The Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention (OFSVP) is seeking proposals to improve public health and safety through effective firearm violence reduction initiatives.
Donor Name: Washington State Department of Commerce
State: Washington
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/07/2026
Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
Target communities must be disproportionately affected by firearm violence. Successful applicants should use evidence-based and evidence-informed violence intervention strategies that are culturally relevant and community-led.
The community intervention grants will support local communities with evidence-based, culturally relevant, and community-led firearm violence intervention strategies. Programs will prioritize youth and young adults at high risk of firearm violence in areas with high rates of such incidents. The grant funds aim to assist those most likely to perpetrate or be victims of firearm violence.
Community Violence Intervention (CVI) programs focus on individuals most at risk of firearm violence. Factors include easy firearm access, income inequality, poverty, inadequate housing and public services, underperforming schools, and homelessness. CVI uses a public health approach tailored to community needs. Gun violence predominantly affects under-resourced neighborhoods and disproportionately impacts Black and Hispanic/Latino communities. Effective strategies require reliable data and collaboration between community-based organizations, public health and government to address the root causes of gun violence.
Objectives
Proposals must demonstrate the Proposer’s ability to implement or expand upon one of the community violence intervention (CVI) evidence-based strategies as identified below:
- Fellowships: Structured mentorship programs that typically include life coaching and healing centered relationships with credible messengers (individuals in the community with prior lived experiences like those they serve and may additionally include conflict mediation and street outreach.
- Victim Services: Hospital-Based Violence Intervention (HVIP) – Victim service programs include wrap-around case management services for victims of community violence and their families.
- Violence Interruption – Primarily focused on identifying and interrupting conflict through street outreach and mediation
- Behavioral Science Interventions: Prioritize using behavioral therapy (e.g. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) to support positive behavior change and emotion regulation
- Enforcement Strategies: Direct engagement strategies between law enforcement and community partners with a focus on imposing direct, focused and predictable consequences for violent acts for specific individuals and groups, while simultaneously increasing access to social services and supports.
Funding Information
Funding will not exceed $8 million. OFSVP intends to award multiple grants using a two-category system.
- Category 1: For proposals from a single organization serving one area, grants are available for up to $400,000 total. There is a maximum of $200,000 each year.
- Category 2: For joint proposals from multiple organizations serving multiple areas, grants are available for up to $800,000 total. There is a maximum of $400,000 each year.
Grant Period
18 February 2026 to 30 June 2027.
Eligibility Criteria
- This Request for Proposals (RFP) is an open, competitive process that is open to WA local city and county government, law enforcement agencies, public health agencies, tribes and community-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.
- For-profit organizations and other businesses or organizations are NOT eligible applicants.
For more information, visit Department of Commerce.
