“Younger kids are getting a lot into violence nowadays, and this really could help keep them in a softer environment, a more safe environment, where you don’t have to be on 10 all the time and ready to go to war.” —Focus Group Participant, Norris Square Community Alliance
In summer 2022, Philadelphia saw the deadliest season of gun violence on record, with nearly eight people shot daily. During the same period, staff at 28 community organizations worked throughout the city to provide mentoring, healing practices, arts, sports, and other services for residents most affected by the violence.
The 28 organizations were part of a new Community Expansion Grant from the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Policy and Strategic Initiatives for Criminal Justice & Public Safety—one of many initiatives to bring immediate and long-term investments to the city. The Community Expansion Grant distributed $13.5 million to community-based organizations that could especially reach Black and Brown boys and men between the ages of 16 and 34, key audiences of the grant program.
Through a year-long pilot, staff and participants of the programs offered their powerful insights on their experiences of living with violence in Philadelphia, their time with the organizations, and recommendations to improve the Community Expansion Grant. Their insights are summarized in a comprehensive report from the evaluation team of Equal Measure, Research for Action, Evident Change, and Cities United.
The findings and recommendations in the report emerged from a developmental, mixed-methods evaluation conducted from January 2022 to May 2023. The evaluation team took a learning approach, using quantitative and qualitative data to tell the unfolding story of impact across diverse programs to reduce gun violence.
SEE ADDITIONAL COVERAGE
- City of Philadelphia: City Shares Results of Community Expansion Grant Independent Program Evaluation; Renewals for Next Phase of the Program Selected
- KYW Newsradio: Philadelphia’s anti-violence grant program a worthwhile investment, an evaluation finds
- The Trace: Evaluation Finds Philly’s Violence Prevention Grant Program Works — But Needs More Support
- WHYY: Philly anti-violence grant program shows promising results, despite some hiccups, new evaluation shows
DOWNLOAD THE REPORT
LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST
Episode 3, featuring Erica Atwood from the City of Philadelphia
