City of Philadelphia Invests in Safer, Cleaner, and Stronger Neighborhoods: Awards Nearly $24M to 147 Nonprofits as part of Anti-Violence Community Partnerships Grant Program

The City also unveiled enhancements to the grant program through rigorous evaluations to increase efficiency in the use of taxpayer dollars

PHILADELPHIA-Today the Office of Public Safety announced its 2025 list of grantees for the reimagined and redesigned Anti-Violence Community Partnership Grants (AVCPG) program. A total of 147 grantees were awarded nearly $24 million in grant funding for initiatives that address violence prevention, expand community capacity, and target investments that create a lasting impact in Philadelphia.

“Our newly passed $6.8 billion budget makes substantial, bold investments in the programs and services we need most to make Philadelphia the safest, cleanest, and greenest big city in America, with access to economic opportunity for all,” said Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. “We’re proud of these investments and excited to announce that we’re delivering on these promises immediately, distributing nearly $24 million this year and increasing that to $30 million next year to the community-based and grassroots organizations on the ground doing this important prevention and intervention anti-violence work.”

The Anti-Violence Community Partnership Grants program is designed to restore dignity, opportunity, and safety to the neighborhoods most impacted by gun violence. By intentionally investing in smaller, grassroots organizations—and providing wraparound support and technical assistance—OPS is not just funding programs, but helping to build the internal infrastructure local leaders need to drive sustainable change in their own communities. Through diverse approaches, the AVCPG program aims to heal and intentionally target Philadelphia neighborhoods the gun violence crisis in the city hurts the most.

The AVCPG has three funding tiers:

• Targeted Community Investment Grant (TCIG) program: TCIG funds community-based violence prevention programs and activities that improve public safety, increase opportunities for self-development and care, and build a stronger sense of community in neighborhoods most impacted by gun violence. Funding awards range from $1,500 to $50,000.
• Community Capacity Grant (CCG) program: The newest of the three grant programs, CCG is an invitation only funding level for experienced TCIG grantees who have shown excellence during the granting process. CCG award amounts range from$50,000 to $100,000. CCG grantees have access to customized training to assist them in sustainably scaling up their programs to the level of a Community Expansion Grant.
• Community Expansion Grant (CEG) program: CEG funds and supports organizations that focus on reducing violence through trauma-informed healing, restorative practices, safe havens, and mentorship. Award amounts range from $100,000 to $1million.

Grantees in all three tiers of the grant program receive technical assistance from trusted City partners to guarantee they can effectively serve their communities and scale up their program when ready. Organizations not selected in this cohort are still invited to these technical assistance programs for training in anticipation that they will be better prepared for successful applications next year.

“By intentionally investing in small, grassroots organizations with proportionate grants, providing wraparound support and technical assistance, and then managing their applications for next tier-level grants as their capacity and capability grows – the City is not just writing checks: we are helping to build the internal infrastructure local leaders need to drive sustainable change by meeting them where they are,” said Chief Public Safety Director Adam Geer. “The grantee organizations are ones doing the work, they are the ones on the ground in the community, and they are the ones that need to lead the way.”

In advance of this first cohort of grantees under Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration, the Anti-Violence Community Partnership Grants program underwent a thorough redesign in 2024. The AVCPG’s redesign was informed by an evaluation of the program conducted by Equal Measure.

Based on Equal Measure’s recommendations, the City made the following changes to the Office of Public Safety’s (OPS)grant programs:

• OPS hired additional staff for the AVCPG grants team to guarantee grantees are responsibly administering programs with City funds, as well as ensuring that City funds are being dispersed in a way that does not put undue burden on grantees.
• The CCG funding tier was established to bridge the significant funding level gap between TCIG & CEG grants. CCG supports emerging nonprofits in building their capacity to manage larger budgets, engage more participants, and better track data.
• CEG& CCG funding awards were extended to two year cycles to better support grantees for long term program development and planning.
• Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) was selected as the third- party fiscal agent to manage efficient and equitable disbursement of funds to grantees.
• Additional funding was made available to provide grantees with customized technical assistance, provided by new diverse partnerships with CAM Tax Consulting, The Community Curator, Erin Hutt Consulting, It Starts with Me, Storiez: Trauma Narratives LLC, and Lost In Translation Data Solutions. These Technical Assistance and Capacity Workshops for the AVCPG program will provide grantees with workshops and training throughout 2025. Workshops are designed to align across all three grant programs and focus on sustainability, capacity building, and organizational collaboration. Grantees also have access to office hours with experienced consultants for personalized guidance and support throughout the duration of their grant award.

In the selection process for the new round of grantees, the Office of Public Safety conducted a thorough review of all applicants. Grantees submitted written applications and were interviewed by a panel of experienced professionals and subject matter experts who thoroughly examined the feasibility of proposed programming, as well as the ability of the organization to responsibly spend City funds within the contract timeline. Grant applications and proposals were evaluated with a rubric including categories such as: clarity of vision, timely and efficient completion of the project, qualifications of staff, superior prior experience, and budget feasibility.

“In my program, I always begin any meeting with the phrase ‘Kasserian Ingera’ which is a traditional Maasai greeting translating to: ‘and how are the children?’ This phrase reminds us that the health of our future depends upon how we nurture, protect, and uplift the next generation,” said Taj Murdock, CEO and Founder at The Empowerment Achievement Movement, Inc., and founder of Men of Courage mentoring program based in Germantown. “The true measure of a community’s strength is in the well-being of its children. If they are well, then we are well. As the leader of a recipient organization of the AVCPG program, the City has empowered me to invest in the well-being of the Young Kings we mentor.”

A comprehensive list of Anti-Violence Community Partnership Grant grantees can be found on the Office of Public Safety website.