In the District of Columbia, advancing youth well-being remains a top priority. Community-based organizations play a critical role in our society and lead the cause for many communities. These organizations provide mentorship, stability, and trusted relationships in environments where young people often face structural barriers to opportunity.

One of the leaders engaged through these efforts is Tia Bell, founder of The T.R.I.G.G.E.R. Project. The name says it all: True Reasons I Grabbed the Gun Evolved from Risks. Focused on youth development, mentorship, and healing-centered engagement, the organization was born not from a policy brief or a boardroom, but from lived experience.

Tia Bell’s leadership is rooted in personal loss. At 10 years old, she was abruptly introduced to the realities of gun violence when her mother was shot. “I used to think gun violence was normal,” she says. “Before I almost lost my mom, I was losing her friends. After, I started losing my own.” 

At 17, she lost her uncle Doug, who was 21 at the time of his untimely death. It was at his funeral that something shifted. Tia found herself asking how someone younger than her uncle could take his life. At the same time, she felt the weight of survivor’s remorse. “I felt guilty that the young man behind the gun didn’t have my level of support,” she adds, “and sad that my uncle couldn’t see his daughter or me grow old and change the world.” In that moment, she knew something had to be done for those in front of the gun, behind it, and for the youth experiencing the ricochet of it all. Coupled with her Master’s in Youth Development and the normalization of violence in her community, that heartache became the foundation for the organization it is today.

Unlike many community violence interruption initiatives that focus on specific neighborhoods, The T.R.I.G.G.E.R. Project takes a public health approach, reaching young people broadly through school assemblies, vigils, sporting events, and proms. To date, the organization has impacted thousands of youth across Washington, D.C. Its flagship program, TRIGGER University, has graduated over 500 prevention leaders, who Tia describes as “the youngest experts in the world.”  The curriculum weaves together workforce development, mentorship, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and career readiness, all as protective factors. On the ground, that impact looks like youth securing jobs, earning certifications, starting businesses, graduating, and stepping into leadership in their communities.

For many young people, the first thing they find at The T.R.I.G.G.E.R. Project is something they may not have experienced before: a community that believes in them. “Exposure to gun violence isolates us as a city,” Tia says. “It contributes to unhealthy narratives about youth.” At TRIGGER University, young people find a safe space where they are seen, heard, and valued, and where they encounter what Tia defines as prevention itself. “The absence of gun violence and presence of protection.”

The Jane Bancroft Robinson Foundation (JBRF), was built on a simple but powerful belief: the people closest to a community are best positioned to lead it forward. Through trust-based philanthropy, leadership development, and targeted grantmaking, we invest in community-rooted leaders working East of the Anacostia River and trust them to do what they know best.

Our partnership with Tia reflects what that looks like in practice. She participated in the second Chief Executive Leadership Ascend Program (CELAP) cohort, designed to strengthen emerging community leaders and support organizational growth. We also provided a direct matching grant that helped amplify funding secured from another donor and contributed to the organization’s continued sustainability. In our conversation, Tia reflected on what that support has meant: “JBRF’s investment has allowed us to expand opportunities for young people, strengthen our programs, and deepen our impact. Beyond funding, their belief in our mission has helped us build momentum and create lasting change in the lives of the youth and families we serve.”

Beyond grantmaking, JBRF participates in the DC Youth Violence Prevention Coalition steering committee alongside partners including the Center for Nonprofit Advancement, University of Michigan, and the American Public Health Association. Within this broader collaborative effort, The T.R.I.G.G.E.R. Project serves as a backbone organization supporting coordinated community approaches focused on youth wellbeing and prevention.

In Wards 7 and 8, where the need is greatest, organizations like The T.R.I.G.G.E.R. Project respond to interconnected challenges that include mentorship, emotional support, and access to opportunity. They build the kind of trust and connection that no program alone can manufacture. And they do it because their leaders have lived those realities themselves.

JBRF’s investment reflects a commitment to that principle and to the belief that lasting change in Washington, D.C., begins with the people who know it best. Tia Bell’s story is proof of what’s possible when leaders with lived experience and deep community ties are given the resources and opportunity to grow.