MADISON, WISCONSIN — Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Office of Violence Prevention (WOVP) have introduced a major new grant program aimed at tackling crime, school violence, and community trauma across the state. The initiative, backed by nearly $10 million in federal funding, will support school districts and organizations focused on preventing violence, addressing gun safety, and protecting children.
Grant Program Created After Statewide Call for Youth Safety
The Office of Violence Prevention was created earlier this year after Gov. Evers declared 2025 “The Year of the Kid,” following a school shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison. The new grant program expands statewide resources for schools, law enforcement agencies, nonprofits, firearm retailers, and domestic-violence support organizations.
Though Gov. Evers previously sought long-term state funding for WOVP and gun-safety initiatives in the 2025–27 Executive Budget, the Wisconsin Legislature rejected those proposals, leaving federal dollars to anchor the launch of the program.
Evers: “These investments are critical to breaking cycles of violence”
Gov. Evers emphasized that safety efforts must be community-driven and coordinated across sectors:
“There is much work we can do to help stop violence wherever and whenever it happens — that’s work we must all do together,” Evers said. “These grants will work to address the cycles of violence and crime that traumatize kids, families, and our communities by providing critical, on-the-ground support for our schools, organizations working to help domestic violence survivors, law enforcement, and firearm retailers.”…