Violence Policy Center
The Violence Policy Center is a Washington, DC-based national nonprofit founded in 1988 that produces gun violence prevention research and advocates for stronger firearms policy. It serves policymakers, journalists, advocacy organizations, academics, and the public through free publications cited by major national media outlets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Violence Policy Center does
The Violence Policy Center (VPC) is a Washington, DC-based national tax-exempt educational nonprofit founded in 1988 by Josh Sugarmann, who continues to serve as executive director. The organization works to reduce gun death and injury in the United States through four pillars: research, investigation, analysis, and advocacy. Its research output includes flagship longitudinal studies such as "American Roulette: Murder-Suicide in the United States" (now in its ninth edition), annual "Black Homicide Victimization" reports, "When Men Murder Women," "Concealed Carry Killers," and state-specific gun death analyses built on CDC and FBI data. The operating model is non-commercial: VPC distributes all publications free of charge through vpc.org and partner media, and is funded by charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and organizations that support gun violence prevention. Downstream audiences are federal, state, and local policymakers, journalists, advocacy organizations, academic researchers, and the general public, with the research frequently cited by The New York Times, Associated Press, Time, Forbes, and NBC Washington.
The core "product" is a portfolio of branded research lines rather than a software platform. This includes demographic-specific victimization analyses (Black, Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native, female homicide victimization by males, youth, suicide, community trauma), the Campaign for Gun Industry Accountability (an embedded initiative covering ghost guns, 3D-printed firearms, assault weapons, pistol-brace evasion, silencers, and marketing practices targeting children and communities of color), Gun Lobby Investigation materials (NRA and Eddie Eagle coverage), and Firearms Product Safety Notices. Distribution is purely digital: a website (vpc.org) hosting publications and press releases, plus social channels on Facebook, X (@VPCinfo), Instagram, and an email newsletter via Constant Contact. There is no proprietary technology layer, no app, no API, and no disclosed AI/ML tooling; the technical core is statistical analysis layered on government datasets combined with policy analysis and investigative journalism.
Commercially, VPC is a 501(c)(3)-style nonprofit with 1-10 employees, so revenue mechanics are contributions rather than sales. The company has no disclosed revenue figures (Form 990 references are absent from the source data), no parent company or PE backing, and no funding rounds. Customer segments are persona-based (policymakers, journalists, advocacy organizations, academics, general public) rather than enterprise buyers, and pricing is effectively zero - all materials are free - with the exchange being citation-driven credibility and earned media reach. Strategic partnerships include One Aim Illinois (state-level Illinois gun violence report) and the embedded Campaign for Gun Industry Accountability.
Violence Policy Center firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Violence Policy Center
- Legal name
- Violence Policy Center
- Website
- https://vpc.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Violence Policy Center is a Washington, DC-based national nonprofit founded in 1988 that produces gun violence prevention research and advocates for stronger firearms policy. It serves policymakers, journalists, advocacy organizations, academics, and the public through free publications cited by major national media outlets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Violence Policy Center industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Gun Violence Prevention Research & Advocacy
- NAICS
- Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Gun Violence Prevention & Public Safety Policy Advocacy (BPAGAFAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Criminal Justice Reform & Legal System Advocacy (BPAGAFAI), Public Health Strategy, Policy & Legislation (HLAJAMAA), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)
Keywords
Where Violence Policy Center is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Violence Policy Center business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a national tax-exempt educational organization, the VPC operates primarily through charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and organizations that support gun violence prevention.
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Violence Policy Center product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Violence Policy Center is a national tax-exempt educational nonprofit that conducts research, investigation, analysis, and advocacy on gun violence prevention. Its core offering consists of free research publications and policy resources — including studies on Black Homicide Victimization, Murder-Suicide patterns, Concealed Carry Killers, Mass Shootings, and firearms industry practices — distributed to policymakers, journalists, advocates, and the public.
Product overview
The Violence Policy Center operates as a nonprofit educational organization focused on gun violence prevention research and advocacy rather than a traditional technology product company. The organization produces research reports, studies, and advocacy materials organized into four main focus areas: revealing the impacts of gun violence on various communities, regulating the gun industry, investigating the gun lobby, and providing publications and press resources. The portfolio includes statistical studies on homicide and suicide patterns, analyses of firearms industry practices, and policy advocacy resources. There is no unified software platform or product suite; rather, the organization disseminates its research through a website hosting publications, press releases, and advocacy materials.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Concealed Carry Killers: A VPC project documenting incidents where concealed carry permit holders have killed people
Products and services
- Research Reports and Studies on Gun Violence VPC produces comprehensive research studies on gun violence topics including Black Homicide Victimization, Female Homicide Victimization, Murder-Suicide patterns, Mass Shootings, and Self-Defense Gun Use. These reports provide statistical analysis and policy recommendations for policymakers, journalists, advocacy organizations, and the public.
- Gun Industry Accountability Resources Resources and reports examining the firearms industry including 3D-printed firearms, ghost guns, assault weapons, gun trafficking, and marketing practices targeting children and communities of color. Designed to inform regulatory reform and industry accountability efforts.
- Concealed Carry Killers Project A VPC sub-brand and ongoing project that documents incidents where concealed carry permit holders have killed people, providing a publicly accessible database and analysis of these incidents for journalists, researchers, and advocates.
