Cuyahoga County will be handing out three $15,000 grants to community-based organizations working to reduce violence. The grants represent the first from the county’s new Office of Violence Prevention since it was established last May.
A primary goal of that office is to help better fund and support organizations doing work on the ground, said Myesha Watkins, who was hired to lead the office starting last August.
The county has a large ecosystem of local groups working to prevent violence. But many are small, cash-strapped nonprofits run by community members who often volunteer their own time to offer services. Some employ street outreach workers who try to interrupt the cycle of retaliation. Other groups support young people in the criminal justice system and mentor young people in order to reduce the likelihood they engage in violent behavior.
“I’m really excited,” said Watkins, who lived through tough financial times as the former director of Cleveland Peacemakers, an anti-violence nonprofit. “The executive director from Peacemakers in me is smiling like, ‘Yes. Yes, our county is doing it!”
The county grants come at a time in which federal funding for violence prevention has shrunk. President Donald Trump’s administration cut about $218 million in grants for community violence intervention and victim service programs last April, according to the Council on Criminal Justice.
Still, Watkins said that one-time $15,000 grants are not enough to solve the long-term funding challenges many organizations face. For perspective, Cleveland Peacemakers’ annual expenses ranged from around $730,000 to $900,000 in 2023 and 2024, according to a recent tax return.
Instead, Watkins hopes the investment can help existing groups scale up their programs. It can also show new groups that it’s possible to get paid for violence prevention work.
“Hopefully, the investment is seen to have a great impact, and then we continue … to be able to put more money into the community,” Watkins said.
In the meantime, Watkins is working to improve coordination between the litany of groups trying to drive down violence. For example, Watkins’ office struck a partnership with the Cleveland Public Library to distribute gun safes and gun locks to reduce gun thefts and accidental injury.
Funding sources still strapped
The county is paying for the three grants with COVID recovery dollars, which expire at the end of this year. The funding community groups receive has to be spent by the end of October.
Because of the quick turnaround, Watkins said the hope is that the county can fund existing projects and programs that can rapidly scale up.
The county does not yet have a way to continue funding community anti-violence groups after the COVID money expires. Watkins said she’s searching for federal and philanthropic dollars to fill in the gaps.
“We’re relentlessly looking for grants that align with the Office of Violence Prevention,” Watkins said. “In order for violence reduction to happen, it has to be well-resourced.”
Beyond Watkins’ position, the county doesn’t earmark money from its general fund or its health and human services fund for the violence prevention office. That’s because most county departments seek external funding to start and grow new programs, wrote county spokesperson Jennifer Ciaccia in a statement.
“As the Office of Violence Prevention continues to develop and respond to community needs, it will continue to pursue additional funding opportunities, including grant funding,” Ciaccia wrote.
The office can, in some instances, tap money from the county’s larger public safety department, she wrote.
What to know about new violence prevention grants
Awards will be made in each of these three categories:
- Youth Engagement & Prevention Programming – Mentor youth through structured programming, life-skills development, and positive recreational activities designed to reduce risk factors associated with violence involvement.
- Violence Interruption & Hotspot Outreach – Street outreach workers able to engage individuals in high-risk areas to mediate conflicts, interrupt potential violence, and connect residents to employment, behavioral health and social services.
- Mentoring, Court Advocacy & Prevention Education – Support justice-involved youth through mentorship, court navigation support, family engagement and violence prevention education workshops.
The deadline to apply is July 21. More information about the application is available here.
Organizations must have three years of experience working on community engagement and violence prevention.
