onePULSE Foundation Among 43 National Grant Recipients by the Department of Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the award of 43 grants September 16, totaling $20 million, under the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22). onePULSE Foundation, one of the FY22 recipients, was awarded $247,900 to bolster its anti-hate educational programs.

The grant program also works to help prevent incidents of domestic violent extremism, as well as to support efforts to counter online radicalization and mobilization to violence.

Pulse Museum Exterior

“We are honored to receive the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant from the Department of Homeland Security as it will help us increase national awareness of our onePULSE Academy educational programming that inspires, engages and activates individuals, groups and communities to advocate for change,” said Deborah Bowie, executive director of onePULSE Foundation.

Pulse Museum Interior

“The Pulse tragedy is the worst terrorist attack in the US since 9/11, and the deadliest act of violence against the LGBTQIA+ community in US history,” said Earl Crittenden, chairman of the onePULSE Foundation Board of Trustees. “Our educational programs promote acceptance and inclusion, and our online education hub will create a safe learning environment while providing knowledge and information on social issues relating to many marginalized communities.”

Orlando Health Survivors Walk

The Foundation’s educational outreach programming was selected specifically for its focus of spreading messages of “love not hate” nationwide, virtually and through targeted program delivery. In total, the FY22 grants will provide resources to local communities – including state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, nonprofits, and institutions of higher education to strengthen or enhance existing capabilities, or establish them where they don’t exist.

National Pulse Memorial during the day

Administered by the DHS Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), this prevention program is the only federal grant program solely dedicated to helping local communities improve and strengthen their capabilities in this area. The 11 TVTP awards were granted to organizations that work with underserved populations that are often the targets of attacks, including two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and two organizations serving the LGBTQ+ community. Other grantees focus on expanding the reach of this program into small and mid-sized communities.

National Pulse Memorial at night

“Working in partnership with one another is how we best prevent acts of terrorism and targeted violence,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Through the grant awards we are announcing today, we are equipping local communities and organizations — including those historically underserved — with needed resources so they can become more effective partners, strengthen our security, and help the American people feel safe and secure in our daily lives.”

National Pulse Memorial & Museum

About the process

DHS encouraged applications from diverse groups, conducting extensive outreach to a variety of public and non-profit sectors. This year, DHS added two new priorities: Implementing Prevention Capabilities in Small and Mid-Sized Communities; and Advancing Equity in Awards and Engaging Underserved Communities in Prevention.  DHS received a significantly larger number of applications from underserved communities this year and was able to make 25% of its awards to entities that will enhance prevention in these communities (compared to 16% of awards last year).

History

Launched in 2020, the TVTP grant program supports the efforts of 88 organizations working to prevent violence in 32 states with $50 million in awards. Previous grantees include:

• Arizona State University McCain Institute (Arizona)
• Chatham County (Georgia)
• Boise State University (Idaho)
• Kentucky Office of Homeland Security (Kentucky)
• Missouri State University (Missouri)
• North Dakota Department of Emergency Services (NDDES), (North Dakota)
• Boston Children’s Hospital (Massachusetts)
• University of Central Oklahoma
• University of Texas at El Paso (Texas)
• Cure Violence Global (Illinois/Oregon)
• National Governors Association (National)

For more information, including a full list of grant awards, please see https://www.dhs.gov/tvtpgrants.

onePULSE Foundation is the official 501(c)(3) nonprofit incorporated to manage the design and construction of the permanent national memorial and museum dedicated to the PULSE tragedy. 

onePULSE’s mission is to create and support a national memorial that opens hearts, a museum that opens minds, educational programs that open eyes and legacy scholarships that open doors. Its vision is to establish a sanctuary of healing and a beacon of hope by memorializing the lives taken, the lives saved, and all the lives affected by the Pulse nightclub tragedy of June 12, 2016 – ensuring Pulse’s legacy of love lives on forever. For more information, visit https://onePULSEfoundation.org/.