- Gun Lobby Investigation Materials Research and analysis investigating the National Rifle Association and gun lobby activities, including financial support patterns from the gun industry, annual meeting coverage, and the Eddie Eagle gun safety program. Targeted at journalists, advocates, and policymakers.
- Gun Violence Impact Analysis Analysis of gun violence impacts on specific communities including American Indian/Alaska Native populations, Black communities, Latino communities, youth, suicide contexts, community trauma, and female homicide victimization. Provides demographic-specific data and policy context.
- Firearms Product Safety Notices Documentation and alerts regarding firearm product safety issues and recalls, aimed at informing consumers and supporting consumer-product-style regulatory approaches to firearms.
Quantifiable outcome
- VPC research on murder-suicides cited by The New York Times in April 2026 article about 'family annihilators'
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Violence Policy Center
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Violence Policy Center technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Violence Policy Center partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered notable and core.
- One Aim IllinoisnotableVPC partnered with One Aim Illinois to produce a joint report on gun violence disparities in Illinois. The report found that Black Illinoisans are 26 times more likely to die by gun homicide than white residents, with Black residents comprising 13.9% of the population but 68.7% of firearm homicide victims.
- Campaign for Gun Industry AccountabilitycoreAn initiative within VPC dedicated to investigating and holding the gun industry accountable for its practices, including marketing tactics targeting children and communities of color, and promoting regulatory reforms similar to other consumer product industries.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Violence Policy Center competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- National Coalition Against Domestic Violence: NCADV is a national advocacy organization addressing domestic violence, including research and policy work on the intersection of firearms and intimate partner homicide. It overlaps with VPC's murder-suicide and female homicide victimization research and shares relevant donor and policymaker audiences.
- Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies: Joint Center is a policy research and advocacy organization whose work on gun violence in communities of color complements VPC's Black and Latino victimization research. It is comparable as a minority-focused policy and research nonprofit operating in the gun violence advocacy domain.
- Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Prevention and Policy: Johns Hopkins' Center is a public-health focused gun violence research center producing peer-reviewed studies and policy analysis. It is comparable to VPC as a producer of data-driven gun violence research cited by policymakers and journalists, though anchored in academic rather than advocacy framing.
Direct peers
- Sandy Hook Promise: Sandy Hook Promise is a national gun violence prevention organization focused on school shootings and youth prevention programs. It overlaps with VPC's mission area (gun violence prevention advocacy) and targets overlapping policymaker and donor audiences, though it leans more on youth-focused programming.
- Everytown for Gun Safety: Everytown is the largest US gun violence prevention advocacy organization, combining research, lobbying, and voter engagement. It is directly comparable to VPC because both produce policy-grade gun violence research, target federal and state legislators, and rely on donor funding to advance gun policy advocacy.
- Coalition to Stop Gun Violence: CSGV is a gun violence prevention advocacy coalition that produces research and policy analysis on firearms and public health. It mirrors VPC's research-and-advocacy model and competes for similar donor and coalition partner support.
- Giffords: Giffords is a leading gun violence prevention advocacy organization, founded around the same era as VPC, that combines legislative advocacy, research, and electoral work. It targets the same policymaker and media audiences as VPC and competes for similar donor and media space.
- Brady (Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence): Brady is one of the oldest US gun violence prevention organizations, focusing on policy advocacy, litigation, and public education. It is directly comparable to VPC as a long-standing gun violence prevention nonprofit that produces research and advocates for stronger gun laws at state and federal levels.
Broad incumbents
- Center for American Progress: CAP is a large progressive policy think tank whose gun violence prevention work is one of many issue areas. It is comparable to VPC as a producer of policy research that informs legislators and the media, but operates much more broadly across social and economic policy.
Others
- RAND Corporation Gun Policy Research Initiative: RAND is an independent research institution producing rigorous gun policy research widely cited by legislators and the media. It is thematically comparable to VPC's research-and-evidence role in the gun violence policy ecosystem, though operating on a much larger scale and as a contractor rather than an advocate.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Violence Policy Center social profiles
Digital presenceViolence Policy Center financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Violence Policy Center leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Violence Policy Center funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Violence Policy Center M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Violence Policy Center
What does Violence Policy Center do?
The Violence Policy Center is a national tax-exempt educational nonprofit that conducts research, investigation, analysis, and advocacy on gun violence prevention. Its core offering consists of free research publications and policy resources — including studies on Black Homicide Victimization, Murder-Suicide patterns, Concealed Carry Killers, Mass Shootings, and firearms industry practices — distributed to policymakers, journalists, advocates, and the public.
Is Violence Policy Center a public or private company?
Violence Policy Center is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Violence Policy Center founded?
Violence Policy Center was founded in 1988. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Violence Policy Center based?
Violence Policy Center is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Violence Policy Center make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Charitable Contributions.
Who are Violence Policy Center's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Prevention and Policy. Direct peers are Sandy Hook Promise, Everytown for Gun Safety, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Giffords and Brady (Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence). Center for American Progress is listed as a broad incumbent. RAND Corporation Gun Policy Research Initiative is listed as an others.
Does Violence Policy Center have an API?
No public API is recorded for Violence Policy Center.
What industry is Violence Policy Center in?
Violence Policy Center's product category is Gun Violence Prevention Research & Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAM, Gun Violence Prevention & Public Safety Policy Advocacy, with a secondary code of BPAGAFAI, Criminal Justice Reform & Legal System Advocacy. Its NAICS code is 8133.