President Preckwinkle Announces $20 Million Investment in Community Violence Intervention to Strengthen Community Safety

(Cook County, IL) Today, President Preckwinkle was joined by the Cook County Justice Advisory Council (JAC), community leaders and non-profit organizations to recognize Gun Violence Awareness Month and announce $20 million in funding for Community Violence Intervention services in Cook County.

The event celebrated $5 million awarded to community organizations under the Cook County Community Violence Intervention grant initiative (CC-CVI) and $15 million for a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) 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 (GASC). Comprised 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 GASC 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 CC-CVI 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 CVI saw the steepest community safety gains. These findings point to the positive impact of CVI in local communities.

“Sustained investment in effective violence reduction strategies like CVI is critical to maintaining community safety gains,” said Avik Das, Executive Director of the JAC. “Along with our partners at the City and State, we are closely monitoring community safety data and talking to the people and organizations closest to ongoing violence to ensure our community safety investment strategy can make the greatest impact.”

"Our program integrates street outreach, case management, employment support and victim services to address both immediate crises and underlying causes of involvement in violence," said Lisa Ramsey Executive Director of the St. Sabina Employment Resource Center. "With the support of the Cook County Community Violence Intervention grant, we are better able to meet the need in the communities we serve. Strong partnerships between government and community are critical to reducing violence and we are grateful for the ongoing collaboration."

Notice of Funding Opportunity 

The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announced today will provide up to $15 million in Cook County funding to community-based non-profit organizations that provide eligible CVI services in Chicago and Suburban Cook County. CVI services required by this NOFO include street outreach and intervention, case management and victim services. 

Key Dates:

• Thursday, June 25, 2026, 11:00am – 12:00pm: Virtual Information Session
• Wednesday, July 1, 2026 – Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) release and applications open
• Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 12:00pm – 1:00pm: Virtual Pre-Submittal Conference
• Monday, August 3, 2026, 5:00pm Central: 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, 2026 at 5:00pm CT. Questions and answers will be published on July 20, 2026. 

For more information and to apply for the CC-CVI grant opportunity, visit CookCountyIL.gov/JACGrants