La Salle University graduate leads the fight against gun violence in Northwest Philadelphia

In October 2023, Siani Butler, '22, MBA '23, community program developer for The Nonprofit Center at La Salle University, launched the Northwest Philly Technical Assistance Program (NW Philly TAP) with a clear goal: helping local organizations combat gun violence to help in northwest Philadelphia. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the program, in collaboration with the La Salle University Nonprofit Center and the Penn Injury Science Center, provides critical resources, advice and support to community-based organizations. By equipping these groups with tools to improve their anti-violence work, NW Philly TAP helps them collaborate and find better ways to serve their communities. This program directly impacts how organizations combat gun violence in the region and build stronger, sustainable partnerships for the future.

Eleven organizations were selected to participate, including Men Who Care of Germantown, EMIR Healing Center, Tioga United and others. These organizations received free consulting services, technical support, and a $2,000 stipend for participation. What was special about this program was its emphasis on co-creation, with the organizations themselves helping to determine the topics of the required workshops.

The workshops were led by La Salle faculty, including Ro Washington, Director of Partnerships at the Nonprofit Center at La Salle, Director of Student Support and Equity, and Lecturer, Master of Public Health Program Serita Reels, Ed.D, MPH, MCHES, Ph. D. Caitlyn Taylor, associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice and Ph.D. Kara Wentworth, executive director of the Nonprofit Center at La Salle University. The sessions were tailored to the challenges faced by these organizations. This collaborative approach not only made the workshops more relevant, but also built a network of mutual support among participants.

In June 2024, the first major milestone was a mixer at La Salle's Founders Hall, where participating organizations met with local donors and government officials. The goal was simple: to build connections that could lead to real collaboration to combat gun violence. The success of this event led to a call for a second mixer with more participants and donors.

“I joined the project in August and my first task was to organize the second mixer, which took place on September 19th at the Belfield Recreation Center,” said Ivy-yon Jackson, '24. “It brought together community organizations, funders and stakeholders such as the Office of Safe Neighborhoods, the Pennsylvania Senate and the Young Artist Program.”

The September Mixer was designed to bring nonprofit leaders and funders together to talk, share ideas, and plan how we can work together to combat gun violence. Activities included an icebreaker to spark conversations about community service, followed by an organizational mapping exercise that examined the causes of gun violence and the measures to combat it. The final activity focused on collaboration, with participants brainstorming in small groups about how to combine their resources and skills. By the end of the event, the groups had presented actionable steps and clear ways the nonprofit center could continue to support them in their mission. Over the next two months, the program will be evaluated in two parts, and beginning Oct. 16, organizations will receive an additional 15 hours of consultation from a La Salle Master of Public Health student to further strengthen their efforts.

“We are creating real pathways for these organizations to not only strengthen their individual missions but also collaborate on sustainable, community-focused solutions to gun violence,” Washington said. “This work is critical to the future of our neighborhoods.”

– Rafiga Imanova, MBA '25