Bull City Future Fund plans announcement in fight against youth gun violence

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Bull City Future Fund aims to bolster young people by keeping them off the streets, occupied, and alive by providing financial support to community organizations. Mayor Leo Williams said the fund was launched out of inspiration and frustration in response to the urgent need for a solution to youth gun violence.

"These are the organizations that are actually keeping the threshold from being higher of the youth we're losing in this city. If it wasn't for these organizations, we'd probably be losing more kids," said Williams.

The Bull City Future Fund was launched in partnership with the United Way of the Greater Triangle and the Triangle Community Foundation. Some of the organizations that will benefit include Sidekicks Academy, Echo, the Boys & Girls Club of Durham and Orange Counties, the Poof Teen Center, the Durham YMCA, the Durham Success Summit, El Futuro, Made in Durham, and the Youth Mentoring Collaborative.

Mayor Leonardo Williams said the organizations receiving money will help keep kids busy in productive ways and reduce juvenile and violent crime.

According to Durham Police, there have been 16 homicides in 2025. Three of the victims were younger than 18. Last week, there were at least three shootings across the Bull City. In one of those shootings, a bullet pierced the bedroom wall of a 7-year-old girl's bedroom as she slept. Fortunately, she was not hit.

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"These kids are products of their environment. If we want to see a better environment, then we must fertilize the environment in which our kids can grow. Therefore, we need to invest not only our money, but our time," Williams said. "We also need to invest in policy that's reflective of the needs of our community and stop talking around it."

The mayor said the organizations were selected through an application process that involved community members, including some college students.