What Advance Peace does

Advance Peace is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization, founded in 2016 and formally incorporated as an independent entity in 2017, that scales the Peacemaker Fellowship® model—a community violence intervention (CVI) program originally developed under the City of Richmond, California's Office of Neighborhood Safety beginning in 2010. The organization targets individuals at highest risk of committing or being victimized by gun violence and delivers an 18-month intensive fellowship combining credible messenger-led outreach, life coaching, mentorship, travel and exposure experiences, educational opportunities, and performance-based financial stipends tied to behavioral milestones. The core technology is a trauma-informed, healing-centered methodology rather than a software product; APZone, a web-based platform, supports fellows and program administrators with resource access and progress tracking. Complementary service lines include Training & CVI Workforce Development, Technical Assistance & Strategic Support, Customized Professional & Administrative Support (fiscal sponsorship for small nonprofits), and an Education & Collaboration Hub.

The organization's revenue model is nonprofit-style: government contracts and MOUs with municipal governments are the primary revenue stream (e.g., a $2 million Fresno contract documented before its 2025 cut), supplemented by private foundation grants (including The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation) and individual donations. Go-to-market is sales-led and high-touch, with direct outreach to city and county leaders, foundations, and community-based organizations, followed by tailored partnership agreements. The organization serves three customer segments: cities, counties, and municipal governments seeking alternatives to traditional law enforcement approaches; community-based nonprofits building CVI capacity; and individual donors and advocates. The organization operates in over 20 cities across the United States, primarily in California (Richmond, Sacramento, Stockton, Fresno, Yolo County) with expansion to Rochester, Lansing, Milwaukee, Orlando, and Fort Worth. Founded by DeVone Boggan, who previously served as Neighborhood Safety Director for the City of Richmond for approximately nine years, Advance Peace is now facing material federal funding headwinds following an April 2025 DEI-related funding cut to its Fresno program.

Name

Advance Peace

Legal name

Advance Peace

Website

https://advancepeace.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Advance Peace is a U.S. nonprofit that scales the Peacemaker Fellowship, an 18-month community violence intervention program serving individuals at highest risk of gun violence. It operates in 20+ cities via government contracts, foundation grants, and donations, providing training and technical assistance to municipal partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Violence Intervention Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Alternative Dispute Resolution & Restorative Justice Programs (BPAIAFAL)

Keywords

• Community violence intervention
• Violence reduction fellowship
• Trauma-informed intervention
• Public safety training
• CVI workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts and Grants: Advance Peace generates revenue through formal contracts and memoranda of understanding with municipal governments and city agencies. The organization was mentioned receiving $2 million in funding from Fresno, indicating government contracting as a primary revenue stream.
2. Private Foundation Funding: Partnerships with foundations committed to ending cycles of trauma and building safer communities, providing grant funding for program implementation and expansion.
3. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals supporting the mission to end urban gun violence through community-based intervention strategies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Advance Peace delivers evidence-based community violence intervention (CVI) programs, anchored by the Peacemaker Fellowship® — an 18-month intensive fellowship for individuals most likely to commit or be victimized by gun violence that combines credible messenger outreach, life coaching, mentorship, travel/exposure experiences, educational opportunities, and performance-based stipends. Complementary offerings include CVI workforce training, on-the-ground technical assistance for public agencies and nonprofits, customized administrative and fiscal sponsorship support for small nonprofits, and an online Education & Collaboration Hub. Revenue is generated through government contracts, foundation grants, and individual donations.

Product overview

Advance Peace is a national nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of community violence intervention (CVI) services. The core offering is the Peacemaker Fellowship®, an 18-month intensive program combining mentorship, life coaching, travel experiences, and performance-based stipends for individuals at highest risk of gun violence. This is supported by APZone, a web-based platform for program management. The organization provides complementary services including Training & CVI Workforce Development, Technical Assistance & Strategic Support, Customized Professional & Administrative Support, and an Education & Collaboration Hub. Together, these form an integrated ecosystem designed to design, launch, scale, and sustain CVI programs across cities nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Advance Peace Peacemaker Fellowship®: The organization's flagship program providing violence reduction fellowships to individuals at the center of gun violence conflicts, featuring life-coaching, travel and exposure experiences, and performance-based stipends.
• Peacemaker Fellowship Ring

