On August 27, a gunman opened fire through the windows of a Catholic church in Minneapolis during a morning Mass for elementary school children, killing two children — ages 8 and 10 — and injuring 17 other people, including 14 children. The shooter, 23-year-old Robin Westman, was armed with a rifle, shotgun, and pistol and died by suicide at the scene. The children, gathered at Annunciation Catholic Church for Mass to mark the first week of school at Annunciation Catholic School, had been praying in the pews when the shooting began — an act of violence described by the city’s police chief as “absolutely incomprehensible.”
In a press conference near the church, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey underscored the ongoing horror of mass shootings in the US and criticized the hollow response that’s come to replace real action in the aftermath of mass shootings. “Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now,” he said. “These kids were literally praying.”
In 2023, the most recent year for which complete data is available, nearly 47,000 Americans were killed by guns, including more than 19,000 homicides and 27,300 suicides by firearm, according to the Pew Research Center. Gun violence is now the leading cause of death among children and teens in the U.S., surpassing car accidents and cancer. The Minneapolis shooting is the latest in the seemingly endless cycle — from the 2022 Highland Park parade massacre, to the 2024 Apalachee High School shooting in Georgia, to April’s tragedy at Florida State University — each one a reminder that no space is sacred or safe from the reach of this crisis in a nation that has normalized the presence of deadly weapons in schools, churches, and everyday life.
If you’re feeling helpless and hopeless, you’re not alone — but you are not powerless. Here are meaningful ways to take action today and support long-term solutions to end gun violence.
Updated Aug. 27, 2025
Join the Fight: Organizations Leading the Charge
Help reduce access to deadly weapons and advocate for safer schools and communities by supporting organizations leading the national effort to end gun violence:
- Every Town for Gun Safety represents more than 4 million mayors, moms, cops, teachers, survivors, gun owners, and everyday Americans who have come together to make their communities safer by fighting for the changes that will save lives.
- The Courage To Fight Gun Violence was started by US Representative Gabrielle Giffords and others after she was shot during a visit with constituents at a mall in her district.
- San Francisco’s Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence offers legal assistance to people trying to make their communities safer from gun violence.
- Mom’s Demand Action For Gun Sense In America is similar to MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers), and was founded in response to the Sandy Hook school shooting by one mother and quickly spread. Chapters are now in every state.
- Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence is the oldest, largest statewide organization committed to changing laws and behavior to reduce the devastating effect firearms have on our society.
- Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence has a goal of cutting U.S. gun deaths in half by 2025 through background checks and national discourse.
These groups work on legislation, education, research, and survivor support across the country.
Lobby Your Legislators to Support Common-Sense Gun Reform Legislation
Policy change is one of the most powerful ways to prevent future tragedies.
- Here’s all you need to know about the best ways to tell Congress that gun laws must change.
- Look for your senators’ contact information here, and your representative’s information here, and write to them.
Understand Your Candidates’ Position on Gun Control by Using These Resources
Recent shootings—including those in Georgia and Florida — underscore the ongoing need for legislative action at every level of government.
Invest in Youth: Prevent Future Violence by Creating Opportunity
Creating opportunities for youth—especially those in underserved communities—is a proven strategy for reducing violence and building safer futures.
Chicago
Make It Better Philanthropy Award Winners are a great start, including:
- Academy For Global Citizenship
- Bernie’s Book Bank
- BUILD
- By The Hand Club For Kids
- Crushers Club
- Girls In The Game
- Horizons For Youth
- Chapter One
- James B. Moran Center For Youth Advocacy
- Mothers Trust Foundation
- Northwestern University Settlement House
- Phalen Leadership Academy
- Posse Foundation
- SitStayRead
- Spark Program
- Youth Outreach Umbrella.
The following organizations are also doing incredible work for Chicago’s youth. They would greatly appreciate your time or financial support:
- A Better Chicago
- Boys Club/Girls Club
- Chicago Public Education Foundation
- Evanston & North Shore YWCA
- Ingenuity & the Be Creative Campaign
- Invest For Kids
- McGaw YMCA
- YMCA of Greater Chicago.
San Francisco:
- Marin City Bridge the Gap
- San Francisco Education Fund
- The SMART Program
- YMCA of SF
- Big Brothers Big Sisters Bay Area
- First Exposures
- Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice
Support Prevention Through Research and Education
In the years since the 2007 mass shooting at Virginia Tech, the university has transformed tragedy into a long-term commitment to research and outreach. The Virginia Tech Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention was established in the former site of the attack to study the root causes of violence and promote community-based solutions.
Led by experts like Dr. James Hawdon, the Center explores cyberhate, gun safety, restorative justice, and trauma recovery — while helping students and communities heal through education and applied research.
You can donate to support their cross-disciplinary work, or learn more about their projects and public data resources on their website.
Strengthen the Mental Health Safety Net
Addressing the mental health crisis in America is critical — not just for recovery after tragedy, but for preventing violence before it occurs. These organizations are improving access to care and challenging the stigma that keeps people from seeking help:
- NoStigmas: This is a global peer-to-peer support network committed to eliminating the stigma that surrounds mental illness and creating more sources of mental health support.
- The Rush Hospital West Side Total Health Collaborative: Rush and other medical institutions put mental health professionals in schools on Chicago’s underserved West Side.
- Text-A-Tip Hotline: Mental health professionals respond to anonymously sent tips within minutes of receipt to help anyone suffering from mental illness. Started in collaboration with schools, clergy, public safety officials, and parents in Lake Forest, this program has spread across the Chicago region and the country.
- San Francisco Mental Health Education Funds: The SFMHEF provides services throughout San Francisco to help people suffering from mental illness.
- Mental Health Association of San Francisco: The MHASF is a nonprofit organization that provides mental health education, advocacy, research, and services to San Francisco residents.
If You or Someone You Know Is Struggling
If you or someone you know is struggling, don’t hesitate to seek support yourself.
- NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the U.S.’s largest grassroots mental health organization and provides many services, including a helpline and educational programs, to help people struggling with mental health in our nation.
Use Make It Better to Amplify Effective Programs
- Know of another effective program that should be on this list? Email us at editorial@makeitbetter.com.
- Spotlight champions working to end gun violence and help amplify their messages by tagging the Make It Better Foundation on social media: @makeitbetter_foundation, and let’s keep this conversation going — not just in the wake of tragedy, but every day we have the chance to save lives.
Submit a ‘You Said It’
Your voice, ideas, and engagement are important to help us accomplish our mission. We encourage you to share your efforts to make the world a better place by submitting a “You Said It.” An excellent “You Said It” can earn a nonprofit that you champion a $1,000 donation from the Make It Better Foundation and eligibility for a Grant Content Partnership for greater engagement with our audience.
