JOIN THE FIGHT
Over 40,000 Americans lose their lives to gun violence every year. In communities, courts, and ballot boxes nationwide, Giffords fights to save lives from gun violence. Will you join us?
2020 ANNUAL REPORT
We’re in a battle to turn the tide on our nation’s gun violence epidemic. 2020 was a difficult year, but your support enabled us to continue carrying out our lifesaving mission.
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We’re In This Together
2020 was a year of unprecedented challenges, but also one that set the stage for remarkable progress for gun safety.
The COVID-19 pandemic led the national conversation for most of 2020, yet gun violence raged on, spiking in cities across the country as the pandemic exacerbated risk factors for suicide and domestic violence.
Our organization adapted quickly, researching and publishing information about the dangerous intersection of COVID-19 and gun violence. We hosted webinars and created resources to help legislators and advocates understand the new risks posed by these twin public health crises. Many of our events moved online, including the Giffords Law Center Anniversary Dinner and our political team’s background checks tour for Senate candidates.
2020 laid bare gaping inequities in our healthcare, justice, and political systems. Our nation has a tremendous amount of work ahead of us, but for the first time in years, we are embarking on this work with gun safety majorities in Congress and a gun safety president in the White House.
A LETTER FROM GABBY GIFFORDS
In the 10 years since I was shot, I’ve learned so much about grit, perseverance, and hope. We need all three in the fight to end gun violence.
Every cause has its victories and setbacks, and the gun safety movement is no exception. Effecting lasting change means showing up day after day and putting in the work, even when the going gets tough. That’s what our staff does, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.
And that’s what you, our supporters, do by donating to our work, holding your representatives accountable, and educating yourselves about the critical stakes of gun safety. We made tremendous progress on the political front in 2020, progress that will set us up for success for years to come and, with a little luck and a lot more hard work, lead to lasting, lifesaving change.
Amidst all the unprecedented challenges of 2020, this movement came together to mobilize everyday Americans and demand a safer America. I am inspired by the millions of Giffords supporters nationwide—as well as our partners at other organizations—who showed the courage and commitment to keep this all-important fight going.
Our work is far from done, but because of you, we are making crucial strides. From the bottom of my heart—thank you.
—Gabby Giffords
ABOUT US
Our organization is made up of three distinct entities, working in concert to end gun violence in America.
Studying Gun Safety
Our in-depth research and publications took a deep dive into often overlooked aspects of our country’s gun violence crisis.
In 2020, we stepped up our focus on research, exploring the underpinnings of the gun violence crisis and how it amplifies other public health and safety issues. In addition to providing comprehensive guidance on the dangers posed by guns and the COVID-19 pandemic, we examined the relationship between police brutality, firearms, and community violence as well as the ways inadequate and often misdirected federal support for intervention programs has contributed to mass incarceration while failing to reduce shootings. With armed right-wing extremism on the rise, we published reports and research on the threats caused by extremist judges, guns at polling places, and hate crimes.
Our research team went to Broward County, Florida, to get a closer look at the first year of the state’s extreme risk law and evaluate its effectiveness, while our policy experts laid out the components of effective firearm licensing policies and the dangers of untraceable, homemade “ghost guns.” In partnership with the Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund, we highlighted the consequences of the dangerous and racist Stand Your Ground laws and compiled a list of dozens of incidents of armed protesters inspiring fear and chilling free speech.
We often say that to solve the gun violence crisis, we first have to understand it. Our research program lays the foundation for our other work: crafting and passing gun safety laws, holding the gun lobby accountable in court, and electing gun safety champions. We hope you take the opportunity to explore what we published in 2020 and support us as we continue our essential research in 2021.
OUR BOARD
The lifesaving work we do at Giffords Law Center wouldn’t be possible without the courageous, committed leadership of our board of directors.
2020 at a glance
Throughout 2020, Giffords provided cutting-edge legal analysis and research to legislators and advocates, organized Americans for change, and supported gun safety candidates up and down the ballot.
Our experts explored how the pandemic has exacerbated gun violence and recommended solutions to mitigate this impact.
Giffords helped elect gun safety champions at the local, state, and federal levels in 2020.
Our first-ever virtual anniversary dinner honored Senator Cory Booker and brought together gun safety supporters from across the country.
Virginia passed a critical suite of gun safety bills, progress that Giffords has been working towards since 2013.
Giffords released a report highlighting the deadly link between police brutality and gun violence and calling for reform.
In 2020, Giffords launched our national gun owners coalition, an alternative to the extremist NRA.
Our comprehensive new statistics page highlights gun violence trends, both nationally and at the state level.
Giffords Law Center’s litigation team continues to stand up to the gun lobby by defending lifesaving gun laws in court.
WE CAN ONLY STOP gun violence IF WE work together
TAKE ACTION
coalitions
GUN OWNERS FOR SAFETY
The NRA’s extremist views don’t represent the majority of gun owners. Responsible gun owners understand that commonsense gun laws go hand-in-hand with firearm ownership.
Read MoreFoundations
We are exceedingly grateful to the following foundations, whose generous support powered our work in 2020.
The below list of philanthropic foundations made thoughtful investments to help ensure the safety of people across the United States in 2020. Many of these important change agents partner with us year after year to continue advancing our mission to save lives from gun violence.
MAKE A GIFT
Every day, the experts at Giffords Law Center work tirelessly to craft, enact, and defend the gun safety policies and programs that save lives. A safer America is within reach, but we need your courage and commitment to get there.
SPOTLIGHT
GUNS & DEMOCRACY
The use of guns to intimidate and threaten voters, elected officials, and peaceful demonstrators poses a serious threat to our democracy. We’ve gathered resources on the deadly connection between guns and extremism, and how to stop it.
Read MoreGIFFORDS LAW CENTER Financials
Below is a detailed breakdown of our 2020 financials.
Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, our 501(c)3 organization, receives funding from individual donors, foundations, law firms, and corporations. In 2020, as in previous years, the majority of our revenue was spent on our efforts to save lives from gun violence through research, legislation, litigation, and community violence intervention strategies. The below financials are limited to Giffords Law Center and do not represent funding or revenue for other Giffords entities.
SPOTLIGHT
GUN LAW SCORECARD
The data is clear: states with stronger gun laws have less gun violence. See how your state compares in our annual ranking.
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