End Community Violence Now

Mark your calendars! 📅✨ The 2nd Annual CVI Summit is officially returning to Delaware State University on October 13, 2026.

This Summit is the space where our community, including survivors, frontline advocates, and healthcare experts, comes together to look at what’s working and build a strategic path forward to reduce gun violence across Delaware.

We want to hear from you! As we map out our workshop tracks, panel discussions, and keynotes, we want to know: What topics, strategies, or community needs should we make sure to include this year? 👇

Sustained violence intervention requires sustained funding. 🤝

We are grateful to announce new grant investments that will help ECVN continue to strengthen Delaware's violence intervention ecosystem!

Thank you to our funding partners for your continued investment in safer, healthier communities across Delaware: Healthy Communities Delaware, Jessie Ball duPont Fund, Kenny Family Foundation, and Welfare Foundation. Your support makes this work possible.

These philanthropic investments allow us to provide resources to the grassroots leaders out there on the ground.

Together, we are building a foundation that lasts.

Last month, members of the ECVN Board and Advisory Board joined us in celebrating our Executive Director, Dr. Lauren J. Footman, who was recognized by the Delaware Business Times as the 2026 Small Nonprofit CEO of the Year.

We are especially grateful to Board Vice Chair Renata B. Kowalczyk, Board Secretary Tynetta Brown, and Advisory Board Member Jalyn Powell for their leadership, partnership, and unwavering support. Their presence reflected the collective commitment of our Board and Advisory Board to advancing community violence intervention across Delaware.

While this recognition honors Dr. Footman, it also celebrates the collaborative work of our Board, Advisory Board, grassroots partners, funders, credible messengers, and public-sector partners. Together, we are building a national model for sustainable, community-led public safety.

The 153rd General Assembly has adjourned.

This session established Delaware's Office of Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety in law—an important step toward building a coordinated statewide approach to public safety.

However, the FY27 State Budget does not include dedicated funding for community-based violence intervention.

Communities across Delaware continue to rely on neighborhood-based organizations that prevent violence, support survivors, connect residents to opportunities, and strengthen community safety every day. Sustainable public investment is essential for these efforts to reach more people and have lasting impact.

Legislative session may be over, but the conversation is not.

Summer recess is an opportunity to engage your elected officials and share why community-based violence intervention matters. Explore ECVN's Community-Based Violence Intervention Toolkit and Investment Report to learn more and help inform the discussion.

Together, we can continue building a safer Delaware.

Still hopeful that an allocation will be explicitly made for community violence intervention efforts across the state.

Codifying Offices of Violence Prevention without the staffing, funding, and authority to act creates the expectation of impact without providing the resources to achieve it.

Communities don't need symbolic victories. They need sustained investments in community violence intervention, credible messengers, hospital-based violence intervention, youth opportunities, victim services, and the local organizations doing this work every day.

The legislative session may be ending, but gun violence isn't taking a recess.

Delaware deserves more than offices that exist on paper. We deserve the resources to save lives.



Matt Meyer lgkyleevansgay Mara Gorman Senator Tizzy Lockman Dave Sokola Delaware Legislative Black Caucus Nnamdi Chukwuocha Franklin Cooke

Thoughts and prayers comfort communities after tragedy. Investments in Community Violence Intervention help prevent the next one. With only days left in Delaware's legislative session, lawmakers still have time to choose action over inaction. Fund Community Violence Intervention. Save lives.

We are honored to share that our Executive Director, Dr. Lauren J. Footman, EdD, has been named the 2026 Small Nonprofit CEO of the Year by the Delaware Business Times! 🏆

Thank you to the Delaware Business Times for highlighting the importance of Community Violence Intervention.

📸Delaware Business Times

⏳ THE CLOCK IS TICKING! You have until June 30th at 11:59 PM to submit your application for the Grassroots CVI Fellowship Grant.

Don’t miss your chance for up to $25k in funding and a year of technical assistance to strengthen your organization.

Let's build a safer Delaware, together.

🔗 Apply now: https://ecvndelaware.org/grants/grassroots-community-violence-intervention-fellowship-grant/