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Giffords (stylized "GIFFORDS") is an American advocacy and research organization focused on preventing
gun violence Gun-related violence is violence against a person committed with the use of a firearm to inflict a gunshot wound. Gun violence may or may not be considered criminal. Criminal violence includes homicide (except when and where ruled justifiable ...
. The organization draws its name from one of its co-founders,
Gabby Giffords Gabrielle Dee Giffords (born June 8, 1970) is an American retired politician and gun violence prevention advocate. She served as a member of the United States House of Representatives representing from January 2007 until January 2012, when ...
, a former Democratic member of the
U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
. Rep. Giffords was shot along with 18 others at a constituent meeting in Tucson in 2011. The organization has three parts: a
501(c)(4) A 501(c) organization is a nonprofit organization in the Law of the United States#Federal law, federal law of the United States according to Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 501(c)). Such organizations are exempt from some Taxation in the Un ...
lobbying arm, a
501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...
research arm and law center, and a
super PAC Independent expenditure-only political action committees, better known as super PACs, are a type of political action committee (PAC) in the United States. Unlike traditional PACs, super PACs are legally allowed to fundraise unlimited amounts of m ...
. It was previously known in a different configuration as
Americans for Responsible Solutions Americans for Responsible Solutions (ARS) was a United States non-profit organization and super PAC that supported gun control. The group's stated goal was "to encourage elected officials to stand up for solutions to prevent gun violence and pro ...
.


Mission

Giffords has written that when she and her husband,
Mark Kelly Mark Edward Kelly (born February 21, 1964) is an American politician, retired astronaut, and former United States Navy, naval officer serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from Arizona, a seat he ha ...
, launched the organization, they "wanted to prove that it's possible to stand up for the
Second Amendment The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of Un ...
while also standing up for stronger gun laws that keep us safe." The mission of the organization is to shift
American gun culture Gun culture in the United States refers to the behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs surrounding the ownership and use of firearms by private citizens. Gun ownership is deeply rooted in the country’s history and is legally protected by the Second ...
through information and to challenge the gun industry and lobby, all while changing U.S. policies to support safer gun laws. It is known for its centrist, bipartisan approach and aim to organize unlikely allies, such as gun owners.


History

The organization known as Giffords began as a nonprofit and super PAC
Americans for Responsible Solutions Americans for Responsible Solutions (ARS) was a United States non-profit organization and super PAC that supported gun control. The group's stated goal was "to encourage elected officials to stand up for solutions to prevent gun violence and pro ...
which Giffords launched with her husband, retired astronaut and U.S. Navy aviator (and future United States Senator) Mark Kelly in 2013 shortly after the
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting On December 14, 2012, a mass shooting occurred at Newtown Public Schools, Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, United States. The perpetrator, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, shot and killed 26 people. The victims were 20 children bet ...
. In its first electoral cycle, Kelly said the organization aimed to devote as much money to support candidates advocating for gun safety laws as the
National Rifle Association of America The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent Gun politics in the United States, gun rights ...
(NRA) had spent in the 2012 election. In 2016, ARS merged with the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, adding legal expertise and state-level research on gun laws to its work. In 2017, the group changed its name from Americans for Responsible Solutions to Giffords.


Gun safety advocacy

Giffords works on a range of issues to curb
gun violence Gun-related violence is violence against a person committed with the use of a firearm to inflict a gunshot wound. Gun violence may or may not be considered criminal. Criminal violence includes homicide (except when and where ruled justifiable ...
including requiring
background check A background check is a process used by an organisation or person to verify that an individual is who they claim to be, and check their past record to confirm education, employment history, and other activities, and for a criminal record. The fr ...
s for guns purchased in private sales and at gun shows, reducing interstate gun trafficking, conducting gun violence research, and regulating dangerous hardware like
bump stock Bump stocks or bump fire stocks are gun stocks that can be used to assist in bump firing, the act of using the recoil of a semi-automatic firearm to fire cartridges in rapid succession. The legality of bump stocks in the United States came u ...
s and
auto sear An auto sear ("automatic sear") is a part of an automatic firearm that holds the hammer in the cocked position while the bolt of the weapon is cycling and releases the hammer/striker. It is basically an internal trigger actuated by the bolt/bolt ...
s. It has played a role in passing more than 700 new gun laws in 49 states and Washington, D.C. Giffords’ executive director is Emma Brown, a political advisor and former Democratic campaign manager.


