We Are Not Powerless

Gun violence. The phrase has become almost blandly ubiquitous in American culture. But to those who have experienced the piercing loss of a loved one to gunfire, to those whose kids’ “active shooter drills” at school have become a familiar part of the curriculum – gun violence is a maddening public health catastrophe that must be contained. On that front, the nonprofit Brady: United Against Gun Violence is a pugnacious, single-minded force for good.

“Brady’s mission statement is to Free America from Gun Violence,” says Julie Hill, director of engagement for Brady United. “As mission statements go, it’s very succinct.” Brady United’s inaugural legislative success – 1993’s hard-fought Brady Bill – established both the first national instant background check system and the five-day waiting period. At this writing, the landmark legislation has shut down nearly 4.9 million prohibited gun transactions.  

Today, Brady United is engaged on every legislative and cultural front that bears on the gun control issue, working tirelessly to change the gun laws, the industry, and the culture. It’s worth remembering that Jim and Sarah Brady (who passed in 2014 and 2015, respectively) were themselves gun owners. “A lot of legacy gun owners view gun safety as an essential part of gun ownership,” says Liz Dunning, Brady United’s chief development and engagement officer. “Some of what we’re seeking to accomplish is returning gun ownership to a posture of gun safety and responsibility.” 

In that spirit, Brady United is indefatigable – and innovative. In Oakland, Brady Chapter leaders co-founded the Oakland Gun Tracing Group, which advocates for the release of gun trace data to better understand the flow of crime guns. At the government procurement level, Brady leverages ordinary market pressures to incent government agencies’ thorough vetting of vendors when sourcing weapons. Brady has even gone Hollywood – partnering with writers, producers, and studio execs to model responsible gun ownership onscreen. And to date, Brady’s safe home gun storage PSA, End Family Fire, has served 3.6 billion views. Liz Dunning describes the fuel that drives Brady’s successes. 

“Eighty percent of our annual revenue comes from individuals, and half of that comes from individuals giving a thousand dollars or less. We know – every day – that we are accountable to a broad swath of people who believe in our mission.” Her colleague Julie Hill concurs.

“We have the wide reach and can go deep enough into the issue to truly tackle these problems. Gifts at any and all levels go a long way to freeing America from gun violence, to keeping us all safe.”