Harrisburg, PA - Today, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s (PCCD) School Safety and Security Committee approved a total of $40 million in Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) grant funding for 64 organizations working to address the epidemic of gun violence.
Since the VIP Grant program began in 2021, 256 projects across the Commonwealth have been approved for a combined total of approximately $185 million in grant funding to prevent, intervene in, and reduce gun and group-related violence, helping to make Pennsylvania communities safer.
“Last summer I visited with a number of organizations across the Commonwealth that have received VIP grants,” said Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, who serves as PCCD chair. “I was impressed with how impactful these organizations have been and continue to be in their communities. They are doing important work, and the VIP program is an essential part of addressing the epidemic of gun violence and making our communities safer. I look forward to connecting with the large number of new recipients of this funding to learn about their innovative projects within across the Commonwealth.”
Last November, as part of the Shapiro-Davis Administration’s commitment to making communities safer and reducing violence, PCCD announced the availability of $40 million in state funding to support FY 2023-24 Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) competitive grants, secured and signed into law by Governor Shapiro in the bipartisan 2023-24 budget. Governor Shapiro has proposed a $37.5 million increase for the VIP grant program in his 2024-25 budget proposal in order to continue to address community violence and build safer communities.
Under this solicitation, eligible applicants including community-based or nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, municipalities, counties, and district attorney’s offices. Applicants were able to apply for funding under one of two tracks: a VIP grant or a Coordinated Community Violence Intervention (CCVI) Strategies Project.
VIP Grant funding supports a wide range of effective, community-led strategies to prevent gun violence and address its impacts – from street outreach and violence interruption programs to victim services to neighborhood revitalization efforts, among others. This year, a large share of approved VIP projects sought funding for prevention programming, including youth-focused mentoring and intervention models (such as afterschool and out-of-school-time programs). Many of these approved projects went to organizations that had not previously received funding from PCCD for violence prevention efforts (77 percent). Most approved applicants (91 percent) are community-based organizations.
In addition to 63 VIP projects, the Committee approved one Coordinated Community Violence Intervention (CCVI) project focused on building collaborative gun violence prevention and response efforts in Allentown. This new site builds on five previously awarded CCVI pilot sites in four counties across Pennsylvania.
A list of all approved projects, county/ies served, and approved funding amounts can be found below:
| Name of Organization | County/ies Served | Approved Amount |
| Coordinated Community Violence Intervention (CCVI) Strategies Project |
| Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley | Lehigh
| $1,571,805 |
Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Grants
|
| Bible Center Church-The Oasis Project | Allegheny | $156,838 |
| East End Cooperative Ministry | Allegheny | $545,720 |
| Homeless Children's Education Fund | Allegheny | $638,201 |
| Ruth's Way, Inc. | Allegheny | $96,073 |
| The Kingsley Association | Allegheny | $950,000 |
| The Pittsburgh Contingency (RefocusED) | Allegheny | $500,000 |
| Three Rivers Youth | Allegheny | $926,557 |
| Berks County Adult Probation and Parole Department | Berks | $950,000 |
| CASA of Berks County | Berks | $139,319 |
| Centro Hispano Daniel Torres, Inc. | Berks | $792,517 |
| The Camel Project | Berks | $273,829 |
| County of Chester, Department of Workforce Development | Chester | $758,318 |
| YMCA of Greater Brandywine | Chester | $816,750 |
| Dauphin County Commissioners | Dauphin | $950,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Chester | Delaware | $533,639 |
| Cheder Chabad - Philadelphia | Delaware | $380,000 |
| Educators 4 Education Charitable Foundation | Delaware | $225,000 |
Rising Hope For Change Inc.
| Delaware and Philadelphia
| $278,700 |
| Erie County District Attorney's Office | Erie | $835,978 |
| YMCA of Indiana County | Indiana | $928,813 |
| Bench Mark Program | Lancaster | $355,483 |
| Turning Point of Lehigh Valley, Inc. | Lehigh and Northampton
| $562,080 |
| Monroe County Office of the District Attorney | Monroe | $695,286 |
| Eastern University | Montgomery | $949,389 |
| Expressive Path Inc. | Montgomery | $189,000 |
| New Leash on Life USA | Montgomery | $539,392 |
| Valley Youth House Committee, Inc. | Northampton | $949,740 |
| Achieve Now - Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia | $242,150 |
| Albert Einstein Healthcare Network | Philadelphia | $946,242 |
| Brazo de Oro Foundation | Philadelphia | $943,536 |
| Congreso de Latinos Unidos, Inc. | Philadelphia | $950,000 |
| Council for Relationships | Philadelphia | $663,089 |
| Cranaleith Spiritual Center | Philadelphia | $343,750 |
| Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education | Philadelphia | $900,000 |
| Episcopal Community Services | Philadelphia | $874,042 |
| Fab Youth Philly | Philadelphia | $412,290 |
| Hand2Paw | Philadelphia | $250,000 |
| Heights Philadelphia | Philadelphia | $950,000 |
| Jewish Family and Children's Service of Greater Philadelphia | Philadelphia | $949,854 |
| Launch of Philadelphia, Inc. | Philadelphia | $906,820 |
| Mighty Writers | Philadelphia | $800,000 |
| Mothers In Charge | Philadelphia | $905,190 |
| New Kensington Community Development Corporation | Philadelphia | $949,927 |
| North10 Philadelphia | Philadelphia | $826,820 |
| NorthEast Treatment Centers, Inc. | Philadelphia | $950,000 |
| Northern Children's Services | Philadelphia | $950,000 |
| People Advancing Reintegration aka PAR-Recycle Works | Philadelphia | $721,444 |
| Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation | Philadelphia | $552,797 |
| Philadelphia Community Empowerment Through Soccer dba Kensington Soccer Club | Philadelphia | $400,000 |
| PHILLY TRUCE Foundation | Philadelphia | $84,219 |
| PHMC Health Center on Cedar | Philadelphia | $950,000 |
| Progressive Change CDC | Philadelphia | $126,350 |
| Reading Allowed | Philadelphia | $484,919 |
| Resolve Philly | Philadelphia | $570,359 |
| Rock to the Future | Philadelphia | $500,000 |
| Temple University Hospital | Philadelphia | $935,000 |
| The DREAM Program, Inc. | Philadelphia | $490,530 |
| Timoteo Philadelphia | Philadelphia | $137,000 |
| We Embrace Fatherhood, a Program of the Urban Affairs Coalition | Philadelphia | $25,250 |
| Why Not Prosper, Inc. | Philadelphia | $536,214 |
| Youth Art & Self-empowerment Project (fiscally sponsored by Movement Alliance Project) | Philadelphia | $949,910 |
| Schuylkill Hope Center | Schuylkill | $689,070 |
| Transitions of PA | Union, Snyder, and Northumberland
| $171,789
|
All Pennsylvanians deserve to be and feel safe in their communities. That’s why Governor Shapiro has proposed more than $100 million to address gun violence in the 2024-25 state budget, including increasing resources for the VIP Grants program and $1 million to stand up the Office of Gun Violence Prevention within PCCD. The Shapiro-Davis Administration will continue to fight to ensure Pennsylvanians can live in communities free from gun violence.
More information about the projects approved by the School Safety and Security Committee today, including county/ies served, project details, and approved amounts can be found in the Project Summary document on PCCD’s website.
To learn more about PCCD’s VIP grant funding program, visit our website.
MEDIA CONTACT: Ali Gantz - algantz@pa.gov
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