• Through the CEG grant award, Impact Services will expand services and programming to reduce violence and directly engage people at-risk of gun violence between the ages 18 – 34 with a strong focus on peer support. This funding will support:
  • Structured trauma-informed individual and group mentoring.
  • Job placements and paid training programs that offer sustaining incomes and access to resources and referrals that increase employability, such as record expungement; assistance obtaining IDs/documents; benefits enrollment; supportive and/or permanent housing; resume/interview preparation; referrals for physical, mental, and behavioral health care.
  • Leadership development and community projects to build supportive networks, increase social cohesion, develop personal and collective efficacy, and create long-term connections with neighbors and peers.

Restorative Justice Guild Program, Mural Arts Philadelphia — Grant Award: $300,000

• A program of Mural Arts Philadelphia, Restorative Justice Guild Program (The Guild) is a paid apprenticeship that gives justice-impacted young people ages 18 – 24 the opportunity to develop marketable job skills and reconnect with their community. The Guild furthers individual development by incorporating important restorative justice concepts of healing, community, and individual restoration throughout the program.
• Through the CEG award, the Guild will recruit and serve additional participants and complete revitalization projects in communities impacted by gun violence. Guild participants will engage and inspire community members via public art projects and other programming, community outreach, and mentoring at these neighborhood sites.

Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity — Grant Award: $250,000

• Founded a decade ago, Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity provides free legal advice and representation to low-income Philadelphia residents whose criminal records are holding them back from achieving their social and career potentials.
• Through the CEG award, Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity will double the number of clients accepted for expungement and pardon services through the creation of hubs in a high-arrest neighborhood, with an emphasis on providing services to Black men.

New Leash on Life — Grant Award: $135,000

• The New Leash on Life USA program is focused on reducing recidivism and increasing the adoptability of the at-risk shelter dogs. They accomplish this with an innovative reform model that leverages the powerful bond between dogs and humans for long-term success.
• Through the CEG award, New Leash on Life will expand its young adult reentry and diversion program. The six-month program will use a combination of human-animal bond and cognitive behavioral therapy groups in conjunction with individual counseling using motivational interviewing to motivate and create changes in thinking patterns.

Educators 4 Education — Grant Award: $187,000

• Educators 4 Education offers a variety of skill building group sessions, seminar, training, professional development workshops and webinars for youth, parents, teachers and youth development professionals and provides academic and social support programming for community agencies, child care centers, and in-school & out of school time programs.
• Through the CEG award, Educators 4 Education will expand its Keys to Success program to at-risk young men in West and Southwest Philadelphia. The program offers mentoring and case management services that will help participants gain conflict resolution, mediation, and positive decision-making skills with a focus on academic achievement and workforce development.

Timoteo Sports — Grant Award: $200,000

• First started in 2005, Timoteo Sports, Inc. uses sports to engage and mentor young men in Kensington, Frankford, and Hunting Park. Every year, Timoteo Sports attracts over 300 youth with sports programs, but retains them through their ability to relate to the life experiences of youth.
• Through the CEG award, Timoteo Sports will expand its programming to support youth ages 16 and older through year-round sports programming, high school tutoring, career and employment workshops, and mentorship.

Urban League of Philadelphia — Grant Award: $385,000

• The Urban League of Philadelphia has served Philadelphia for more than a century. Their mission is to advance the achievement of economic self-reliance, parity, power and civil rights for African Americans and other underserved residents.
• Through the CEG award, the Urban League of Philadelphia will scale its violence reduction programs:
  • Ready2Work offers comprehensive workforce readiness to young adults ages 18 – 34. This program incorporates leadership and workforce development, cognitive behavioral therapy, community service, field trips 1:1 mentorship, and participation wages.
  • Out4GOOD is a holistic workforce development initiative that prepares former justice-involved men to re-enter the workforce and community life. This program cognitive behavior therapy, training through exploration, activity-based curriculum and reflection, responsive case management, trauma-informed practices, and direct access to the Urban League’s strong employer pipeline and workforce development resources.

Opportunities Industrialization Centers of America, Inc. (OICA) and the Careers & Academic Institute (CADI) — Grant Award: $300,000

• OICA CADI is an alternative school for teens ages 15 – 21 in Philadelphia that provides the necessary education and resources to the over-age, under-credited population and to prepare them for a productive life after graduation.
• Through the CEG award, OIC CADI will expand its programming for young men. Participants will receive post-secondary education and training opportunities, as well as wrap-around services such as case management, mental health services, tutoring, and career counseling. Participants will be the creators of change in their neighborhoods as they will identify and complete projects each month that bring positive change.

Total Grant Awards (as of December 8, 2021): $13,500,000

This includes awards made in the first four rounds from this program, announced recently. This concludes the 2021 Community Expansion Grant award announcements. A full list of awardees is available online.

About the Anti-Violence Community Expansion Grant Program

The Anti-Violence Community Expansion Grant Program directly funds and supports community-based organizations that are focused on reducing violence through trauma-informed healing and restorative practices and safe havens and mentorship.

The City provides grants ranging from $100,000 to $1,000,000 to community-based organizations that have annual operating budgets below $15,000,000 and a proven track record working in neighborhoods vulnerable to gun violence. By targeting funding towards proven community-based organizations, the City is putting this money in the hands of organizations with a proven track record of delivering quality, culturally relevant services while making sure those applying already have the infrastructure in place to be successful.

The focus of the Community Expansion Grants is to provide direct trauma-informed healing and restorative practices or safe havens and mentorship programs. Funded projects supporting those focus areas must take place between fall 2021 and summer 2022.