Citizens For Safety, Inc. - LIPSTICK
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31 Heath Street, Suite 12 Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 |
[P] (617) 233-5363 [F] -- |
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www.citizensforsafety.org [email protected] Nancy Robinson |
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INCORPORATED: 2012
Printable Profile (Summary / Full) EIN 80-0380414 |
LAST UPDATED: 01/03/2019 |
| Organization DBA |
LIPSTICK: Ladies Involved in Putting a Stop to Inner-City Killing |
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| Former Names |
Massachusetts Against Trafficking Handguns (MATH) (2006) |
| Organization received a competitive grant from the Boston Foundation in the past five years | No |
Summary
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Mission StatementMORE »Citizens for Safety (CFS) is a 501c3 nonprofit mobilizing the power of grassroots action to stop the flow of guns to criminals and create safe communities where every child can thrive without the fear of getting shot. Operation LIPSTICK--Ladies Involved in Putting a Stop to Inner-City Killing--is a program of CFS that reduces the willingness of women to provide guns to people who can't get guns legally. LIPSTICK has been proven to reduce gun crimes by women.
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Mission StatementCitizens for Safety (CFS) is a 501c3 nonprofit mobilizing the power of grassroots action to stop the flow of guns to criminals and create safe communities where every child can thrive without the fear of getting shot. Operation LIPSTICK--Ladies Involved in Putting a Stop to Inner-City Killing--is a program of CFS that reduces the willingness of women to provide guns to people who can't get guns legally. LIPSTICK has been proven to reduce gun crimes by women.
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Financials
| Fiscal Year | Dec 01, 2014 to Nov 30, 2015 |
|---|---|
| Projected Income | $170,000.00 |
| Projected Expense | $160,000.00 |
Programs
- LIPSTICK: Ladies Involved in Putting a Stop to Inner-City Killings
Revenue vs. Expense ($000s)
Expense Breakdown 2013 (%)
Expense Breakdown 2012 (%)
Expense Breakdown 2011 (%)
For more details regarding the organization's financial information, select the financial tab and review available comments.
Overview
Mission Statement
Background Statement
Citizens for Safety (CFS) formed in the early 1990s to reduce youth gun violence. CFS united civic and faith groups with police as part of the "Boston Miracle" that led to a 70% reduction in Boston gun crimes. CFS introduced the first gun buybacks in the country and took more than 3,000 guns off the street between 1996-98.
Revitalized in 2008, CFS became the first grassroots organization to reframe gun violence as a public health crisis and the first to focus on stopping gun trafficking.
Introducing "Where did the gun come from?" campaign
Q. Where do the guns come from? A. Women.
New research shows women play an outsized role in the marketplace for illegal guns. Firearms arrests of women in Boston increased 44% between 2011-2013. CFS launched Operation LIPSTICK to prevent women from being exploited as gun mules. LIPSTICK is a groundbreaking program of women's peer-to-peer education and empowerment, community organizing, and social service intervention to prevent women from being exploited to traffic guns to felons and minors.
Suffolk County District Attorney says LIPSTICK is responsible for a 1/3 decline in gun cases involving women.
Impact Statement
- LIPSTICK works. New research compiled by the District Attorney shows LIPSTICK is responsible for a 1/3 drop in gun crimes by women in Boston.
- CFS programs recommended to White House as national best practice
- In 2016, LIPSTICK won a competitive
grant to be part of a panel discussion at a national criminal justice forum
sponsored by the White House
- Converted female straw gun buyers into LIPSTICK leaders, mentors and spokespeople
- Stopped publication of classified ads commonly used by traffickers to smuggle firearms into Boston
- Featured on CNN, NPR, Atlantic Monthly, New York Times, Boston Magazine, Boston Globe, NECN, Gawker, Cosmopolitan Magazine, more
- Launched first mass transit public awareness campaign in the country to warn women of the consequences of straw buying guns
Goals:
1. Reduce the willingness of women to enable gun trafficking
2. Target high-risk young girls. Build self-esteem and resilience so they will not harbor guns for boyfriends
3. Offer skill-building workshops for females: public speaking, trauma reduction, using social media, advocacy, and more
4. Develop messages and clinical protocols to prevent women from providing guns used in crime
5. Expand network of informed and vocal female leaders to convince peers not to straw buy guns
Needs Statement
New data from the Suffolk County District Attorney, Boston Police Dept. and FBI Uniform Crime Report shows the number of females possessing firearms at the time of arrest in Boston has increased 44% between 2011 and 2013. The most frequent offense, ‘weapon law violations,’ doubled from 18 to 36 offenses during this time. This represents almost 1/3 (32%) of all arrests in 2013, up from only 23% of arrests in 2011.