Products and services

• Peacemaker Fellowship® An 18-month intensive fellowship program that provides mentorship, life coaching, travel and exposure experiences, and performance-based Life Map Milestone stipends to individuals at the highest risk of committing or being victimized by gun violence. Delivered to municipal and nonprofit partners seeking evidence-based community violence intervention outcomes.
• APZone A web-based platform for Peacemaker Fellows and program administrators to access resources, track progress, and manage fellowship activities for community violence intervention programs.
• Training & CVI Workforce Development Comprehensive training programs designed to build the community violence intervention (CVI) workforce, providing skills development for practitioners in violence prevention and intervention strategies. Designed for public agencies and nonprofit practitioners implementing CVI programs.
• Technical Assistance & Strategic Support Real-time, on-the-ground technical assistance and strategic support for public agencies and nonprofits implementing or scaling CVI programs, including guidance on program design, operations, data-informed decision-making, staff supervision, and sustainability planning. Delivered by practitioners with lived experience in urban violence prevention.
• Customized Professional & Administrative Support Customized professional and administrative support services tailored for small nonprofits implementing CVI programs, including fiscal sponsorship role assistance for partner organizations that need operational back-office support.
• Education & Collaboration Hub An online hub providing educational materials, research publications, training tools, and collaborative resources for the community violence intervention ecosystem and Advance Peace's partner organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80%+ reduction in gun homicide in Richmond since 2010
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• City of Richmond Office of Neighborhood SafetyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerRichmond's Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS) is the founding model for Advance Peace, created in 2007. It is the longest-standing Office of Violence Prevention in the nation and the first to institutionalize a community-driven, government-led, non-law enforcement strategy to reduce retaliatory gun violence.
• G-VITAL (UC Berkeley)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with UC Berkeley's G-VITAL initiative for CVI workforce development, providing training and credentialing programs for violence intervention specialists.
• National Office Violence Prevention NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive participation in the national network of office-based violence prevention organizations, supporting knowledge sharing and field-wide capacity building.
• Cities and Community-Based OrganizationscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFormal partnerships through contracts and MOUs with cities, organizations, and funders committed to ending cycles of trauma and building safer communities. Partnership models include program development, technical assistance, research and evaluation support, and joint training opportunities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cure Violence Global: Cure Violence is the most direct peer to Advance Peace — both operate community violence intervention models using credible messengers and interrupters to reduce shootings, with comparable target populations (highest-risk individuals in urban areas) and similar funder mix (government and philanthropy).
• Roca: Roca runs a high-risk young adult intervention model in Massachusetts and beyond that closely mirrors Advance Peace's Peacemaker Fellowship structure — multi-year intensive coaching, life skills, and education for those at highest risk of violence and incarceration.
• Newark Community Street Team: Newark Community Street Team is a credible-messenger violence interruption organization operating in Newark, NJ, with a comparable street-outreach and case-management model targeting individuals at highest risk of involvement in gun violence.
• READI Chicago: READI Chicago is a direct peer — a violence intervention program offering paid cognitive behavioral therapy, job training, and supportive services to individuals at highest risk of gun violence involvement, with rigorous third-party evaluation.

Regional players

• Metropolitan Family Services: Metropolitan Family Services runs violence prevention and youth intervention programs in the Chicago region with comparable at-risk youth and case-management offerings, though with broader human services scope rather than Advance Peace's specialized CVI focus.

Broad incumbents

• Giffords: Giffords is a broader gun violence prevention organization focused on policy advocacy, lobbying, and litigation rather than direct CVI delivery — relevant as an adjacent incumbent shaping the funding and policy environment for Advance Peace.
• Brady Campaign: Brady is a national gun violence prevention advocacy organization — adjacent to Advance Peace, working the policy and legislative side of the same problem while Advance Peace operates community-level intervention.

Others

• National Office Violence Prevention Network: The OVP Network is a peer network of city and county offices of violence prevention — Advance Peace is an active member, making it a direct ecosystem partner rather than a competitor, but relevant for benchmarking as the field's coordinating body.

Emerging players

• Boston StreetSafe (BPHC): Boston's StreetSafe program is a city-run violence intervention initiative employing community-based street workers to mediate conflicts and connect high-risk individuals to services — comparable to Advance Peace's municipal-partnership model.
• Sanctuary for Families: Sanctuary for Families provides trauma-informed services in New York including violence intervention and case management for high-risk populations — adjacent in mission to Advance Peace, with overlap in client profile but distinct service mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/advancepeace
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/advance-peace-485b67135
• Instagraminstagram.com/advancepeace
• Xx.com/weadvancepeace

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Advance Peace