Affiliated Programs and Initiatives

Through the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, the organization releases th
Annual Gun Law Scorecard
a website that evaluates the "relative strength or weakness" of gun laws in each state as well as the rate of gun deaths, assigning grades to each state and demonstrating the effectiveness of gun laws at reducing gun deaths. Giffords Law Center also files ''
amicus curiae An amicus curiae (; ) is an individual or organization that is not a Party (law), party to a legal case, but that is permitted to assist a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case. Wheth ...
'' briefs and takes other legal action to protect, enforce and strengthen gun regulations. Through Giffords Center for Violence Intervention, the organization promotes community-based solutions to gun violence in American cities and hosts the annual Community Violence Intervention Conference, the largest gathering of community violence experts and advocates in the United States. Giffords program Gun Owners for Safety brings together hunters, sports shooters, and other gun enthusiasts who support both stronger gun laws and the Second Amendment. Promoting responsible gun ownership, the group aims to be an alternative to the NRA and other gun rights organizations that some gun owners view as having become too extreme at the expense of public safety. Giffords has also launched a number of state chapters, including Giffords Florida and Giffords Texas, to bring together local gun safety advocates, push for improvements to gun laws at the state level, and bring attention to candidates who advocate for gun safety laws.


Electoral activity


2014 election cycle

Giffords supports candidates with gun violence prevention in their platforms through its super PAC. The PAC spent $8 million in the 2014 election cycle on independent expenditures for and against 20 candidates. The largest share of the group's spending was in the race for the House seat previously held by Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona's second district. The group supported the incumbent, Democrat and Giffords's former aide Ron Barber, against Republican
Martha McSally Martha Elizabeth McSally (born March 22, 1966) is an American politician and former military pilot who represented Arizona in both chambers of Congress between 2015 and 2020. She is to date the last Republican to serve Arizona in the U.S. Senate ...
. McSally narrowly won the seat. Overall during the 2014 election cycle, the PAC devoted $4.9 million to oppose Republican candidates, $2.4 million in support of Democratic candidates and $860,000 in support of Republican candidates.


2016 election cycle

In 2016, Giffords spent more than $2 million supporting New Hampshire Democrat
Maggie Hassan Margaret Wood Hassan ( ; ; born February 27, 1958) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States senator for New Hampshire since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Hassan was the 81st governor of New Hampshire, ...
in her bid to unseat Republican Sen.
Kelly Ayotte Kelly Ann Ayotte ( ; born June 27, 1968) is an American attorney and politician serving since 2025 as the 83rd governor of New Hampshire. A member of the Republican Party, she served from 2011 to 2017 as a United States senator from New Hampsh ...
, who had voted against expanding background checks for gun purchases. Hassan won the seat. The PAC also endorsed Republicans including two senate candidates,
Pat Toomey Patrick Joseph Toomey Jr. (born November 17, 1961) is an American businessman and politician who served as a United States senator from Pennsylvania from 2011 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he served three terms as the U.S. represen ...
of Pennsylvania and
Mark Kirk Mark Steven Kirk (born September 15, 1959) is an American retired politician and attorney who served as a United States senator from Illinois from 2010 to 2017, and as the United States representative for Illinois's 10th congressional district f ...
of Illinois. Giffords and Kelly wrote that Toomey and Kirk "broke from the gun lobby" to support a bill to close the gun-show loophole. They also supported the Democratic candidate in two Senate races as well as a handful of House contests. Overall, Giffords spent $2.7 million on political races in 2016.


2017 statewide races

Giffords supported two gubernatorial candidates in 2017 who supported stronger gun laws.
Ralph Northam Ralph Shearer Northam (born September 13, 1959) is an American physician and former politician who served as the 73rd governor of Virginia from 2018 to 2022. A pediatric Neurology, neurologist by occupation, he was an officer in the Medical Co ...
in Virginia and
Phil Murphy Philip Dunton Murphy (born August 16, 1957) is an American politician, diplomat, and financier serving as the 56th governor of New Jersey since 2018. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was elected governor i ...
in New Jersey, both Democrats, won their races.