CFS believes women and girls hold the key to a successful campaign against illegal guns. They are a clandestine source of guns for criminals, and are also an untapped resource in the fight against trafficking. Operation LIPSTICK serves especially hard-to-reach populations of women and girls who are among those most deeply affected by gun trafficking and the violence it fuels. The forums are the first to begin to examine the behavior of women who have operated in the shadows and may be coping with abuse, trauma, feelings of shame, drug addiction, poverty and other serious issues. These women may already be involved with social services and the criminal justice system. But we’re missing critical opportunities to address the causes and effects of illegal gun trafficking before someone is shot or goes to jail.
LIPSTICK connects these women with behavioral services, health services, law enforcement and elected officials and other public health and safety experts who can help prevent them from getting involved in illegal gun activity.
[i] Factors Affecting a Recently Purchased Handgun’s Risk for Use in Crime under Circumstances That Suggest Gun Trafficking. Wintemute, Journal of Urban Health, 2010
[ii] Crime Gun Risk Factors: Buyer, Seller, Firearm, and Transaction Characteristics Associated with Gun Trafficking and Criminal Gun Use. Koper, Report to the National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice, 2007
[iii] The Hidden Life of Guns. Fallis, “Washington Post, Oct.-Dec. 2010.
[iv] Following the Gun. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, 2000
CEO Statement
The dirty little secret of urban gun violence is that women are supplying the guns. Women are easy prey for gun traffickers just as they're easy prey for sex traffickers and drug traffickers. Vulnerable women are often used to make a "straw buy," purchasing firearms for men who can't pass criminal background checks.
Board Chair Statement
Geographic Area Served
GREATER BOSTON REGION, MA
Urban neighborhoods throughout the U.S.
Organization Categories
- Public Safety, Disaster Preparedness and Relief - Alliances & Advocacy
- Youth Development - Youth Development Programs
- Public & Societal Benefit - Leadership Development
Independent research has been conducted on this organization's theory of change or on the effectiveness of this organization's program(s)
Yes
Programs
LIPSTICK: Ladies Involved in Putting a Stop to Inner-City Killings
Where do crime guns come from? Increasingly, the answer is women. Emerging research, and anecdotal evidence compiled by CFS and Mayors Against Illegal Guns, shows women and girls enable gun traffickers by buying, smuggling and hiding guns for felons and minors who can't pass background checks. Astonishingly, no one has addressed this problem—until now. CFS partnered with the US Department of Justice, Massachusetts Department of Public Safety, Harvard School of Public Health, and Boston’s Project RIGHT to launch LIPSTICK. LIPSTICK the first focus groups, counseling protocols, educational workshops and community actions in the country to prevent women from providing guns used in crime. We are the first to document women’s stories, feature positive role models and spokespeople, and educate women and girls about the dangers of buying, hiding and holding guns illegally. New research shows LIPSTICK works. Boston's
District Attorney says LIPSTICK contributed to a 1/3 drop in gun crimes by
women in 2013-14. |
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| Budget | $150,000.00 |
|---|---|
| Category | Education, General/Other Educational Programs |
| Population Served | At-Risk Populations Females Females |
| Program Short-Term Success | Short-term success: train women leaders to conduct Traffick Jam Leadership Trainings for their peers and provide online and grassroots organizing tools for women to spread messages and awareness |
| Program Long-Term Success |
Long-term success: change social norms so that women make the right choice not to traffic in illegal guns, and help other women do the same
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| Program Success Monitored By | Law enforcement data, workshop evaluations, surveys, focus groups and meetings with stakeholders, partners, funders, program participants, and members of targeted populations |
| Examples of Program Success | Gun cases involving women drop; women trainees take the initiative to spread messages and awareness to their coworkers, friends, family and neighbors. |
CEO/Executive Director/Board Comments
Unique LIPSTICK benefits:
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Management
| CEO/Executive Director | Ms. Nancy Robinson |
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| CEO Term Start | Jan 2008 |
