Peter Cunningham is a longtime communications leader in Chicago who is currently working with Chicago CRED (Creating Real Economic Destiny), an organization dedicated to reducing gun violence and creating economic opportunities for at-risk youth in the city. With funding from The Sue Ling Gin Foundation, CRED is expanding its programming and services.
Business Daily: How has the funding from the Sue L. Gin Foundation supported Chicago CRED's efforts to reduce gun violence and provide economic opportunities for at-risk youth?
Cunningham: The Sue Ling Gin Foundation's gift is truly transformative. We are learning what works, that is, the strategies that are bringing about real decreases in shootings and violent arrests. And we can now do more. Citywide statistics on gun violence continued to show a downward trend from 2022 to 2023, with total homicides down 12.9% (712 vs 620) and total shootings down 16% (3,507 vs 2,946). However, an even more pronounced decrease was seen in the CRED service areas. Research from Northwestern's CORNERS shows that CRED participants are less likely to be shot than their counterparts who are not in the program and that participants who complete CRED's programming are 73% less likely to be arrested. While CRED certainly cannot claim credit for this reduction, we are heartened to see that in the communities where we invest capacity and resources, there is measurable change. To build on this trend, CRED is continuing to expand its efforts to serve more participants and neighborhoods, in partnership with a coalition of others committed to this important work.
Business Daily: Can you discuss any specific programs or initiatives that have been made possible through the support of the Sue L. Gin Foundation, and the impact they have had on individuals and communities affected by violence?
Cunningham: Resources from the Sue Ling Gin Foundation have supported us in serving a higher number of at-risk youth. Work with youth has become a more critical priority since the pandemic, where we saw a much higher rate of victimization for young people starting at the age of 13. CRED is working along with others in the community to address this critical gap in the current violence intervention ecosystem, which typically focuses on individuals who are 18-21. In addition, the Sue Ling Foundation's resources are supporting the expansion of our services to women, and to our programming aimed at job training and placement. The Sue Ling Gin Foundation resources are also enabling us to deepen our engagement in and support of broader change efforts to reduce gun violence, including the Scaling Community Violence Intervention for a Safer Chicago (SC2 initiative). The five-year goal of SC2 is to reduce shootings and homicides by 50 percent in five years and 75 percent in 10 years. SC2 is made possible by a historic level of alignment and coordination among dozens of community-based and citywide stakeholders as well as city, county and state governments. CRED is thrilled to have the resources and capabilities to serve as the implementation partner for this work.
Business Daily: What is Chicago CRED's perspective on the Sue L. Gin Foundation's commitment to supporting organizations that address societal challenges such as gun violence and youth unemployment?
Cunningham: The Sue Ling Gin Foundation has been a leader and their support is a strong signal to others in the business community who have followed suit with major gifts and potential job opportunities. Gun violence is such a traumatic and challenging issue for Chicago and we would not be in any position to address it without this kind of generosity and support.
Business Daily: From your standpoint, how has Chicago CRED's partnership with the Sue L. Gin Foundation contributed to creating positive change and fostering hope in underserved communities?
Cunningham: We have served about 1500 people at risk of shooting or being shot since 2016. The Sue Ling Gin Foundation funding means we can serve many more over the coming years and it comes at a time when we are eager to show results and build public support for investing in CVI. This grant provides enormous validation for our work and signals to the rest of the city that gun violence is solvable.
Business Daily: Looking ahead, how do you anticipate the continued collaboration between Chicago CRED and the Sue L. Gin Foundation making a meaningful difference in the lives of at-risk youth and the broader community?
Cunningham: Absolutely. It means we can serve more—go to scale in more neighborhoods—and build public support for permanently funding CVI as part of Chicago's public safety strategy. And we are fortunate to have funders like the Sue Ling Gin Foundation who offer trust-based, flexible support. It truly enables us to be nimble in our approach and quickly iterate on our most impactful strategies.