The Government Alliance for Safe Communities (GASC), a collaboration among state, county and city leaders, announced today the launch of a new $20 million grant to support community violence intervention efforts in Chicago and suburban Cook County.
The grant, known as the Cook County Community Violence Intervention (CC-CVI), marks the second round of funding from the GASC in 2025. It will be administered by the Cook County Justice Advisory Council (CCJA). The grant will fund services such as street outreach and case management for residents most at risk of being victims or perpetrators of gun violence.
“We are working closely with key partners in philanthropic, business and non-profit communities to pool resources so that we can meet ambitious goals for improving community safety,” Lanetta Haynes Turner, chief of staff for Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, wrote in a press release.
Community-based and nonprofit organizations can apply for the CC-CVI grant. Participating orgs must serve residents in designated Chicago and suburban Cook County areas.
Formed in 2021, the GASC aims to strengthen the community safety ecosystem by streamlining public funding, improving data collection and building partnerships to support community-based organizations and violence intervention efforts. Last year, GASC announced that it’s building on its goal of making $100 million in public funding available throughout 2025 to support community violence intervention initiatives.
“Rather than reinventing the wheel, we are streamlining the administration of public funding, leveraging best practices and integrating lessons learned from the administration of American Rescue Plan Act funding over the past three years,” CCJA executive director Avik Das wrote in the press statement.
The CCJA coordinates and implements Preckwinkle’s criminal and juvenile justice reform efforts and community safety initiatives.
Within the GASC are government entities such as the Illinois Department of Human Services, which gave $46 million to community organizations addressing violence prevention in targeted areas. Another agency that awarded grants include: the Chicago Department of Public Health, which invested $15 million for community organizations that provide community violence intervention services and expand rapid response services to survivors of acute violent injuries within hospital settings.
“Evidence shows that violence can be reduced by addressing risk factors and promoting protective measures,” CPDH Commissioner Dr. Olusimbo Ige wrote in the press release. “We are investing in community violence intervention (CVI) programs because street outreach by credible messengers and behavioral science-informed interventions help de-escalate stressful situations before they lead to violence. Through these violence intervention grants, we are able to support organizations that are working in communities to make our city safer for everyone.”
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