WHEN PERSONAL TRAGEDY BECOMES A MOVEMENT FOR PEACE, extraordinary transformations happen. In 1994, after losing her 15-year-old son Louis D. Brown to gun violence in a Dorchester crossfire, Clementina “Tina” Chéry discovered something devastating: no resources existed for survivors of homicide victims. Rather than accept this void, she created what would become one of the nation’s most influential violence intervention organizations: the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute.

Today, 30 years later, LDBPI stands as a testament to how survivor-led innovation can fill critical gaps in our social safety net. As philanthropic advisors who’ve helped clients secure over $2 billion in strategic investments, we at Bridge Philanthropic Consulting recognize transformational opportunities when we see them. The Louis D. Brown Peace Institute represents exactly that: a chance to invest in proven, community-rooted solutions that address trauma at its source.

THE POWER OF SURVIVOR-LED LEADERSHIP

Clementina Chéry’s journey from Honduran immigrant to nationally recognized peace advocate illustrates why survivor-led organizations create lasting impact. When tragedy struck her family, Chéry didn’t just grieve: she innovated. She developed the Survivors Burial and Resource Guide and “Always in My Heart,” tools that became national models for supporting families navigating homicide’s aftermath.

“What makes organizations like LDBPI so powerful is their authentic understanding of community needs,” says Dwayne Ashley, CEO and Founder of Bridge Philanthropic Consulting. “When we help donors identify high-impact investments, we look for this combination: lived experience driving innovation, proven track records, and scalable models. LDBPI delivers on all three.”

Her survivor-led approach created something unique: services designed by those who truly understood the journey from trauma to healing. This wasn’t theoretical social work: it was practical wisdom born from the deepest loss, transformed into community healing infrastructure.

THREE DECADES OF MEASURABLE IMPACT

Since 1994, LDBPI has evolved from grassroots response to nationally recognized model, pioneering approaches that other organizations now replicate. Their signature programs demonstrate the comprehensive support survivors need:

• Survivors Outreach Services: Direct support for families navigating the criminal justice system, funeral planning, and immediate crisis response

• Peace Education: Trauma-informed programming that reaches youth before violence occurs

• Youth Engagement: Generation Peace initiatives that transform young people from potential victims into peace advocates

• Violence Prevention Training: Professional development that spreads LDBPI’s model to other communities

The numbers tell a compelling story: thousands of families served, hundreds of young people engaged, and a model that influenced national conversations about community-based violence intervention. This isn’t just local impact: it’s infrastructure that other cities study and replicate.

CONSISTENT, TRUSTED, WELL-MANAGED. Over three decades, LDBPI has paired survivor-led wisdom with strong management systems—clear budgets, transparent reporting, disciplined program evaluation, and ongoing staff development—earning deep trust from donors, partners, and communities.

• Multi-year support from returning donors and institutions that value measurable outcomes and responsible stewardship

• Mature infrastructure: standardized intake, outcomes tracking, and trauma-informed protocols consistently applied across programs

• Board oversight and seasoned leadership that plan for sustainability, risk, and growth

• Community trust: survivor families, clergy, schools, and city partners rely on LDBPI as the first call after tragedy

“As donors look for reliable partners, LDBPI stands out for disciplined execution and compassionate impact—exactly where smart philanthropy meets systemic change,” says Dwayne Ashley, CEO and Founder of Bridge Philanthropic Consulting.

ENDORSEMENTS THAT MATTER

WHEN BOSTON’S LEADERSHIP SPEAKS, we listen. “Mayor Michelle Wu’s consistent presence at LDBPI events, including the annual Mother’s Day Walk for Peace, reflects more than ceremonial support: it represents municipal recognition of LDBPI’s critical role in the city’s public safety ecosystem.”

Governor Maura Healey and state leaders have repeatedly emphasized Massachusetts’ commitment to funding community-based violence prevention, recognizing that effective public safety requires both legislative action and community healing capacity. LDBPI represents exactly the kind of culturally competent, trauma-informed organization that complements broader policy reforms.

Civic leaders consistently highlight LDBPI’s:

• Advocacy for survivors and families navigating the justice system

• Trauma-informed practice and training that strengthens Boston’s safety net

• Survivor-led leadership that has shaped the city’s violence prevention network over three decades

• Partnership with the City and the Commonwealth efforts to drive systemic change

This governmental support isn’t charity: it’s a strategic investment in proven solutions. When elected officials consistently show up for LDBPI, they acknowledge what our clients understand: sustainable community change requires long-term investment in organizations that deliver results.

THE POLICY CONNECTION: WHY INVESTMENT WORKS

Massachusetts leads the nation in gun violence prevention legislation, but laws alone can’t heal trauma or rebuild trust in affected communities. Organizations like LDBPI fill the crucial gap between policy and practice, providing services that statutory programs simply can’t deliver.

