Greeting,
I need help developing a situational analysis to support the following: 08/27/2024
Shakitha Leavy
Capstone Situation Analysis : Suggested Revisions
Project Title: Establishing a Community-Based Organization Incubator to Strengthen Grassroots CVI Efforts
Advisor: Kheperah Kearse
Recap of the Issue
Grassroots Community Violence Intervention (CVI) organizations in Wards 7 and 8 of Washington, D.C., are destabilized by chronic underfunding, administrative barriers, and political unpredictability. This instability threatens the sustainability of culturally grounded violence prevention programs, which have historically been the most effective tools for building long-term safety and reducing violence. Without stable investment and organizational support, these frontline groups risk collapse, leading to increased gun violence and erosion of community trust. Communities most directly impacted include Black residents in Wards 7 and 8, where gun violence, shorter life expectancy, and higher infant mortality rates are compounded by systemic disinvestment.
Relevant Information & Causes
The under-resourcing of grassroots CVI organizations is driven by direct, indirect, and systemic causes:
- Direct Causes (5 Whys applied):
- Limited funding access due to complex grant processes and lack of administrative support.
- Federal funding cuts, including the Department of Justice revoking $158 million in 2025.
- Political interventions that enable executive rollbacks of congressionally approved funds.
- Local governance challenges, including scandals such as the Women in H.E.E.L.S. Inc. cash misappropriation, which undermine credibility.
- Inefficient governance structures between Cure the Streets and ONSE, which cause duplication and accountability gaps.
- Underlying/Systemic Causes:
- Organizational readiness barriers. Many grassroots CVI organizations lack the technical skills and infrastructure to compete for or manage grants effectively. Limited capacity in grant writing, budgeting, compliance, and data management means that even when funds are available, smaller organizations struggle to access or sustain them. This lack of technical assistance and tailored training leaves them underprepared to meet funder expectations.
- Misalignment with funder priorities. Grassroots CVI groups often find it difficult to frame their community-rooted approaches in ways that align with the language and metrics funders prioritize. This creates inequities where larger, professionalized nonprofits secure funds more easily while community-based groups are left behind.
- Cultural gaps in capacity-building. Traditional technical assistance often fails to reflect the lived realities of CVI leaders, leaving them without culturally relevant support structures. As a result, even when training exists, it may not equip leaders with tools that resonate with their context.
- Downstream effects. Underinvestment and under-preparedness result in mission drift, burnout, and weakened organizational sustainability. The cycle stifles high-impact grassroots leaders and undermines the broader public safety ecosystem.
- Systemic racism and socioeconomic inequality. Structural inequities in Wards 7 and 8 perpetuate shorter life expectancy, higher infant mortality, and limited infrastructure, all of which exacerbate community violence and intensify the burden on CVI organizations.
Past, Current, and Planned Strategies
- Current Programs: D.C. operates two major CVI initiatives: Cure the Streets (Attorney General) and the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE). Both deploy credible messengers and outreach professionals to mediate conflict, prevent retaliation, and connect at-risk individuals to jobs, mentoring, and services.
- Funding Sources: CVI has been supported by DOJ’s Community-Based Violence Intervention & Prevention Initiative (CVIPI), ONSE Empowering Communities awards, and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Advocacy groups such as GIFFORDS have championed these investments.
- Evidence of Impact: Some ONSE-monitored communities showed reductions or stabilization in violent crime in 2023. National studies suggest CVI can reduce homicides by up to 60%.
- Gaps: Funding fragility undermines long-term planning, with abrupt federal cuts in 2025 threatening program continuity. Duplication between Cure the Streets and ONSE creates inefficiencies. Scandals such as WIH embezzlement damaged trust. Smaller grassroots organizations often lack capacity to meet compliance requirements. Structural inequities in Wards 7 and 8 mean CVI must also shoulder the burden of health, housing, and workforce gaps.
Opportunities for Intervention
There are several leverage points for strengthening Washington, D.C.’s CVI ecosystem:
- Governance Reform and Oversight: Consolidating Cure the Streets and ONSE under a unified framework could reduce duplication, improve accountability, and enhance coordination. A community-led advisory board—including grassroots leaders, scholars, and funders—could ensure transparency and evidence-based decision-making.
- Sustainable Funding Models: Beyond restoring federal CVI funds through advocacy and legal action, local appropriations and philanthropic-public partnerships are needed to insulate CVI programs from political fluctuations. Dedicated multi-year funding streams would stabilize organizations and prevent abrupt layoffs.
- Capacity-Building for Grassroots Organizations: Addressing gaps in grant writing, compliance, and reporting readiness through targeted technical assistance could strengthen small organizations’ ability to compete for and manage funds. Equity-focused training and mentorship are especially important for culturally grounded groups that have historically been excluded from mainstream funding systems.
- Data-Driven Evaluation and Transparency: Expanding ONSE’s monitoring to include longitudinal studies, independent reviews, and community feedback would strengthen credibility. Sharing both successes and failures would allow replication of effective practices.
- Integration with Broader Support Systems: Embedding CVI within trauma-informed mental health services, workforce development, education pathways, and housing initiatives would reduce burdens on frontline staff. Models like Philadelphia’s Healing Hurt People, which leverages Medicaid for post-injury intervention, could be adapted to D.C. for sustainable funding.
References
Flowers, B. (2025). Exclusive: Trump administration slashed federal funding for gun violence prevention. Reuters.
Gathright, J., & Flynn, M. (2025). D.C. lawmaker’s “peace plan” would merge dual anti-violence programs. The Washington Post.
Moreno, J. S. (2025). DOJ must restore life-saving grants to community violence intervention; congress has a duty to act. Friends Committee on National Legislation.
