National Mass Shooting Victims' Fund
Background
VictimsFirst's National Mass Shooting Victims' Fund is open to all victims and survivors of incidents of mass violence that have occurred in the United States. Through this Fund, we provide emergency financial assistance to those directly impacted.
Since our inception, VictimsFirst has been providing emergency financial assistance to victims of mass violence through our General Victims Fund. On January 1, 2023, the board voted to streamline our efforts and rename our General Victims' Fund as the National Mass Shooting Victims' Fund so that it is more easily discoverable and accessible. The National Mass Shooting Victims' Fund is still open to all victims/survivors of mass violence, whether it is a mass shooting, bombing, or some other form of attack. Since mass shootings make up the majority of mass casualty crimes in the United States, we opted to reference mass shootings specifically in the name of the fund in hopes that we will be able to reach more victims/survivors.
We define a mass casualty crime as a single incident in which four or more people are murdered or more than four people wounded in a random act of mass violence. A mass shooting or mass casualty crime typically occurs in a single place and time but can include multiple locations in close proximity to each other.
Who is Eligible
To be eligible for emergency financial assistance, applicants must:
1. Be directly impacted by a mass casualty crime:
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direct family member of a murdered victim;
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a wounded (shot) survivor;
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an injured survivor;
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or a survivor who was not physically injured, but was present.
2. Provide proof of victim/survivor status, this may include:
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the name and contact information for your victims' advocate or legal advocate
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official government documentation naming you as a victim/survivor (police reports, court/legal documents, etc.)
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for other options, please email us: contact@victimsfirst.org
Neither citizenship nor immigration status will be considered in determining an applicant’s eligibility.
The National Mass Shooting Victims' Fund was established to help cover emergency needs only.
What We Can Cover
Currently, the National Mass Shooting Victims' Fund is funded through donations and we have limited funds. So we can help as many people as possible, we established a maximum limit per person. However, individuals with a greater need can apply for additional funds with the proper documentation.
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Medical Bills not covered by insurance (including mental health)
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Housing
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Utilities
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Transportation
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Food, Clothing, and Other Essentials
We understand that each person has unique, individual needs. Therefore, there is no time limit on when an applicant can request funds. The National Mass Shooting Victims' Fund can also provide emergency, financial assistance for mid-term, and long-term needs—throughout the life of a mass shooting victim/survivor.
We also understand that victims/survivors of a recent mass casualty crime (less than 6 months since the date of the crime) have unique emergency needs. For this reason, victims/survivors of a recent mass casualty crime can apply for an Immediate Emergency Financial Assistance Grant that can be used by the individual to address any need that arises in the direct aftermath of a mass casualty crime.
We guarantee 100% of the donations to the National Mass Shooting Victims' Fund will go directly to victims/survivors, and we will distribute every penny until our account balance for the Fund is zero. Our ability to fulfill requests for emergency financial assistance is entirely dependent upon donations. Our website will be updated when the Fund needs to be replenished. VictimsFirst does not take any administration fees from donations.
