Mayor Bowser Awards $330,000 in Grants to Support Community-Based Gun Violence Prevention Programs

(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP) awarded $330,000 in mini-grants to 31 nonprofit organizations and individuals as part of the Building Blocks DC Office of Gun Violence Prevention mini-grants program to support community-based programs and activities focusing on gun violence prevention.  
 
“We are always grateful for residents and organizations that step up and say they want to be part of the solution,” said Mayor Bowser. “These grants are one way we support people who know our community and who know our young people and they are helping us build a safer, stronger DC.”  
 
Out of the 31 grantees, five will focus on conflict resolution, including programming on anger management, emotional self-awareness, healing from trauma, and other social and emotional skills. Other grantees focus on lifeguard training, outdoor educational activities, reading skills, music therapy, and more. A full list of grantees, including past recipients, can be found at buildingblocks.dc.gov/community-grants. 
 
“A very important distinction of these grants is that they go directly to residents – no need to have a non-profit organization – if they are doing the work, they will get the support,” said City Administrator Kevin Donahue. “These programs allow youth that are exposed to these negative environments to have outlets that helps them cope and redirect their anger or frustrations into positive actions that are long-lasting in their futures.” 
 
Since 2021, the Bowser Administration has awarded $2.9 million to individuals and community organizations. For this round, thirteen mini-grants of $5,000 and eighteen mini-plus grants of $15,000 grants were awarded. Progressive Life Center, a nonprofit community-based organization dedicated to improving the delivery of mental health services to individuals and families, assists OGVP in managing the BBDC grant program. 
 
The next round of grant funding will be available in Summer 2024. For more information on the Building Blocks DC mini-grants offered through the Progressive Life Center and the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, please visit www.buildingblocks.dc.gov/community-grants. 
 

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