| CEO Email | [email protected] |
| CEO Experience | Executive Director Nancy Robinson has more than 10 years' experience in nonprofit management and community organizing. Ms. Robinson is a trained educator and writer. In 2004, she toured the
country, meeting survivors, activists and local leaders in more than 50 cities. She served on the National States Presidents Council and created gun violence prevention tools, programs and messages currently in use in five states. |
| Co-CEO | -- |
| Co-CEO Term Start | -- |
| Co-CEO Email | -- |
| Co-CEO Experience | -- |
Former CEOs and Terms
| Name | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| -- | -- | -- |
Senior Staff
| Name | Title | Experience/Biography |
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| Kim Odom | Field Director | Kim Odom is a recognized faith and civic leader in the Boston community. She was voted on of the most powerful and influential Boston leaders by Boston Magazine in 2014. |
| Ruth Rollins | Program Director | Trained domestic violence women's advocate with more than 10 years' experience |
Awards
| Award | Awarding Organization | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Women's Empowerment | Boston Boys and Girls Clubs | 2015 |
| Youth Leadership | Greater Love Tabernacle Church | 2010 |
Affiliations
| Affiliation | Year |
|---|---|
| -- | -- |
| Member of state association of nonprofits? | No |
|---|---|
| Name of state association | -- |
External Assessments and Accreditations
| External Assessment or Accreditation | Year |
|---|---|
| -- | -- |
Collaborations
CEO/Executive Director/Board Comments
--
Foundation Comments
--
Staff Information
| Number of Full Time Staff | 1 |
|---|---|
| Number of Part Time Staff | 6 |
| Number of Volunteers | 50 |
| Number of Contract Staff | 5 |
| Staff Retention Rate % | 100% |
Staff Demographics
| Ethnicity | African American/Black: 4 Asian American/Pacific Islander: 0 Caucasian: 2 Hispanic/Latino: 1 Native American/American Indian: 0 Other: 0 Other (if specified): 0 |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female: 6 Male: 1 Not Specified 0 |
Plans & Policies
| Organization has Fundraising Plan? | Under Development |
|---|---|
| Organization has Strategic Plan? | Under Development |
| Years Strategic Plan Considers | 1 |
| Management Succession Plan | No |
| Business Continuity of Operations Plan | -- |
| Organization Policies And Procedures | Under Development |
| Nondiscrimination Policy | Under Development |
| Whistle Blower Policy | No |
| Document Destruction Policy | No |
| Directors and Officers Insurance Policy | -- |
| State Charitable Solicitations Permit | No |
| State Registration | -- |
Risk Management Provisions
| -- |
Reporting and Evaluations
| Management Reports to Board? | Yes |
|---|---|
| CEO Formal Evaluation and Frequency | No Quarterly |
| Senior Management Formal Evaluation and Frequency | No N/A |
| Non Management Formal Evaluation and Frequency | No N/A |
Governance
| Board Chair | Mr. Gregory King |
|---|---|
| Board Chair Company Affiliation | Kingbridge Consulting |
| Board Chair Term | Jan 2012 - Jan 2016 |
| Board Co-Chair | Michael Reinhorn |
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| Board Co-Chair Company Affiliation | Newton-Wellesley Hospital |
| Board Co-Chair Term | Jan 2013 - Jan 2017 |
Board Members
| Name | Company Affiliations | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Laura Ahart | Boston Ten Point Coalition | Voting |
| Paul Barrett | Equity Residential | Voting |
| David Chipman | ShotSpotter Technologies | Voting |
| Robert Francis | Law Enforcement Consultant for MassHousing | Voting |
| Courtney Grey | Boston Public Health Commission | Voting |
| David Hemenway | Harvard School of Public Health | Voting |
| Gregory King | Kingbridge Consulting Group | Voting |
| Jorge Martinez | Project RIGHT | Voting |
| Ayanna Pressley | Boston City Council | Voting |
| Michael Reinhorn | Newton-Wellesley Hospital | Voting |
| Nancy Robinson | Citizens for Safety | Voting |
| Robert Sege | Boston Medical | NonVoting |
| Mary Vriniotis | Harvard School of Public Health | NonVoting |
Constituent Board Members
| Name | Company Affiliations | Status |
|---|---|---|
| -- | -- | -- |
Youth Board Members
| Name | Company Affiliations | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Shante Leathers | LIPSTICK | Voting |
Advisory Board Members
| Name | Company Affiliations | Status |
|---|---|---|
| William Dickerson | Greater Love Tabernacle Church | NonVoting |
| Michael Dukakis | former Massachusetts Governor | NonVoting |
| Gordon Martin | New England School of Law | NonVoting |
| John Rosenthal | Stop Handgun Violence | -- |
Board Demographics
