Gun Violence Grants & Funding
Violence Intervention & Prevention (VIP) funding supports grants and technical assistance to address community violence throughout the Commonwealth, with a focus on preventing and intervening with gun and group-related violence.
FY 2022-23 VIP Information & Resources
On September 6, 2022, PCCD announced the availability of $100.5 million in FY 2022-23 VIP funding for two competitive grant programs:
- VIP Competitive Grants Program: Under this solicitation, eligible applicants could request funding for a wide range of programs that address community violence and prevention efforts.
- Coordinated Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Strategies Pilot Grants Program: This new initiative invests in collaborative community violence prevention and response strategies within focused service areas. Grants will support local planning and implementation of short-term intervention, mid-term prevention, and long-term transformation strategies designed to increase local coordination to more effectively prevent, intervene, and respond to gun and group-related violence.
Community-based organizations, institutions of higher education, local municipalities, district attorneys, and counties were eligible to apply for funding under both solicitations.
On January 11, 2023, the School Safety and Security Committee (SSSC) approved 122 VIP Grants and 5 Coordinated CVI Strategies Pilot Grants projects totaling approximately $100 million. More information about these approved projects is available in this press release and in the project summaries below:
Accordion
Expand AllClick here for a more accessible versionOn June 13, 2023, the Commission voted to approve the 2022-2023 State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP) Funding Plan, which was submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) for review and approval (required before PCCD can issue any solicitations or commit any SCIP funding). On August 28, 2023, BJA approved Pennsylvania's FY 2022-23 Byrne SCIP Funding Plan.
Resources for Gun Violence Victims Needs Assessment & Technical Assistance Initiative
On September 18, 2023, PCCD announced the availability of up to $1 million in federal SCIP funds to support a new "Resources for Gun Violence Victims Needs Assessment & Technical Assistance Initiative." You can learn more about this initiative here. A copy of the funding announcement and related Q&A guidance is available here.
- PCCD's VIP Training & Technical Assistance initiative launched in 2022 and provides no-cost resources to community-based groups working to address violence in their communities. Interested in learning more? Contact the VIP TTA team at WestEd via email at pennviptta@wested.org.
- VIP Applicant Information Session: PCCD's VIP Technical Assistance partners at WestEd/LISC hosted an open webinar for community-based organizations interested in applying for funding on September 27, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. (ET). This online session focused on VIP grants with useful information and helpful tips to prepare and successfully apply for funding. The main focus of this webinar was to answer prospective applicant questions. Presenters were from WestEd, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and Community Capacity Builders.
- Webinar recording available HERE.
As the state administering agency for Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency (PCCD) submitted an application to BJA for federal SCIP funds in December 2022. PCCD's FY 2022-2023 application was approved by BJA in February 2023.
On January 17, 2023, PCCD announced the availability of up to $3 million in VIP funding to support a new VIP Grants Evaluation Initiative. The goal of this program is to support a comprehensive evaluation and research initiative to determine early outcomes and short-term impacts of PCCD's investments in community violence prevention and intervention programs through the VIP Grant Program.
The application deadline for this competitive solicitation was Thursday, March 30, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. (ET). On May 31, 2023, the School Safety and Security Committee approved an award to the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center (NORC), in partnership with Temple University, to support these efforts.
More information about this initiative is available in the written funding announcement document, available here, as well as in the press release announcing the selection of NORC as the VIP program evaluator.
Under SCIP, states must form (or identify an existing group) to serve as a diverse Crisis Intervention Advisory Board to inform and guide the state's related gun violence reduction programs/initiatives. The Board must include, but is not limited to, representatives from law enforcement, the community, courts, prosecution, behavioral health providers, victim services, and legal counsel.
Program and budget plans must be developed in coordination with and demonstrate evidence of approval by each state's Crisis Intervention Advisory Board.
In Pennsylvania's FY 2022-2023 SCIP application, PCCD's Commission was identified as the Crisis Intervention Advisory Board given its composition and structure. PCCD anticipates presenting a Program and Budget Plan for the Commission's consideration at its June 2023 quarterly meeting.
VIP & Gun Violence Grants Program Archive
Providing support for effective, community-led gun violence prevention efforts is one of PCCD's top strategic priorities. In recent years, PCCD has made investments to support local gun violence reduction efforts using available state and federal funds aligned with recommendations identified by the Special Council and responsive to the needs of local communities.
You can learn more about past VIP and Gun Violence Reduction Grants cycles and funded projects by visiting the interactive Gun Violence and VIP Grantees data dashboard and archived pages below:
Contact Information
Questions regarding PCCD's Gun Violence Grants & Funding initiatives, including VIP grants, can be directed to PCCD staff at RA-PCCD_ExecutiveOfc@pa.gov.