The Shannon Community Safety Initiative (CSI) is a statewide program administered by the Office of Grants and Research (OGR), a division of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) in Massachusetts. It is established under Chapter 126 of the Massachusetts Acts of 2025 and authorized through state funding for State Fiscal Year 2026. The Shannon CSI Grant Program incorporates the key components of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s Comprehensive Gang Model, supporting multi-disciplinary regional approaches to reduce gang and youth violence through coordinated efforts in prevention, intervention, law enforcement, prosecution, and reintegration.
The program emphasizes five key strategies: social intervention, suppression, opportunity provision, organizational change, and community mobilization. Applicants are expected to implement comprehensive, evidence-based strategies that respond to localized gang violence data, focusing on at-risk youth between the ages of 10–24 who reside in high-risk or hotspot areas and are either at-risk of or currently involved in gang activity. Preference is given to applications that show a commitment to multi-jurisdictional and regional collaboration and demonstrate use of statistical data to identify and respond to community needs.
Eligible applicants must be municipal entities that can serve as the fiscal agent for a collaborative, multi-agency approach. Multiple municipalities may apply as a regional group, provided one serves as the lead applicant. Collaborating partners may include municipal and state law enforcement, nonprofit community-based organizations, and agencies such as District Attorney’s Offices, Probation, Parole, Department of Youth Services, and Sheriff’s Offices. However, State Police are not eligible to receive funding directly, although they may participate in the collaborative efforts.
The anticipated grant period runs from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026. Applicants must submit their complete online application by 4:00 p.m. on September 26, 2025. The AGF was posted on August 15, 2025, and OGR will accept questions until September 5, 2025. Responses to all submitted questions will be made available no later than September 10, 2025. Awards are expected to be announced in November or December 2025.
A 25% matching contribution is strongly encouraged, either from municipal or private sources. To calculate the match, applicants divide their requested amount by three. The grant explicitly prohibits supplanting of existing state or local funding and requires compliance with procurement laws, including M.G.L. Ch. 30B for municipalities and nonprofit agencies. Subrecipients must abide by OGR's standard grant conditions and submit all necessary reports, including progress, financial, and crime reporting data. Sites must maintain an active steering committee and appoint a site program director responsible for coordination and communication with OGR and partners.
Applications must include a detailed Gang Violence Problem Statement, proposed strategy, budget justification, partner selection documentation, and letters of collaboration. Evaluations will be based on a 100-point scoring system with emphasis on strategy, evidence-based practices, regional collaboration, past performance, and budget alignment. Submissions must include all required attachments uploaded via the online application system. Emailed or hard copy submissions will not be accepted. For application-related inquiries, applicants may contact Emily Fontaine at emily.fontaine@mass.gov.
