Projects awarded seek to remedy the epidemic of violence in Indianapolis
Twenty-six projects will receive a total of $2.2 million in grants from the Violent Crime Prevention Grants Program this year. The Indianapolis Foundation, an affiliate of Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) administers these grants, using criteria and funding allocated annually by the Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council.
“Just as the COVID-19 pandemic has plagued our city, so too has the epidemic of gun violence.”
In March 2020, the City-County Council passed Proposal 69, which established the definition and priority of “violent crime” as addressed by the Program. That definition is “any crime carried out in a violent manner including but not limited to violent acts carried out with a gun.” The 2020 Violent Crime Prevention Grants Program’s priority and guidelines reflect the focus on reducing violent crime and are supported by CICF’s strategic partnership to build the infrastructure to reduce gun violence in Indianapolis.
Mayor Joe Hogsett
“Just as the COVID-19 pandemic has plagued our city, so too has the epidemic of gun violence,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “We must address it with the same gravity and urgency, coordinating with organizations on the ground and analyzing data with top researchers, as well as innovating our systems to be ready to detect the next outbreak of violence. That is what the Violent Crime Prevention Grants Program does for our community—combat the epidemic of violence through strategic partnerships and building authentic relationships within communities.”
“…we must first identify the root causes that contribute to environments that disproportionately produce violent crimes.”
The Violent Crime Prevention Grants Program has dedicated time and resources to building out its infrastructure, including establishing metrics for measuring success, investing in technical assistance, and working with IMPD to better understand crime data.
Alicia Collins
“To truly have impact on the safety of our community, we must first identify the root causes that contribute to environments that disproportionately produce violent crimes,” said Alicia Collins, director of community leadership at CICF. “The organizations receiving these grants are addressing the legacy of past trauma and systemic issues that continue to limit opportunities and affect our most vulnerable and under-appreciated communities.”
The other organizations awarded grant funds serve communities that experience a higher risk of gun violence and work with individuals involved with the justice system. One of those organizations is Community Action of Greater Indianapolis (CAGI). The project funded is part of their larger initiative, We CANN (Community Action Neighborhood Network). The project, We CANN MOVE (Mobilize Our Voices for Engagement), will provide interventions for 100 families and individuals that have been identified as high-risk to violence because of environmental accelerants, including lack of unemployment, education, and housing. The program will provide mentorships, long-term case management, and family services to identify and address the societal stressors that lead people towards acts of violence. Read more about the work of CAGI and this program.
View the full list of awards below
Dane Nutty, executive director of Indy Public Safety Foundation
In addition to these grants, an investment of $400,000 will provide the infrastructure to create and begin implementing a gun-violence reduction strategy with Indy Public Safety Foundation (IPSF) serving as the fiscal administrator. This strategy includes a city-wide effort for street outreach coordination, a data-driven identification process in partnership with law enforcement, case conferencing among high-performing community-based organizations, and participant supports and engagement. The City of Indianapolis’ Office of Public Health and Safety (OPHS) will provide the ongoing management and implementation of the gun-violence reduction strategy.
“Deep-rooted and complex issues like gun violence require bold, collaborative solutions,” said Dane Nutty, executive director of IPSF. “We are excited to work alongside OPHS, public safety agencies and the community to interrupt the cycle of violence through this innovative new approach.”
GRANTS awarded from Violent Crime Prevention Grants Program
ORGANIZATION |
PROJECT TITLE |
AWARD AMOUNT |
| B4U Fall | Operation Hotspot Interruption | $40,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis | Evening Reporting Center | $40,000 |
| Brookside Community Development Corporation | Brookside Community Reentry & Bridge Academy | $45,000 |
| Central Indiana Youth for Christ | City Life – Stop youth violence | $115,000 |
| Community Action of Greater Indianapolis, Inc. | We CANN MOVE (Community Action Neighborhood Network’s Mobilize Our Voices for Engagement) | $150,000 |
| Eclectic Soul VOICES Corporation | Where Power meets Promise | $80,000 |
| Edna Martin Christian Center | ACTIVE Adults | $50,000 |
| Eskenazi Health Foundation | Eskenazi Health Prescription for Hope | $100,000 |
| Eskenazi Health Foundation | Indy Heartbeat | $75,000 |
| Flanner House of Indianapolis, Inc. | Flanner House Crime Prevention | $50,000 |
| Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana | Goodwill’s New Beginnings Program, Tiered Model to Reentry | $50,000 |
| Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee | Marion County Reentry Coalition (MCRC) | $75,000 |
| Groundwork Indy | Groundwork Indy Youth Development Programs: Green Team & GroundCorp | $55,000 |
| Horizon House, Inc. | Reentry: Homeless to Housed | $75,000 |
| Indianapolis Legal Aid Society, Inc. | Indianapolis Legal Aid Reentry Project | $50,000 |
| Indy Public Safety Foundation | Gun Violence Reduction Strategy | $400,000 |
| John H. Boner Community Center | Rapid Response Reentry Program | $35,000 |
| Mackida Loveal & Trip Mentoring Outreach Center | ROAR (RESILENTLY OVERCOMING ADVERSITIES RISE) | $80,000 |
| Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic | Project GRACE (Guided Reentry Assistance and Community Education). | $50,000 |
| PACE, Inc. | Preventing crime through effective reentry | $90,000 |
| Pathway Resource Center, Inc. | Project HOT (Helping Others Transform) | $80,000 |
| Reach For Youth, Inc | Preventing Crime and Recidivism through Positive Youth Development Services | $70,000 |
| Step-Up, Inc. | Forensic Social Work in Action: Reentry Services at Step-Up, Inc. | $70,000 |
| The Bail Project | Indianapolis Bail Fund Site | $100,000 |
| Thomas Ridley’s 1 Like Me | 1LikeMe CCP 2.0 – Investing in Human and Social Capital | $85,000 |
| Workforce, Inc (DBA RecycleForce) | From Prisoner to Citizen | $90,000 |
| TOTAL | $2,200,000 | |
ABOUT THe Violent Crime Prevention Grants Program
In August 2006, the Community Crime Prevention task force was convened to study the root causes of crime in the community, determine the types of programs most likely to prevent crime or effectively intervene in the lives of those at risk of criminal behavior, and make recommendations about how the community could prevent crime in the future. At the request of the City-County Council in April 2013, The Indianapolis Foundation, an affiliate of Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), entered into a contract with the City of Indianapolis to manage the Community Crime Prevention Grant program (renamed as the Violent Crime Prevention Grants Program after the Council’s passage of Proposal 69 this year). The Indianapolis Foundation has worked to create a process that is transparent and holistic in its approach of administering public resources to achieve the greatest public impact. Learn more about the Violent Crime Prevention Grants Program.
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