THE IMPACT OF OUR
WORK IN 2024

Texas Gun Sense is building a movement for a safer Texas through advocacy, education and partnerships. Your support makes our work possible.

In 2024, we focused on strengthening our movement. Between legislative sessions, we were able to build momentum, educate Texans about ways to prevent gun violence, and forge new alliances to bring people together. Garrett Chase, our new Program Manager, led the successful launch of a youth advocacy program, while also building a medical and public health partnership team. We have also engaged responsible Texas gun owners.

This year, we presented six free Zoom events that were at times moving, and always informative and energizing. We covered youth advocacy, domestic firearms violence to educate about the Rahimi Supreme Court case, school safety, and we heard from responsible gun owners who support common sense laws. We amplified the voices of gun violence survivors, and our friend Greg Jackson from the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention was able to join as a special guest on that panel. At our fall event A Safer Texas, we brought in many perspectives, connected and inspired. Now, as we prepare for another legislative session, we’re grateful for your support.

OUR TEAM

MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dear Friends,

Thanks to you, this year we have activated, expanded and become more laser-focused on building a pipeline of advocates committed to ending gun violence in Texas. We have educated Texans through our webinar series, we’ve activated young people and healthcare experts, and we’ve grown our coalition to include new voices. An incredibly memorable highlight is our invitation to the White House this September to celebrate executive orders on gun safety and to recognize historic drops in homicides, due to meaningful federal action and the support of advocates like you.

This year, a few of our board members moved on, and we recently brought on a wonderful new board member, Mary Stone. We continue to work toward expanding our board across the state. Meanwhile, our staff has grown! I’m very happy that we have Garrett Chase leading our program development — he is bringing together youth leaders, medical experts, and other advocates who will join us at the Capitol in February and throughout the year. I feel particularly inspired when I meet young leaders like David Hogg and students here in Texas who will carry this work forward into the future.

You have been with us through the struggles and progress, and we feel incredibly fortunate to have your support. We hope we’ll see you soon at the Capitol, in a face-to-face meeting, or Zoom room. With your help, we are going to keep fighting for a Texas free from gun violence and tragedy.

Thank you,

Nicole Golden

Executive Director

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to prevent gun violence and other gun tragedies in Texas through education, partnerships and policy change. We advance safer gun laws at the Legislature. We leave no stone unturned as we work to make our communities safer. We advocate for a better and safer Texas, while protecting the rights of responsible gun owners.

BY THE NUMBERS

During 2024, our supporters took action, including supporting the State Fair of Texas in keeping fair-goers safe from the presence of firearms, demanding action for expanded background checks, and reaching out to school districts to ensure that they are disseminating safe gun storage information to parents and guardians. More than 1,000 people took action to demand common sense policies this year.

We hosted a variety of educational and advocacy events, including six webinars, an advocacy picnic, a conference in collaboration with Doctors for Social Responsibility, and two fall events, in Austin and Houston. Over 700 people attended these events.

Our funding sources include private grants, individual donations from small to large donors, some merchandise sales, and sponsorship of our fall event. We’re grateful for all of our supporters and advocates.

TGS IN ACTION

In June, we brought survivors of gun violence together to share their stories. Participants shown here include Lori Haas, whose daughter was injured during the VA Tech shooting, Dr. Angel Durr whose mother was shot in an armed robbery, Carolyn Thomas, who was shot and injured by an intimate partner, Jane Winter, whose son died by firearm suicide, and Greg Jackson, Deputy Director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention who survived being shot.

OUR LEADERSHIP CIRCLE

Margaret and Robert Ayres
Jon Brandt
Vicky and Robert Brandt
Genny Duncan
David Dunn
Jolynn and Gregg Free
Anne and Ron Freeman
Sarah Harrod
Sarah Lacy and Bennett Maddox

Cornelia Long
Dr. Mary Lynn Rice-Lively and Dr. Bob Lively
Dr. Robert Luedeke
Melisa and Craig Markman
Judy Willcott and Laurence Miller
Darcy Mix
Ruth Rubio
Dr. Christopher Ruud
Frances and Pete Schenkkan

Phyllis Schenkkan and Robert Rutishauser
Dr. Dale and Dr. Stephen Sonnenberg
Betsey and Ken Slack
Kelsey Erickson Streufert
Mary and Joel Stone
Amy and Jerry Webberman
Dr. Mary and Howard Yancy
Nina Zilkha

Special thanks to Lisa Simmons, Darcy Mix, Fund for a Safer Future, Ellen and David Berman, Robert and Janis Birchall Foundation, Giffords, and all the incredible partners in our statewide coalition.

FUTURE GOALS AND
WHAT'S AHEAD

With your help, we’re building a movement for a safer Texas. We are bringing voices together to demand change, including healthcare professionals, young people, gun owners, and Texans across the state. Together, we’ll make our voices heard by bringing hundreds of people to Advocacy Day on February 27th. All session long, we’ll fight back against harmful legislation, mobilize our coalition, and advocate for common sense policies to keep our communities safe. We’ll support the families from Uvalde in continuing to push legislation to raise the age to 21 to purchase semi-automatic rifles, and we’ll advance policies to ensure that firearms are stored safely to prevent tragedies in our schools and communities.

We could not do this work without you – your voice is critical to building a safer Texas. See you in January!