Everytown Survivor Fellowship
At Everytown, we believe that your story has power.
At Everytown for Gun Safety, we believe in the power of elevating the voices of those who have lived experience with gun violence and know firsthand the long-lasting implications for communities, families, and individuals. In an age where facts are traded for hot takes and clickbait, first-person narrative storytelling remains one of the strongest methods of changing hearts and minds.
That’s why, in 2015, we launched the Survivor Fellowship Program – a year-long volunteer advocacy and leadership training program for people directly impacted by gun violence. This program supports survivor advocates as they share their stories with communities, lawmakers, and the media, helping to put a human face to the numbers, and mobilize people across the country to take meaningful action to end gun violence.
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Who is a survivor of gun violence?
The Everytown Survivor Fellowship Programs welcomes anyone who has been personally impacted by gun violence. This includes individuals who have witnessed an act of gun violence, been threatened or wounded with a gun, or had someone they know or cared about wounded or killed. This can include, but is not limited to, gun homicides, gun suicides, domestic violence involving a gun, shootings by police, mass shootings, unintentional shootings.
People may use different words to describe living through gun violence. Some may use “victim,” some use “survivor,” and some don’t use either term. Knowing that each person experiences trauma and healing differently, at Everytown, we use the word “survivor” to acknowledge the pain, resilience, and unacceptable impacts that gun violence can cause.
Join us in moving the needle
Community
Opportunities to connect with other individuals who have been impacted by gun violence, building community within our network of 80,000+ gun violence survivors nationwide.
Training & Support
An in-depth series of training sessions focused on maximizing the impact of your story and sustaining yourself throughout the process. You’ll also receive ongoing virtual training opportunities and programmatic support from Fellowship staff throughout the Fellowship year in addition to training materials, toolkits, policy briefings, updates, and guidance from experts in the field.
Year in the Fellowship
Click here to see what a year in the Everytown Survivor Fellowship looks like.
Apply
We open applications annually, typically in late spring or early summer.
Get notified when applications go live!
Here’s what to expect from our application process:
- Submit an application form
- This form usually takes about 20–30 minutes to complete. You’ll share some basic information, your interest in the program, and the strengths and experiences you’d bring as a Fellow.
- Ask someone who knows you well from work, school, or a volunteer role to submit a brief recommendation on your behalf.
- Invitation to a virtual interview (if eligible)
- Once the application window closes, our Fellowship Program staff will reach out by email to schedule interviews with applicants who are moving forward in the application process.
- Complete a background check
- Applicants who move forward after the interview will be asked to complete a background check.
- Final review and next steps
- After all steps are complete, our team will review each candidate’s eligibility for acceptance. Those selected will be invited to begin our foundational training. Successfully completing the training is core to becoming a Fellow for the following calendar year.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What kinds of lived experiences are represented in the Everytown Survivor Fellowship program?
At Everytown, we recognize that gun violence takes many forms and affects people in deeply personal ways. We are committed to illuminating the full spectrum of gun violence across the country, including gun homicides (solved and unsolved), gun suicides, community gun violence, shootings by police, domestic violence involving firearms, and unintentional shootings. Our work centers the experiences of those who have witnessed gun violence, been shot and wounded, threatened with a firearm, or had a loved one taken by gun violence – because every story matters, and every impact deserves to be seen.
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What is the difference between the Everytown Student Survivor Fellowship and the Everytown Survivor Fellowship program?
While both programs require participants to be 18 or older, the Everytown Student Survivor Fellowship is a parallel program in partnership with Students Demand Action that is specifically designed for high school, college/university, and graduate students under 26.
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I’m nervous (or have never) shared my story publically, how do I know if sharing my lived experience with gun violence is right for me?
We recognize that deciding to share your lived experience with gun violence is a deeply personal choice and may not be right for everyone. Sharing your story is one of many ways someone can make a difference in the gun violence prevention movement. If you are new to sharing your story and would like to learn more about whether sharing in this context would be a good fit for you, we encourage you to take this self-assessment to determine your comfort level and visit our website Moments That Survive to read the stories of survivors in their own words.
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What comes after my year as an Everytown Survivor Fellow?
Following your year as an Everytown Survivor Fellow, we welcome you to join our Fellowship alumni network. Fellows are encouraged to take on local leadership within our grassroots network of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action.
Contact Us
We want to hear from you!
If you’re interested in learning more about the Survivor Fellowship program, we invite you to email us at [email protected].