2018 election cycle

In 2018, the PAC continued to endorse and support candidates on both sides of the aisle, including three Republican candidates they identified by focusing on legislation that broke with Republican party line on guns laws. The organization particularly faced criticism over its endorsement of incumbent Republican Leonard Lance in New Jersey's 7th District over Democratic challenger
Tom Malinowski Tomasz "Tom" Pobóg Malinowski (; born September 23, 1965) is an American politician and former diplomat who served as the U.S. representative from New Jersey's 7th congressional district from 2019 to 2023. A Democrat, he served as Assistant S ...
. It was noted that both Lance and Malinowski supported gun legislation favored by Giffords. In the 2018 election Malinowski unseated Lance as Democrats took back the majority in the House of Representatives. As of June 2018, the group had raised nearly $13 million and had donated more than $177,000 directly to federal candidates. As part of its 2018 campaign work, Giffords worked with
VoteVets VoteVets.org is a progressive political action committee (PAC) and 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization in the United States. The organization prioritizes American defense, national security, and veterans advocacy. It was co-founded in 2006 by Jon S ...
to rally support for seven congressional candidates who support stronger gun laws. All seven are Democrats. The group also dedicated millions to successfully unseat four NRA-backed incumbent House members. Commentators and editorial pages noted that work by Giffords and other gun violence prevention organizations had been a powerful element in the 2018 election cycle. The Washington Post editorial board cited the work of Giffords and wrote that the election marked a "shift in the politics of gun control; no longer is it a
third rail A third rail, also known as a live rail, electric rail or conductor rail, is a method of providing electric power to a railway locomotive or train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a track (r ...
to be avoided at all costs." NPR reported that 95 candidates endorsed by Giffords PAC won House seats. According to the AP VoteCast election day survey, 61% of voters said gun laws should be more strict.


2019 state races

Giffords was active in the state-wide races in Virginia in 2019, supporting over 40 candidates for the
Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two houses of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...
and
State Senate In the United States, the state legislature is the legislative branch in each of the 50 U.S. states. A legislature generally performs state duties for a state in the same way that the United States Congress performs national duties at ...
, both of which flipped Democratic and subsequently passed a range of new gun safety laws.


2020 election cycle

In 2019, Giffords co-hosted the first-ever presidential forum on gun safety, attended by nine leading Democratic candidates for president and emceed by
Craig Melvin Craig Delano Melvin (born May 20, 1979) is an American broadcast journalist and anchor at NBC News and MSNBC. From August 2018 until January 2025, he was a news anchor on NBC's ''Today'', in October 2018, a co-host of ''Today Third Hour'' befor ...
of NBC and MSNBC. Giffords went on to support
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
following his clinching of the nomination, with co-founder Gabby Giffords filming a video played at the
Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 18 ...
, which was virtual due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. In the Senate, Giffords supported
John Hickenlooper John Wright Hickenlooper Jr. ( ; born February 7, 1952) is an American politician, geologist, and businessman serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from Colorado since 2021. A mem ...
of Colorado against an incumbent backed by the NRA, investing in digital and television advertisements and hosting local events. Giffords led a virtual tour, the Road to Universal Background Checks, and endorsed over 300 candidates for a range of offices in 34 states, with 256 candidates winning their races.


