Our impact

A Coalition for Policy & Advocacy

Transformative peace for all of Chicago requires us to go beyond working with the young men and women at the highest risk of violence involvement. We’re part of a broad-based coalition that approaches violence reduction as a public health crisis and works at the city and state level to create real, sustainable change.

man wearing hoodie outside at night

Our Mission

A Citywide Effort

To reach our goal of reducing gun violence, we need to address the bigger picture.

In the past, policy solutions overemphasized policing, ignoring almost every other factor. CRED is part of a broader group of private funders called the Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities that came together to invest in scalable violence-prevention strategies.

To do this, we need to coordinate on city and state levels to treat gun violence for what it is: A public health emergency.

At the city level

We work with the Mayor and Alderpersons to advocate for safety infrastructure and violence prevention.

The goal is to educate leaders. Significant and sustained investments in public resources in the neighborhoods most plagued by gun violence will help rebuild those communities and create new opportunities for the people living there.

At the state level

We focus on policy change by educating legislators and raising awareness around policies that support our mission.

Examples may include ensuring that a portion of funds raised through cannabis taxes are directed to communities most affected by gun violence, or updating the Medicaid rules so community organizations can be reimbursed for the services they provide.

we need to coordinate our resources

“Where you see significant lack of investments in education, economic development, housing, the environment, and mental health services you will also see a prevalence of violence.”

justin slaughter| illinois state representative

SUPPORTING EVIDENCE–BASED BEST PRACTICES

RPSA (Reimagine Public Safety Act)

The passage of the Reimagine Public Safety Act established the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention (OFPV) with the goal of  reducing firearm violence in communities in Illinois with the highest rates of gun violence. Maximizing the power of RPSA requires ongoing support and monitoring. It promises $250 Million over three years in grants to local CVI providers.

students wearing together we change tshirts
Chicago CRED team looking victorious in courtroom

TARGETED AND SUSTAINABLE FUNDING

CVI is increasingly publicly funded

Since 2017, public funding has increased as a share of the overall funding of CVI work. While additional funding is a positive, more public funding can create challenges.  State, city, and federal grants come with more oversight, accountability, and administrative burden.

 

together, we can

The Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities is a unique partnership of more than 50 foundations and funders in Chicago, working together to battle the public health challenge of gun violence. PSPC funds community organizations in 22 neighborhoods in Chicago that are working to reduce violence. These organizations believe that solutions to violence involve treating the whole person and the whole community.

peacemakers wearing purple shirts at a meeting
peacemakers wearing purple shirts at a meeting

building capacity

Chicago CRED’s short-term technical assistance program supports up to fifteen Chicago area gun violence prevention organizations. The program helps build the infrastructure and resources necessary for public grants eligibility, through a menu of different support areas such as GATA certification, organizational and program model design, and grant writing support. Participants of this six-month program are also eligible for a small grant that can be used for wages or commodities for the organization.

POLICY Initiatives

 

cred members talking on the sidewalk

Supporting Evidence- Based Best Practices

  • Data standardization
  • Workforce development in CVI
  • Reimagining Public Safety Act (RPSA)
  • Capacity  building at hyperlocal level
Woman happily hugging man

Sustainable Funding & Accountability

  • City budget advocacy
  • Medicaid expansion
  • Supporting constitutional policing
students wearing together we change tshirts

Community Investment & Long- Term Partnerships

  • Violence hot –spot investment
  • Jobs for Program Alums
  • PSPC

ENVISIONING A PEACEFUL WORLD THROUGH PROACTIVE ANTI-VIOLENCE EDUCATION

Power to Anti-Violence Employees (PAVE) seeks to create a robust, fresh, and committed workforce for CVI. We convened premier violence intervention experts in Chicago to explore a worker-first approach to workforce development to address the unique challenges for these front-line workers. The groups defined career paths for all workers, provided standardized compensation ranges, and built templates for organizational growth of any size.

peacemakers wearing purple shirts at a meeting
peacemakers wearing purple shirts at a meeting

THE ILLINOIS PEACE PROJECT

The Illinois Peace Project is an initiative supported by partner organizations with a shared vision for reducing gun violence in Illinois.

Learn More

THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS

Changing the future of Chicago starts with the safety of our youth.

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Follow along as we work toward our goal of reducing gun violence by 80% in five years.