| Ethnicity | African American/Black: 4 Asian American/Pacific Islander: 0 Caucasian: 8 Hispanic/Latino: 1 Native American/American Indian: 0 Other: 0 Other (if specified): -- |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female: 4 Male: 9 Not Specified 0 |
Board Information
| Board Term Lengths | 4 |
|---|---|
| Board Term Limits | 0 |
| Board Meeting Attendance % | 90% |
| Written Board Selection Criteria | Under Development |
| Written Conflict Of Interest Policy | Under Development |
| Percentage of Monetary Contributions | 50% |
| Percentage of In-Kind Contributions | 100% |
| Constituency Includes Client Representation | No |
Standing Committees
- Advisory Board / Advisory Council
CEO/Executive Director/Board Comments
We are privileged to have a diverse, highly skilled, and dedicated board who are thought leaders and experts in research and public policy, law enforcement, community organizing, public health, and business.
Foundation Comments
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Financials
Revenue vs. Expense ($000s)
Expense Breakdown 2013 (%)
Expense Breakdown 2012 (%)
Expense Breakdown 2011 (%)
| Fiscal Year | Dec 01, 2014 to Nov 30, 2015 |
|---|---|
| Projected Income | $170,000.00 |
| Projected Expense | $160,000.00 |
| Form 990s | |
| Audit Documents | |
| IRS Letter of Exemption |
Prior Three Years Total Revenue and Expense Totals
| Fiscal Year | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue | $42,694 | $61,984 | $81,792 |
| Total Expenses | $58,813 | $68,597 | $83,073 |
Prior Three Years Revenue Sources
| Fiscal Year | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation and Corporation Contributions |
-- | -- | -- |
| Government Contributions | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Federal | -- | -- | -- |
| State | -- | -- | -- |
| Local | -- | -- | -- |
| Unspecified | -- | -- | -- |
| Individual Contributions | $42,690 | $61,980 | $81,786 |
| Indirect Public Support | -- | -- | -- |
| Earned Revenue | -- | -- | -- |
| Investment Income, Net of Losses | $4 | $4 | $6 |
| Membership Dues | -- | -- | -- |
| Special Events | -- | -- | -- |
| Revenue In-Kind | -- | -- | -- |
| Other | -- | -- | -- |
Prior Three Years Expense Allocations
| Fiscal Year | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program Expense | $55,290 | $66,397 | $83,073 |
| Administration Expense | $3,523 | $2,200 | -- |
| Fundraising Expense | -- | -- | -- |
| Payments to Affiliates | -- | -- | -- |
| Total Revenue/Total Expenses | 0.73 | 0.90 | 0.98 |
| Program Expense/Total Expenses | 94% | 97% | 100% |
| Fundraising Expense/Contributed Revenue | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Prior Three Years Assets and Liabilities
| Fiscal Year | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $9,658 | $25,777 | $32,390 |
| Current Assets | $9,658 | $25,777 | $32,390 |
| Long-Term Liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Current Liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total Net Assets | $9,658 | $25,777 | $32,390 |
Prior Three Years Top Three Funding Sources
| Fiscal Year | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st (Source and Amount) |
-- -- |
-- -- |
-- -- |
| 2nd (Source and Amount) |
-- -- |
-- -- |
-- -- |
| 3rd (Source and Amount) |
-- -- |
-- -- |
-- -- |
Financial Planning
| Endowment Value | -- |
|---|---|
| Spending Policy | N/A |
| Percentage(If selected) | -- |
| Credit Line | No |
| Reserve Fund | No |
| How many months does reserve cover? | -- |
Capital Campaign
| Are you currently in a Capital Campaign? | No |
|---|---|
| Capital Campaign Purpose | -- |
| Campaign Goal | -- |
| Capital Campaign Dates | - |
| Capital Campaign Raised-to-Date Amount | -- |
| Capital Campaign Anticipated in Next 5 Years? | -- |
Short Term Solvency
| Fiscal Year | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio: Current Assets/Current Liabilities | -- | -- | -- |
Long Term Solvency
| Fiscal Year | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long-term Liabilities/Total Assets | 0% | 0% | 0% |
CEO/Executive Director/Board Comments
Foundation Comments
Documents
Impact
The Impact tab is a section on the Giving Common added in October 2013; as such the majority of nonprofits have not yet had the chance to complete this voluntary section. The purpose of the Impact section is to ask five deceptively simple questions that require reflection and promote communication about what really matters – results. The goal is to encourage strategic thinking about how a nonprofit will achieve its goals. The following Impact questions are being completed by nonprofits slowly, thoughtfully and at the right time for their respective organizations to ensure the most accurate information possible.
