Learn more about grants for violence prevention by exploring Inside Philanthropy’s list of top violence prevention funders below. Subscribers can also explore funders using our Grantfinder Search Tool. Become a member.
Key Funders
Blue Shield of CA Foundation
Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Funding Trends
Violence prevention has long been an underfunded area of philanthropy, but funding in this area is increasing, as high-profile social movements to end gun violence, gender-based violence, discrimination and police violence have drawn more attention to these issues. Since violence itself is deeply intertwined with other social issues, violence prevention inherently must be, too. This may be why “violence prevention” is not typically the name of a foundation program or funding portfolio. Instead, grantmaking for violence prevention tends to be housed within other portfolios, such as grants for criminal justice reform or grants for women and girls.
Grantmakers support conventional methods, such as services for survivors, and innovative, holistic approaches to violence prevention. Thanks to the powerful analysis put forth by grassroots movements — and amid a “tough on crime” backlash — some funders are stepping up their support for intersectional approaches to violence prevention, focusing not on punishment but on what actually creates safe communities. This means grants for things like restorative justice and healing justice programs, community development, programs for at-risk youth, alternatives to incarceration and services for the criminalized, and programs that address root causes of violence. Progressive funders especially are heeding the calls of grassroots movements to prioritize community-based solutions.
Some grantmakers approach violence prevention through the lens of public health, making grants for research, pilot programs, advocacy and addressing root causes of violence such as trauma and poverty.
Community foundations have historically provided the lion’s share of private funding for violence prevention, with locally focused programs that supplement government efforts. Legacy foundations and philanthropic LLCs are increasingly funding in this area through their criminal justice reform or racial justice portfolios.
There are also several collaborative funds working on violence prevention, including the California-focused Hope and Heal Fund and the national Fund for a Safer Future, both of which are focused on gun violence, and the Collective Future Fund, which supports organizations working to end patriarchal violence. Violence prevention work is also receiving support from racial-equity-focused funder collaboratives like the Black Girl Freedom Fund.
National / Multi-State Funders
ADOBE FOUNDATION
The Adobe Foundation awards grants supporting criminal justice and violence prevention initiatives around the United States.
ISABEL ALLENDE FOUNDATION
The Isabel Allende Foundation’s grants in this space focus on protecting girls, women and children from gender-based violence.
ALLIANCE FOR HOPE INTERNATIONAL
The main focus of the Alliance for Hope’s work is supporting organizations that serve victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
ALLSTATE FOUNDATION
The Allstate Foundation supports domestic violence organizations across the United States providing services to those in need and working to break the cycle of domestic violence.
ALPHAWOOD FOUNDATION
Alphawood has a dedicated program for domestic violence, which supports groups in Illinois and Indiana. As well, the foundation address some anti-violence work, and criminal justice reform through a separate program.
AMERICAN LEGION CHILD WELFARE FOUNDATION
The American Legion Child Welfare Foundation supports organizations ensuring the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being of children in the United States.
AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATION
The American Psychological Foundation grants support researchers investigating the connection between behavior and violence.
THE ASIAN AMERICAN FOUNDATION
The Asian American Foundation supports the Asian American and Pacific Islander community with grants for anti-hate, education, narrative change, and resources and representation initiatives.
AT&T FOUNDATION
The AT&T Foundation supports organizations that work to help local communities become safe places to live and work, predominately in the realm of domestic and gender-based violence.
SIDLEY AUSTIN FOUNDATION
The Sidley Austin Foundation supports violence prevention and anti-discrimination organizations across the United States.
BNSF RAILWAY FOUNDATION
The BNSF Railway Foundation’s violence prevention grants typically focus on women and children.
DAVID BOHNETT FOUNDATION
The David Bohnett Foundation supports U.S. organizations that address gun violence prevention.
OTTO BREMER TRUST
The Otto Bremer Trust awards violence prevention grants to organizations located in the upper Midwest region of the United States. Violence prevention work tends to center on domestic and sexual violence.
BROMLEY TRUST
Bromley addresses violence prevention through its human rights giving, which focuses on women, but funds an area of groups.
HOWARD G. BUFFETT FOUNDATION
Buffett’s international and national grantmaking in the violence prevention space are different, but are part of a two-prong approach.
CELANESE FOUNDATION
The Celanese Foundation invest in grantmaking that helps at-risk families grow and thrive across the United States.
CERES FOUNDATION
Ceres’s Family Strengthening program supports organizations and programs that prioritize domestic abuse, and “promote healthy parenting.”
CHANNEL FOUNDATION
While many of the foundation’s programs address preventing violence against women, the most prominent is the Ending Violence Against Women and Protecting Women Human Rights Defenders initiative.
CHILDREN’S INVESTMENT FUND FOUNDATION
The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation centers its human rights grantmaking on protecting vulnerable and underprivileged children.
CLARA LIONEL FOUNDATION
The Clara Lionel Foundation supports climate resilience, disaster relief, racial justice, global health, immigrants and refugees, and other issues of interest to the founder in the U.S., the Caribbean and other countries around the world, particularly in Africa.
DANPAUL FOUNDATION
The DanPaul Foundation’s violence prevention grantmaking focuses on protecting children.
DEVON CREEK FOUNDATION
The Devon Creek Foundation’s violence prevention related grants focus on conflict prevention, de-escalation and resolution.
DORIS DUKE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s grants in the violence prevention space center on protecting children from neglect and abuse.
EINHORN COLLABORATIVE
The Einhorn Collaborative seeks organizations with the ability to make meaningful and measurable progress over time. This funder also works collaboratively with its grantee partners. Violence prevention grants center on women and children, as well as increasing peace-building skills.
EMERGING MARKETS FOUNDATION (EMPOWER)
The EMpower Foundation prioritizes improving the lives of at-risk children and young people ages 10 to 24.
EQUALITY FUND
The Equality Fund awards grants to women-led organizations that fight for gender equality and the rights of women, LGBTQ+ and trans people living in the Global South.
FLUOR FOUNDATION
The Fluor Foundation’s violence prevention grants tend to focus on domestic violence.
FORD FOUNDATION
The Ford Foundation seeks organizations that protect the safety and well-being of all. Grantmaking related to violence prevention supports ending gender-based violence.
FRIDA: THE YOUNG FEMINIST FUND
FRIDA’s violence prevention grantmaking focuses on projects and programs that address gender-based violence.
FUND FOR A SAFER FUTURE
The Fund for a Safer Future seeks organizations that advocate for stronger policies to reduce gun violence and those which engage new donors to become involved in the anti-gun violence movement.
FUND FOR GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS
The Fund for Global Human Rights awards grants to organizations working in North Africa, Latin America, South Asia, Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa towards ending gender-based violence.
FUND FOR NONVIOLENCE
The Fund for Nonviolence supports organizations that address violence prevention, as well as ending militarism and war.
DAVID GEFFEN FOUNDATION
The David Geffen Foundation supports a wide range of gun violence prevention organizations across the United States.
GENERAL MOTORS FOUNDATION
The foundation broadly funds violence prevention organizations around the country.
GIRLS RIGHTS PROJECT
This funder’s violence prevention grants center entirely on preventing gender-based violence and discrimination.
GLOBAL FUND FOR CHILDREN
The Global Fund for Children supports organizations that protect a child’s right to grow up free of violence and exploitation.
GLOBAL FUND FOR WOMEN
The Global Fund for Women supports organizations that address women’s economic and political rights, as well as women and girls' right to be free from violence.
GRAINGER FOUNDATION
The Grainger Foundation mainly focuses its violence prevention grants on at-risk families and youth.
GREENBAUM FOUNDATION
The Greenbaum Foundation’s violence prevention grantmaking largely supports funding organizations that benefit women, children, combating modern day slavery and fighting against human trafficking.
GROVE FOUNDATION
The Grove Foundation’s grants related to violence prevention largely focus on human and civil rights. The foundation also supports anti-domestic violence organizations.
HARRY FRANK GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION
The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation awards research grants to individuals investigating violence interventions and prevention.
HEISING-SIMONS FOUNDATION
The Heising-Simons Foundation’s violence prevention grants prioritize women and girls, people involved in the criminal justice system and undocumented communities. It also addresses gun violence.
HIGHMARK FOUNDATION
The Highmark Foundation focuses its violence prevention grantmaking on anti-bullying and bullying prevention efforts.
HUMANITY UNITED
Humanity United, an offshoot of the Omidyar Group, makes grants for the prevention of human trafficking, peace-building and journalism. It also conducts its own policy development work in its areas of interest.
ROY A. HUNT FOUNDATION
The Roy A. Hunt supports organizations working with high- and at-risk youth and young adults.
JEWISH WOMEN INTERNATIONAL
Jewish Women International supports economic security for women, gender-based violence prevention and women’s leadership through its workshops and signature programs.
ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s violence prevent grants support a wide array of anti-violence programs and studies across the United States, particularly domestic violence and child abuse and exploitation.
JOYCE FOUNDATION
The Joyce Foundation awards criminal justice and violence prevention grants to organizations located in the Great Lakes region, including Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
JPMORGAN CHASE
The JP Morgan Chase Foundation supports local, regional, and national violence prevention organizations. Related violence prevention grants tends to center on domestic violence, child abuse prevention and gun violence prevention.
MARY KAY FOUNDATION
The Mary Kay Foundation focuses its crime and violence grantmaking on ending domestic violence against women and children.
W.K. KELLOGG FOUNDATION
This funder’s violence prevention-related grants often revolve around healing racial and social injustices and building safe neighborhoods.
KENDEDA FUND
The Kendeda Fund supports organizations that work to prevent gun violence at the local, state, and national levels.
KVINNA TILL KVINNA FOUNDATION
Of the foundation's six foci, its Gender-Based Violence supports global health concerns.
KRESGE FOUNDATION
The Kresge Foundation’s grants in this space are most often awarded to organizations serving those who are victims and survivors of domestic, family and dating violence.
JACOB AND VALERIA LANGELOTH FOUNDATION
The Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation supports gun violence prevention organizations working at the community level.
LAWRENCE FOUNDATION
The Lawrence Foundation prioritizes grassroots and local organizations in its grantmaking for violence prevention.
LEFKOFSKY FAMILY FOUNDATION
Lefkofsky grants for violence prevention stem from its human rights funding program and have focused mainly on preventing gun violence in the U.S.
LEON LEVY FOUNDATION
The Leon Levy Foundation awards violence prevention grants from a human rights perspective.
LEVINSON FOUNDATION
The Max and Anna Levinson Foundation seeks organizations fighting for justice for the most vulnerable and marginalized populations in the U.S. and abroad.
LIBRA FOUNDATION
The Libra Foundation awards grants to organizations fighting for social justice, promoting government accountability and advocating for drug policy reform, and gender-based violence.
MADRE
MADRE supports community-based efforts to end violence against women and girls in rural and indigenous communities around the world.
MAJESTIC REALTY FOUNDATION
Recent tax filings show that Majesty Realty supports law enforcement and crime prevention groups.
MARINEAU FAMILY FOUNDATION
The Marineau Family Foundation awards violence prevention grants to organizations working in San Francisco, California; Chicago, Illinois; and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Work addresses women and children.
MARY’S PENCE
Mary’s Pence seeks grassroots groups combating violence against women and girls.
MAXIMUS FOUNDATION
The MAXIMUS Foundation focuses its violence related grants on child abuse, domestic violence and family abuse.
BARBARA MCDOWELL AND GERALD S. HARTMAN FOUNDATION
This funder gives broadly to domestic violence causes. McDowell prioritizes “systemic type cases that will have an impact on a specific area of the law or a legal issue through the establishment of a legal precedent.”
MS. FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN
Ms.’s Safety program has recently expanded its focus from prioritizing support for ending child sexual abuse to a broader emphasis on the needs of women of color, women living in the south, and transgender women, all demographics of women “living with increased risk.”
