Reducing Gun Violence in New Orleans through Cross-Sector Collaboration with Philanthropy

Firearm violence is a preventable public health issue that affects communities across the United States. Yet, rates of exposure vary significantly from one region to another, shaped by socio-economic disparities, demographics, and local gun policies. This webinar explores the role of multi-sector partnerships, including the philanthropic sector, to effectively reduce firearm violence. 

The moderated discussion will be a candid conversation about best practices and key challenges in developing, implementing, evaluating, and sustaining violence intervention programs. Panelists include credible messengers from a community-based organization, local government, and an academic research partner, who are collaborating to reduce violence through community and hospital-based programs in New Orleans, Louisiana. Participants will leave the session with a better understanding of the critical role of philanthropy in advancing efforts to reduce firearm violence, along with insights to facilitate successful cross-sector collaboration.  

Read More →

2024 Survey Summary: Firearm Violence Prevention Strategies

GIH conducted a survey in September 2024 about funder engagement in firearm violence prevention. This fact sheet summarizes the survey results with a total sample of 81 health funders. This public health crisis and social justice issue is preventable, and health funders have an important role to play in advancing firearm violence prevention efforts.

Read More →

Firearm Violence Prevention Learning Community: Equitable Approaches to Firearm Violence Prevention Research and Evaluation

The Black and Brown Collective for Community Solutions to Gun Violence is a network of dozens of multidisciplinary researchers across academic and other research organizations that engage in and promote rigorous, culturally-responsive, and equitable research on community violence. The Collective is developing an equitable research framework designed to guide community-engaged research in and with Black and Brown neighborhoods impacted by gun violence. This webinar explored the context that motivated the framework and its development, examined opportunities and challenges with using an equitable research framework, and provided concrete and practical examples of how the framework can be used and applied in community violence prevention research projects.

Read More →

Firearm Violence Prevention Learning Community: Exploring the Current Policy Landscape

Grantmakers In Health offers a series of Learning Community programs to advance philanthropic strategies for preventing firearm-related deaths and injuries. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that public policies have a significant influence on various types of firearm-related outcomes, including homicides, suicides, and accidental shootings. This virtual convening of the Firearm Violence Prevention Learning Community explored the current policy landscape —both recent policy developments and future opportunities for policy change at the state and federal levels— and considered how philanthropic investments can best inform and influence policymakers. Speakers included Sean Holihan of Giffords, Nick Suplina of Everytown for Gun Safety, and Adzi Vokhiwa of Community Justice Action Fund.

Read More →

Firearm Violence Prevention Learning Community: Roundtable Discussion

Join this virtual convening of the Firearm Violence Prevention Learning Community to reflect on learnings to date, share experiences and challenges supporting this work, and set priorities for future programming. This interactive discussion will also include an introduction to a new software platform designed to facilitate communication, collaboration, and resource sharing among participants.

Read More →

Firearm Violence Prevention Learning Community: The Role of Health Care Providers and Systems

This virtual convening of the Learning Community focused on the role of health care providers and systems in firearm violence prevention efforts and ways health philanthropy can support this work. Featured speakers included: Amy Barnhorst, MD, Associate Director of the California Firearm Violence Research Center and Director of the BulletPoints Project and Chethan Sathya, MD, Medical Director for Trauma at Cohen Children’s Medical Center and Director of the Center for Gun Violence Prevention at Northwell Health.

Read More →

Firearm Violence Prevention Learning Community: Centering Community Leadership

This second virtual convening of the Firearm Violence Prevention Learning Community focused on the critical importance of community leadership in crafting and implementing firearm violence prevention efforts.

Read More →

Firearm Violence Prevention Learning Community: Evidence-based Prevention Strategies

This first virtual convening of the learning community provided an overview of the group’s purpose and scope, explored participants’ goals and programming priorities, and considered evidence regarding the risks of, and interventions for, firearm harm.

Read More →
Issue Brief by Eileen Salinsky

Public Health Approaches to Firearm Violence Prevention

Firearm injuries are a serious public health problem, killing more than 47,000 Americans each year and becoming the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States in 2020. Given the impact and complexity of this health crisis, Grantmakers in Health (GIH) hosted a first-ever preconference session focused on firearm violence in advance of the June 2023 GIH Annual Conference on Health Philanthropy. Session speakers briefed partners on the causes of gun violence and provided an opportunity for health funders to learn more about potential solutions through a public health lens. This Issue Brief provides highlights of the meeting’s proceedings and previews GIH’s plans to convene a funder learning collaborative on firearm violence prevention to continue the peer learning and sharing that began at the preconference session.

Read More →