On Wednesday, June 17, Cook County, community leaders and non-profit organizations recognized Gun Violence Awareness Month and announced $20 million in funding for Community Violence Intervention services.
The event celebrated $5 million awarded to community organizations under the Cook County Community Violence Intervention grant initiative and $15 million for a Notice of Funding Opportunity for Community Violence Intervention services in 2026.
“The progress we have made shows that violence is not inevitable and that meaningful change is possible when we invest in communities,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. “CVI is an evidence-backed, community-led strategy that helps break cycles of violence. Our goal is not simply to reduce violence today, it’s to build safer, healthier communities for generations to come.”
The $20 million investment is part of Cook County’s commitment to fund community violence intervention services as a member of the Government Alliance for Safe Communities.
Composed of leadership from funding agencies at the State of Illinois, Cook County and the City of Chicago, the GASC was formed in 2021 to maximize the impact of public funding and strengthen the local community safety ecosystem. The alliance has partnered with the philanthropic, non-profit and business communities to help sustain CVI programming in the greater Chicago region.
Over the last four years, Cook County has seen a significant decline in gun violence, with gun homicides decreasing by over 30% in 2025 and by over 50% since 2021. Building on prior investments under the violence intervention initiative, the $20 million investment is designed to help protect community safety gains by filling gaps in funding and increasing access to services.
A 2025 analysis done by the Center for Neighborhood Engaged Research at Northwestern University demonstrated that communities with the highest rates of public investment in intervention saw the steepest community safety gains.
Funding will be awarded to community-based non-profit organizations that provide eligible violence intervention services in Chicago and suburban Cook County. Services required by this notice include street outreach and intervention, case management and victim services.
Key dates:
- Thursday, June 25, 11 a.m.: Virtual Information Session.
- Wednesday, July 1: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) release and applications open.
- Wednesday, July 8, noon: virtual pre-submittal conference.
- Monday, Aug. 3, 5 p.m.: applications close.
The virtual information session, hosted by the JAC, will provide prospective applicants with an overview of the funding opportunity including eligibility criteria and application guidelines. The Pre-submittal Conference will offer additional details and include a question and answer session. Prospective applicants may submit questions through July 15 at 5 p.m. Questions and answers will be published on July 20.
For more information and to apply for the CC-CVI grant opportunity, visit CookCountyIL.gov/JACGrants.
