Mayor John Cooper is calling on local organizations to join a $3 million community safety initiative, which he created to take proven, grassroots violence reduction strategies to even more of Nashville’s neighborhoods.
Eligible nonprofits can now apply for Opportunity Grants of up to $5,000 as Metro Nashville disburses up to $150,000 from a newly created Community Safety Partnership (CSP) Fund.
Mayor Cooper launched the fund in March.
“Community safety requires a community effort,” Mayor Cooper said. “This work takes all of us, supporting one another and learning from each other. And it takes Metro government, championing that response and investing in the strategies that work best for our neighborhoods.”
Eleven Nashvillians, who serve on the mayor’s Community Safety Partnership Advisory Board, will make grant award recommendations to Metro Council in July and August.
They will work alongside Ron Johnson, who the mayor named as Nashville’s first Community Safety Coordinator earlier this year.
Johnson, a veteran coalition builder and violence prevention expert, leads the mayor’s community safety efforts as he collaborates with neighborhood groups and Metro Nashville Police.
How The Grant Process Will Work
The design of the first grant round reflects Metro ordinances that require nonprofits to have a certified audit for the most recent fiscal year in order to receive a city grant of $5,000 or more.
“This first round of funding is intended to support grassroots organizations working to enhance community safety and reduce violence,” said Sharon Roberson. Roberson, president and CEO of YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee, leads the CSP advisory board and served as a committee vice-chair for Mayor Cooper’s Policing Policy Commission.
More Funding On the Way
Meanwhile, organizations with an audit can apply for larger Implementation Grants when that round opens next month.
“The Community Safety Partnership represents a proactive investment in the safety and future of Nashville by helping to strengthen people and groups who have already proven to be effective in making a positive impact in our community,” said Chris Jackson, senior pastor at Pleasant Green Baptist Church, president of the Interdenominational Ministers Fellowship and CSP advisory board member.
Additionally, Metro Council on June 15 voted to add $1 million to the Community Safety Partnership Fund to support a $1 million Cure Violence pilot program in North Nashville.
Applications for both the Implementation Grants and the Cure Violence pilot program will be posted on hubNashville in July.
“Investing in and supporting the groups on the front lines of creating community-based solutions for violence reduction will make our city safer,” said Metro Councilmember Jennifer Gamble. Gamble chairs the Council’s public safety committee and is a member of the CSP advisory board.
To learn more and apply for CSP grants: go to hub.Nashville.gov.