1. What is your organization aiming to accomplish?
LIPSTICK contributed to a 1/3 drop in firearms cases involving women in Boston. Women living, working, and raising families in low-income, high-crime communities will tell you gun violence prevention is a top priority, higher even than access to health care or good jobs. They want the shootings to stop. They don’t want to be gripped with anxiety and fear every time their children leave their sight. They don’t want to have to go to another funeral, shudder every time they hear a gunshot or siren, or console their grieving sisters, mothers and daughters. Urban gun violence—much of which is committed with illegally trafficked handguns—is deeply personal for these women. It’s the difference between whether they get to celebrate their child’s 21st birthday in person or standing over a grave.
It’s no surprise that women and girls in urban communities are profoundly affected by gun violence. What’s surprising is that they’re also a major, and, in many cases, unwitting contributor to the problem.
New research shows women arm “impact players”— juveniles and felons responsible for much of the shooting in urban communities. These women may be coerced, bribed, or sweet-talked. Or they may be simply unaware that they could be contributing to someone’s death, lose their housing, or go to jail. One woman is capable of putting hundreds of guns on the streets.
Operation LIPSTICK transforms her from being part of the problem to being part of the solution. Women, it turns out, hold the key to stopping neighborhood gun violence. And they can do it with one great defining, defiant act—by refusing to buy, hide or hold guns for people who can’t get guns legally.
LIPSTICK’s mission is to change the culture among women in inner-city communities that says it's acceptable to buy, smuggle or conceal guns for men who can’t get guns legally. When a man tells a woman, "buy this gun for me," she will say no. When he says, “hide this gun for me,” she’ll know she would be enabling violence and risks going to jail. When he says “you’d do it if you loved me,” she’ll know that’s not what love looks like. LIPSTICK gives women the knowledge, peer support, tools, resolve and confidence to make the right choice, and help others do the same. Through LIPSTICK, women who have found a way out are showing others the way out.
2. What are your strategies for making this happen?
3. What are your organization’s capabilities for doing this?
“Experienced offenders have no qualms about using young women to carry, store and even obtain their weapons through straw purchases. And this is where LIPSTICK comes in—by educating women, particularly young women, and empowering them to say I’m not going to do the time for your crime. I’ve seen that social forces like peer pressure can really change people’s behavior. That’s why I’ve been a supporter of LIPSTICK from Day One.” Suffolk County DA Dan Conley
4. How will your organization know if you are making progress?
5. What have and haven’t you accomplished so far?
- Suffolk County District Attorney credits LIPSTICK with a 1/3 decline in gun crimes by women 2013-14.
- Trained hundreds of community residents in Massachusetts through workshops and events
- 95% of workshop attendees will sign LIPSTICK pledge not to buy, hide or hold guns illegally (studies show that people who sign pledges are more likely to keep them)
- 95% of workshop attendees say they learned something new about crime gun sources
- 85% of workshop graduates sign up to stay involved in the campaign
- Converted dozens of former straw gun buyers into LIPSTICK leaders
- Doubled database of supporters including community residents and leaders, elected officials, law enforcement and more
- Deputized 50+ leaders, mentors and spokespeople in 6 months
- Reached thousands of Americans through mainstream and social media with coverage in CNN, NPR, Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, NECN, Atlantic Monthly, Gawker, Cosmopolitan Magazine, the Journal of the American Medical Association and more.