CT Against Gun Violence and its CT Against Gun Violence Education Fund is one of the state-based gun violence prevention organizations that is an affiliate of States United to Prevent Gun Violence. States United to Prevent Gun Violence, formed in 2000 by state organizations themselves, is a national non-profit association of state organizations working to decrease gun death and injury and build healthy communities by supporting and strengthening state gun violence prevention groups and nurturing new state organizations. Together with its 28 state affiliates – and its more than 200,000 grassroots supporters – States United is dedicated to making our families and communities safer through stronger laws, community education, and grassroots action.

States United brings vital resources, strategic guidance, and technical and developmental support to its 28 affiliates, and eliminates duplication of efforts and expense. With States United’s technical, communications, and policy support, states can more efficiently organize, communicate and bring about positive policy change to save lives. By leveraging partnerships and coalitions with other national gun violence prevention groups, States United builds strategic alliances that enables it to have outsize impact and influence, despite its modest staff and budget.

If you have friends in other states, you can help out by asking them to join their state organization. On the States United Website, www.ceasefireUSA.org, click on “Join a State Affiliate” under “In The States”. The state groups immediately around Connecticut are:

• Stop Handgun Violence – MA – www.stophandgunviolence.org
• Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence – www.ricagv.org
• New Yorkers Against Gun Violence and its Ed Fund – www.nyagv.org and www.nyagvedfund.org

These state organizations have been working for years and successfully passing strong gun legislation as well as blocking bad gun laws. They also provide a variety of educational programs. They have good connections with the players in their state – legislators and community activists – and know the culture of their state, which is vital in terms of education about guns and development of gun policy.

There are a variety of other national gun violence prevention organizations – some with local groups in various states as well. These include and are listed from oldest to newest:

• The Brady Campaign and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence including The Million Moms www.bradycampaign.org and http://www.bradycampaign.org/bradycenter
• The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence www.csgv.org and www.efsgv.org
• The Violence Policy Center – www.vpc
• The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence – www.smartgunlaws.org
• Newtown Action Alliance – www.newtownaction.org
• Sandy Hook Promise – www.sandyhookpromise.org
• Center for American Progress/Guns and Crime – www.americanprogress.org/issues/guns-crime/view/
• Everytown for Gun Safety that has three parts – Moms Demand Action, Mayors Against Illegal Gun and Survivors – www.everytown.org then /moms or /mayors or /survivors.