Research from organizations like GIFFORDS demonstrates that effective violence prevention requires multi-layered approaches: legislative reform, law enforcement, and community-based interventions working in tandem. LDBPI’s model proves this integration works: they’ve created healing spaces where families can process grief, young people can envision different futures, and entire neighborhoods can begin breaking cycles of trauma.

The cost-effectiveness argument is compelling: investing in healing and prevention reduces emergency services costs, criminal justice expenses, and intergenerational trauma transmission. When our clients ask about measurable impact, we point to organizations like LDBPI that deliver both immediate relief and long-term systemic change.

THE $25 MILLION CAMPAIGN FOR PEACE: BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR HEALING

THE FUTURE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION requires dedicated space designed for restoration. LDBPI’s Campaign for Peace seeks $25 million to build their new Center for Healing, Teaching, and Learning in Dorchester: not just another building, but healing infrastructure specifically designed to support trauma recovery.

This isn’t construction; it’s capacity building. The new center will feature:

• Trauma-informed design that creates safety and accessibility for survivors

• Expanded programming space to serve more families and train more advocates

• Community gathering areas that foster connection and belonging

• Educational facilities for peace education and professional development

• Healing gardens and quiet spaces designed for reflection and restoration

“When we evaluate building campaigns for clients, we look beyond bricks and mortar to transformational potential,” notes Ashley. “LDBPI’s new center represents exactly what smart philanthropy should fund: infrastructure that multiplies impact and creates sustainable change.”The investment case is clear: current demand far exceeds capacity, and the new center will enable LDBPI to serve more families, train more advocates, and expand their nationally-recognized model to additional communities.

THE MORAL AND ECONOMIC IMPERATIVE

As Louis D. Brown himself once said, “If true peace is to happen, it would be up to my generation, regardless which side of the street they come from.” His words, spoken before his tragic death, now guide an organization that has transformed countless lives and influenced national conversations about healing and prevention.

The investment opportunity before us combines moral imperative with economic logic. Supporting LDBPI means:

• Immediate impact: Families receive crisis support when they need it most

• Prevention focus: Young people gain alternatives to violence before tragedy occurs

• Systemic change: Models and training spread to other communities

• Cost-effectiveness: Prevention reduces expensive emergency and criminal justice interventions

• Sustainability: Building capacity creates lasting infrastructure for healing

With our 800 years of combined experience helping clients navigate complex philanthropic decisions, we recognize transformational opportunities. LDBPI represents the kind of investment that creates ripple effects far beyond initial funding: changing families, neighborhoods, and entire systems of response to trauma.

A CALL TO STRATEGIC ACTION

THIS IS A RARE AND URGENT MOMENT FOR BOSTON’S UHNW LEADERS. Join Clementina “Tina” Chéry, the board, long-standing advocates, and dedicated volunteers to build the ultimate Center of Healing, Teaching, and Learning at LDBPI. This campaign goes beyond charity—it is a strategic investment in Boston and the Commonwealth’s future, ensuring peace, healing, and resilience for generations.

The Louis D. Brown Peace Institute doesn’t just serve Boston; it anchors a proven, survivor-led ecosystem that transforms trauma into peace. With consistent results and sound stewardship, LDBPI is a trusted partner for social impact investors who want their philanthropy to drive systemic change.

Ways UHNW partners can lead now:

• Make an anchor gift or multi-year leadership commitment to accelerate construction

• Join the Campaign Co-Chairs, Cabinet, Board and Leadership Circle of early investors with catalytic match and naming opportunities

• Underwrite trauma-informed training and survivor services to scale impact across Massachusetts

• Seed an innovation and data capacity fund for outcomes, stewardship, and replication

• Explore mission-related or program-related investments aligned with your portfolio and values

“As a firm with 800 years of combined experience and more than $2B raised for our clients, we’ve helped families and institutions make gifts that change cities. This is one of those moments—where courageous philanthropy creates sustainable, systemic change,” says Dwayne Ashley, CEO and Founder of Bridge Philanthropic Consulting.

For donors seeking maximum impact, supporting LDBPI’s Campaign for Peace represents an investment in the infrastructure our communities need to break cycles of trauma and build sustainable peace—right here in Boston and across the Commonwealth.

Seize this unique giving moment. Connect with our team at Bridge Philanthropic Consulting to structure a visionary gift, join the Leadership Circle, secure high-impact prospect meetings, and close with confidence. Together, we can build the Peace Center Boston and Massachusetts deserve.

Bridge Philanthropic Consulting adheres to the highest ethical standards in its work as members of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Association of African-American Development Officers, and the Giving Institute. Our commitment to social justice and social impact drives everything we do, connecting resources with movements that create systemic change around the world.