Cuyahoga County will be handing out three $15,000 grants to community-based organizations working to reduce violence. The grants represent the first from the county’s new Office of Violence Prevention since it was established last May.

Supporting Local Organizations

A primary goal of that office is to help better fund and support organizations doing work on the ground, said Myesha Watkins, who was hired to lead the office starting last August. The county has a large ecosystem of local groups working to prevent violence. But many are small, cash-strapped nonprofits run by community members who often volunteer their own time to offer services.

Some employ street outreach workers who try to interrupt the cycle of retaliation. Other groups support young people in the criminal justice system and mentor young people in order to reduce the likelihood they engage in violent behavior.

Funding Challenges

Still, Watkins said that one-time $15,000 grants are not enough to solve the long-term funding challenges many organizations face. For perspective, Cleveland Peacemakers’ annual expenses ranged from around $730,000 to $900,000 in 2023 and 2024, according to a recent tax return.

Instead, Watkins hopes the investment can help existing groups scale up their programs. It can also show new groups that it’s possible to get paid for violence prevention work.

The county is paying for the three grants with COVID recovery dollars, which expire at the end of this year. The funding community groups receive has to be spent by the end of October.

Because of the quick turnaround, Watkins said the hope is that the county can fund existing projects and programs that can rapidly scale up.

The county does not yet have a way to continue funding community anti-violence groups after the COVID money expires. Watkins said she’s searching for federal and philanthropic dollars to fill in the gaps.

Original reporting: Signal Cleveland — read the source article.