Check out the latest insights from our program team and grantees.
Grantees

Fresh Energy: A Midwest Climate Advocacy Leader
Minnesota-based Fresh Energy has been a leader in climate advocacy for more than 30 years, playing a significant role in what it calls “speeding Minnesota and the Midwest’s transition to a clean energy economy.”
Grantee
Fresh Energy
Ron OJ Parson
Acclaimed director/actor Ron OJ Parson is in a season of radical reflection. In a 50-year career that most creatives dream of, Parson has become one of the nation’s pre-eminent theater directors. Learn more about his work here.

We the People of Detroit
We the People of Detroit is a grantee partner of Joyce’s Environment Program. Learn more about the organization here.

They Got NEXT — Chicago Sinfonietta Celebrates 35 Years
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chicago Sinfonietta, like so many organizations, was forced to reimagine itself, pivoting programming and performances to a fully virtual space.
Grantee
Chicago Sinfonietta

Congo Square Play Promotes Healing, Catharsis in Chicago
Congo Square Theatre is an ensemble dedicated to producing transformative work rooted in the African Diaspora. For 20 years it has committed to telling stories by and for Black people.
Grantee
Congo Square Theatre Company

Building collective power through research
Black Researchers Collective was founded in 2019 with a mission to train and equip communities with the research tools necessary to be more civically engaged and policy informed.
Grantee
Black Researchers Collective
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Toward a Fair and Just Response to Gun Violence: Recommendations to Advance Policy, Practice and Research
Report with recommendations to advance policy, practice and research by a group of experts convened by the Joyce Foundation beginning in 2019 under the banner “Toward a Fair and Just Response to Gun Violence.”
Landmark Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to reduce gun violence
The Joyce Foundation applauds the bipartisan effort to pass the Safer Communities Act, which brings us closer to the safer America we all seek and deserve.

The Foundation's statement on the Bruen case ruling
The Supreme Court’s ruling today in the Bruen case will make communities across America less safe. A large and growing body of evidence demonstrates that the mere presence of a firearm increases the risk of injury and death.
Checking the facts on “red flag laws”
The latest research into “red flag laws” and other gun safety measures was highlighted at a recent webinar series for journalists produced by the Poynter Institute for Media Studies and its PolitiFact fact-checking arm.

Examining the Rise of Armed Extremists and Militias in Michigan
Recent political violence issues have been on the rise in the U.S. During this webinar, panelists discussed these trends, their implications on democratic institutions specifically in Michigan, and what policy makers might be poised to do about it.

Chicago violence prevention leader joins Justice Department as senior adviser
READI Chicago Director Eddie Bocanegra Joins Justice Department as Senior Adviser
Grantee
Heartland Alliance
What Makes Funder Collaboratives Work? The Fund for a Safer Future Looks Back on Its First Decade
By Tim Daly and Scott Moyer discuss the impact and success of the Fund for Safer Future that was established in 2011.
Source
Inside Philanthropy
The current state of the Chicago police consent decree
A discussion on the court ordered consent decree that included an update from independent monitor Maggie Hickey, and a panel discussion with Cara Hendrickson, Ghian Foreman, Robert Boik, and Garien Gatewood (moderator).
Gun violence prevention research “starting to find its footing”
As gun violence surges across the nation, the scientific journal Nature reports that researchers finally are beginning to “have the money to ask why.”
$600m Needed for Gun Violence Research: Report
According to a joint report prepared for Arnold Ventures and the Joyce Foundation, gun violence research remains underfunded. The federal government needs to spend around $600m over five years for research and data infrastructure improvements recommended.
Source
The Crime Report
Joyce joins violence intervention collaborative
The Foundation is proud to join its philanthropic peers in supporting the Community Violence Intervention Collaborative, aimed at strengthening and expanding community-led, evidence-based violence intervention strategies in in 15 jurisdictions.
Firearms fix
Saving lives by stemming gun violence is the goal of a new law in Illinois that will strengthen background checks, shore up the state’s outdated gun-license system, and invest in mental health services for impacted communities.
Who bought guns during the pandemic
Foundation-funded research is turning a spotlight on a protracted gun-buying surge by Americans, which accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For 25 years, building the case for keeping us safe
For more than a quarter century, researchers at Johns Hopkins University have built a global reputation for pursuing data and policy to reduce gun violence. The team marked its 25th anniversary this year in 2021.
Federal funds for violence prevention
Akron, Ohio, is among cities planning to use federal stimulus dollars for violence prevention initiatives. Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan said he intended to use “significant resources" from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARP) to combat gun violence.
New Survey Sheds Light on Americans’ 2nd Amendment Views
In 2008, a divided U.S. Supreme Court decided in District of Columbia v. Heller that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep a handgun in the home for self-defense.