May 2, 2023 – The Colorado Healing Fund exists to offer a secure and effective way for the public to make monetary donations to help victims of mass casualty violence in Colorado, and to provide immediate and long-term assistance and support to victims and families of the deceased, and the greater community.
As court dates are set and the legal process unfolds, victims will be forced to revisit the trauma of November 19-20, 2022. We want to share how the Colorado Healing Fund plans to support the longer-term needs of survivors and victims’ families.
How We Are Distributing the Donations We Have Collected
To date, the Colorado Healing Fund has collected approximately $2.5 million for Club Q survivors and family members of victims. In the six months since the shooting, the Fund has distributed approximately $1.99 million, or 80% of those funds. The remaining $500,000 has been designated to support the long-term needs of survivors and family members.
We distribute funds in a manner designed to address the short-term, intermediate, and long-term needs of victims. Our model was created by more than 20 of Colorado’s leading experts in incident response. These experts evaluated numerous responses ranging from 9/11 to the Virginia Tech shootings to the Boston Marathon bombing to identify the best practices that are reflected in our policies.
It is common for victims to experience additional trauma in the months and years following an incident such as a mass shooting. To be clear, we will distribute 100% of the funds we have collected for survivors and family members of victims of the Club Q shooting. We do not keep any funds, even for administrative costs, thanks to our generous underwriters.
The Upcoming Legal Process is Likely to Exacerbate Trauma
Often, the legal process triggers emotional challenges for those impacted by mass shootings, and the Healing Fund expects that a majority of the reserved funds will be used to cover expenses ranging from travel and lodging during the criminal trial to mental health services and trauma-informed care for survivors and those coping with loss. Likewise, those who sustained catastrophic injuries in the attack require extended assistance throughout their healing process.
Funds collected for the Club Q shooting response are distributed through our community partners, Community Health Partnership (CHP) and Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance (COVA), and direct cash disbursements have been made to the victims’ families, survivors, and those immediately impacted.