2022 election cycle

In 2022, Giffords again supported hundreds of state and local candidates pledging to advocate for stronger gun laws. It invested a total of $10 million across the country, including over $5 million in ad campaigns in the Colorado and Pennsylvania Senate races, $1 million for its new Giffords Florida program, over $350,000 indirect donations to campaigns and state parties, and a six-figure investment in the successful passage of Oregon Ballot Initiative 114. In total Giffords endorsed 288 candidates in 2022, with an over 84% win rate. Successful candidates backed by Giffords include Senators
John Fetterman John Karl Fetterman ( ; born August 15, 1969) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Pennsylvania, a seat he has held since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he served from 2006 to 2019 as the mayor o ...
,
Michael Bennet Michael Farrand Bennet (born November 28, 1964) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Colorado, a seat he has held sinc ...
, and
Raphael Warnock Raphael Gamaliel Warnock ( ; born July 23, 1969) is an American politician and Baptists, Baptist pastor serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, ...
and Governors
Josh Shapiro Joshua David Shapiro (born June 20, 1973) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the 48th governor of Pennsylvania since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was the attorney general of Pen ...
,
Gretchen Whitmer Gretchen Esther Whitmer (; born August 23, 1971) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 49th governor of Michigan since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, she served in the Michigan House of R ...
,
Tim Walz Timothy James Walz (; born April 6, 1964) is an American politician who has served since 2019 as the 41st governor of Minnesota. He was the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States, vice pre ...
,
Tony Evers Anthony Steven Evers ( ; born November 5, 1951) is an American politician and educator serving since 2019 as the 46th governor of Wisconsin. A member of the Democratic Party, he served from 2009 to 2019 as Wisconsin's 26th superintendent of p ...
,
Wes Moore Westley Watende Omari Moore (born October 15, 1978) is an American politician, businessman, author, and former U.S. Army officer serving as the 63rd governor of Maryland since 2023. Moore was born in Maryland and raised primarily in New York. ...
, and
Maura Healey Maura Tracy Healey (born February 8, 1971) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 73rd governor of Massachusetts since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, she served as Massachusetts Attorney Ge ...
.  


2024 election cycle

In 2024, Giffords committed a reported $15 million to supporting
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...
and gun safety champions who had pledged to advocate for gun safety laws and gun violence prevention. According to NBC News, the spending by Giffords “will cover paid TV and digital ads, direct mail (in English and Spanish), new polls to help allies hone their messages and the deployment of staffers and surrogates.” Giffords concentrated its resources in battleground states, including Michigan and Arizona, and also allocated spending to competitive US House of Representatives races in California and New York. In total, Giffords backed 341 total candidates for local, state, and federal office, with 294 of them winning their elections. Co-founder Gabrielle Giffords again gave a prime-time address at the
Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 18 ...
, urging Democrats to support gun safety as she did in 2020, 2016, and 2012. She also made appearances at dozens of campaign events across the country in support of gun safety candidates. Giffords launched its inaugural Gun Safety Champion Award to “spotlight up-and-coming candidates for elected office across the country who have made preventing gun violence their top priority.” Winners included
Lateefah Simon Lateefah Aaliyah Simon (born January 29, 1977) is an American politician who is the U.S. representative for California's 12th congressional district since January 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, she is the first member of Congress known ...
(candidate for US House, CA-12),
Brian Williams Brian Douglas Williams (born May 5, 1959) is an American journalist and television news anchor. He was a correspondent for ''NBC Nightly News'' starting in 1993, before his promotion to anchorman, anchor and managing editor of the broadcast in ...
(candidate for US House, TX-32), Yvette Valdés Smith (candidate for New York Senate, SD-39), and Averie Bishop (candidate for Texas House, HD-112).


Other work

In addition to endorsing and supporting state and federal candidates and lobbying for stronger gun laws, Giffords has spoken out about the need to intensify the government and electorate's response to outbursts of gun violence. Immediately following the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, co-founder Giffords issued a statement that she was praying for her former colleagues in Congress to "find the courage it will take to make progress on the challenging issues of gun violence." In a press conference on the steps of the U.S. Congress, co-founder Mark Kelly echoed the call for more action, saying, "All we're hearing is
thoughts and prayers "Thoughts and prayers" is a phrase commonly used by politicians, public figures, and celebrities, particularly in the United States, as a condolence after a deadly event such as a natural disaster or mass shooting. The phrase "thoughts and pr ...
...Your thoughts and prayers aren't going to stop the next shooting." The group has also participated in a range of state and national advocacy campaigns and events. In March 2018, when survivors of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in
Parkland, Florida Parkland is a city in northern Broward County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb of Miami and located north of the city. As of the 2020 census, the population of Parkland was 34,670. Parkland is part of the Miami metropolitan area, which ...
organized the
March for Our Lives March for Our Lives (MFOL) is a student-led organization which leads demonstrations in support of gun control legislation. The first demonstration took place in Washington, D.C., on March 24, 2018, with over 880 sibling events throughout ...
, Giffords helped bring more than 200 people from Parkland to participate. The organization has helped link local and regional groups into a campaign to register voters in the hopes of electing lawmakers who support gun safety laws. Giffords has also brought together former military commanders and other veterans to urge political leaders to address America's 'gun violence crisis.'


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Giffords Gabby Giffords 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations