RPSA Community Convener

The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), under the Office of Community and Positive Youth Development (OCPYD), offers funding through the Reimagine Public Safety Act (RPSA) Community Convener program to support communities disproportionately impacted by firearm violence. The program focuses on fostering community collaboration, reducing firearm violence, and improving community outcomes by funding nonprofit organizations and other eligible entities to coordinate services, mobilize resources, and develop community-specific Safety Action Plans. The funding supports evidence-based strategies and trauma-informed approaches to violence prevention. The grant is part of a larger effort under the Reimagine Public Safety Act and includes activities such as establishing Community Response and Engagement Workgroups (CREWs), hosting emergency convenings to address mass violence or shootings, and managing emergency victim funds. Funded organizations are tasked with creating and implementing community-specific annual safety action plans that outline revitalization recommendations to reduce violence and promote equity and racial justice.