Supporting Youth at High Risk of Gun Violence Initiative (SYI) Grant Program

Health Resources in Action (HRiA) is excited to announce that Supporting Youth at High Risk of Gun Violence Initiative (SYI) Grant Program is now accepting full grant proposals due August 29th, 2024.

This page will be updated with new resources, recordings of webinars, and FAQs throughout the RFP process (last updated 8/15 with the link to the information session recording)

Program Overview

The SYI grants program has one primary goal:

Atlanta neighborhoods deeply impacted by gun violence were also areas disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Community trauma is compounded in many of these neighborhoods, which have long been subjected to interpersonal violence, systemic or institutional neglect, and lack of economic and educational resources. Disinvestment of neighborhoods combined with distrust of city agencies have contributed to poor quality public spaces and an erosion of pride of place for residents. Reclaiming community empowerment to address local safety concerns, rebuild trust, address community trauma, and promote wellness, would help create a vibrant public realm centered in healing and resistance. By implementing the proposed violence reduction and prevention program (Youth Outreach and Life Coaching) focused on individual youth at greatest risk it is anticipated that local safety concerns, community trauma, and community wellness, will be positively addressed.

Specifically, this grant will support Youth Outreach and Life Coaching for eligible youth who are at high risk for gun violence, injury, and death.  It is important that proposers understand that this is a violence intervention effort, solely prevention efforts will not be funded.  To this end, eligible youth are specifically defined, geography is important and must be specifically defined, and organizations should have a track record of providing outreach or life coaching to these specifically defined priority populations.

Youth Outreach Organizations – HRiA wilt select approximately two to four (2-4) Community Organizations to identify seventy (70) youth (12-24 years) in the city of Atlanta who may potentially be at the highest risk for violent injury and death, based on law enforcement and criminal justice involvement. The selected organizations will perform directed outreach. The organizations best poised to perform effective outreach to youth at risk of violent injury and death are grassroots organizations.

Life Coaching – HRiA will select one to two community organizations that will provide trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy services to youth engaged through the Youth Outreach Organizations, see details.

Expected Grant Amounts:

• 2-4 youth outreach grants, total available funds $991, 869. 23
  • Approximately $247, 967 per organization
• 1-2 Life Coaching grants, total available funds $330,623.08
  • Approximately, $165,311 per organization

Duration:

September 30, 2024  – September 30, 2025

Eligibility

Georgia-based nonprofit organizations or groups with a 501(c)3 or a fiscal sponsor, that work in communities where there is a disproportionate impact of gun violence.

• Youth Outreach Organizations should currently conduct direct interventions that engages proven-risk individuals most likely to be directly impacted by gun violence.
• Life Coaching programming will utilize trained staff and certified clinicians to deliver life skills training through a trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapy curriculum such as Thinking for a Change (T4C) or other comparable intervention

Eligible youth are:

• 12 – 24 years old
• Reside in the City of Atlanta
• Have a history of arrest and/or involvement with law enforcement/gun violence

Proposers will be required to provide documentation that communicates eligibility for each young person served by the program, specifically individual documentation that supports eligibility and program participation.

Ineligible activities include:

• Capital expenditures
• Proposals by organizations that do not currently work in the violence prevention space
• Proposals focused on populations other than proven-risk individuals
• Proposals that solely outline existing activities with no programmatic or operational capacity-building element
• Proposals that focus on criminal justice-based or carceral approaches to gun violence

Assessment Criteria: Proposals will be assessed on project alignment and feasibility, organizational competency (including staff competency), and potential project impact.

Important Dates

Proposal due

Thursday, August 29^th

Information Sessions

Wednesday, August 14^th – ONLINE – 11am

Wednesday, August 14^th – In Person – 6pm

Watch the recording of our online information session here.

Office hours

This grants program, Supporting Youth at High Risk of Gun Violence, is supported by the City of Atlanta with ARPA funds.