NATIONWIDE FOUNDATION
The Nationwide Foundation awards grants to organizations that promote community safety and helping at-risk families and youth.
NASIRI FOUNDATION
The Nasiri Foundation prioritizes violence prevention organizations located in the San Francisco Bay area; however, it awards grants located across the country.
NORD FAMILY FOUNDATION
The Nord Family Foundation supports nonviolence organizations located within its geographic priorities; however, it does not support research programs.
NOVO FOUNDATION
The NoVo Foundation invests in organizations combating regressive policies against marginalized populations. Violence prevention work centers on domestic and gender violence.
OAK FOUNDATION
The Oak Foundation directs violence prevention grants toward programs involving children, women and human rights violations.
PRBB FOUNDATION
While the PRBB Foundation does not name specific interests for its women’s and girls’ grantmaking, many grants have addressed gender-based violence.
SIGRID RAUSING TRUST
The foundation makes grants for gender-based violence prevention and the prevention of torture and human rights abuses.
JOSEPH AND FLORENCE ROBLEE FOUNDATION
Though not a dedicated program, the foundation makes grants for gender-based violence through its grantmaking for female empowerment.
DOROTHEA HAUS ROSS FOUNDATION
This foundation’s grants for violence prevention center entirely on protecting vulnerable children who have been trafficked, exploited and/or abused.
DR. SCHOLL FOUNDATION
The Dr. Scholl Foundation supports violence prevention organizations around the country; however, organizations that are grantmaking entities themselves are not eligible for a Dr. Scholl Foundation grant.
SCHOONER FOUNDATION
The Schooner Foundation’s international grants focus on human rights, peace-building, global security, and economic opportunity.
SKEES FAMILY FOUNDATION
The Skees Family Foundation focuses its grantmaking related to violence on creating safer communities, youth crime and violence prevention and protecting children.
ALAN. B. SLIFKA FOUNDATION
This funder focuses its violence prevention grants largely on tolerance, understanding shared society principles and collaborative efforts concerning inter-group relations.
STEELE-REESE FOUNDATION
The Steele-Reese Foundation focuses its grantmaking related to criminal justice and violence prevention on creating safer communities, youth crime and violence prevention and protecting children.
IRVIN STERN FOUNDATION
The foundation funds anti-violence efforts across the U.S., and especially in the Chicago area.
LEVI STRAUSS FOUNDATION
The Levi Strauss Foundation’s grants in this space largely focus on discrimination and violence against people living with HIV/AIDS.
SUNFLOWER FOUNDATION
The Sunflower Foundation supports criminal justice and human rights initiatives in the United States and abroad.
SUNSHINE LADY FOUNDATION
Grants for violence prevention focusing on addressing domestic and gender-based violence.
TJX U.S. FOUNDATION
TJX U.S. Foundation’s giving related to violence prevention prioritizes domestic and sexual violence.
UBS OPTIMUS FOUNDATION
The UBS Optimus Foundation violence prevention grantmaking benefits children.
URGENT ACTION FUND FOR WOMEN’S HUMAN RIGHTS
Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights supports women and transgender human rights. This includes violence against both groups, civil rights, sexual violence, sex worker rights, and more.
VERIZON FOUNDATION
The Verizon Foundation violence prevention grants focus on domestic violence in the United States.
VODAFONE AMERICAS FOUNDATION
Vodafone has a variety of opportunities, both funding and otherwise, for gender-based violence. It even developed apps to help connect women and girls to resources meant to keep them safe.
HARRY AND JEANETTE WEINBERG FOUNDATION
The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg supports programs helping individuals and families who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and other types of abuse.
WEYERHAEUSER FAMILY FOUNDATION
The Weyerhaeuser Foundation seeks organizations that help girls, women and families overcome poverty and violence.
WOODFOREST CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
Woodforest’s grantmaking for violence prevention has tapered off in recent years as the foundation has shifted its focus to hunger alleviation.
WUNDERKINDER FOUNDATION
The Wunderkinder Foundation supports violence prevention organizations located in the United States.
