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Prior to the VPI, research and publications on the issue of violence prevention by the CDC and the California Injury Control Program indicated a need to develop leadership in the field. Recommendations called for the nurturing of strong grassroots leaders with the ability to address the root causes and consequences of violence in communities. The CDC also recommended the development of postgraduate programs to attract new people to the field of injury control and violence prevention and stressed the need to make particular efforts to recruit women and people of color for these types of programs. In recognition of these recommendations, the Foundation established a Leadership Program within the VPI. The VPI Leadership Program had three components: 1) Community Leaders Fellowship Program; 2) the California Peace Prize; and 3) Academic Fellowships.

The Community Leaders Fellowship Program was designed to provide financial support and recognition to individuals who had effectively organized community efforts in violence prevention. The goal of the fellowship was to empower communities by recognizing leadership in violence prevention. The objectives were to: 1) provide fellowship awards to 100 community leaders to acknowledge and support their work; and 2) identify and provide mentoring to 200 youth leaders in local communities.

Fellows were selected through a rigorous confidential nomination and selection process. The individuals that were selected represented different target populations, strategies and beliefs about the antecedents of violence. They were charismatic, energetic, determined and hardworking. Many had received some recognition for their work within their respective communities, but often times, awards and certificates stop short of meeting other needs such as training and educational opportunities, apprenticeships and networking for funding. The Fellowship Program provided these leaders with a chance to develop new skills as well as the financial resources to help apply these new skills. Over time, the fellowship evolved to meet the changing needs of different cohorts of Fellows and was managed both internally by staff and externally by grantees.

The goal of the California Peace Prize was to establish an annual award that would publicly recognize and acknowledge outstanding violence prevention efforts of individuals in local communities throughout California. Each year, TCWF provided cash awards of $25,000 to three leaders whose efforts have reduced violence and helped promote peace, and addressed root causes of violence. The Foundation also intended the award to draw attention to the issue of violence and prevention efforts to policymakers and opinion leaders. The selection process was similar to that of the community fellows program, with a confidential nomination and selection process with final approval by the Board.

The goal of the Academic Fellowships was to increase the number and diversity of health professionals who were trained in and committed to violence prevention. The fellowships were to support professional training of 60 individuals who represented ethnic minorities and women. Grants were made to eight organizations in California that provided fellowships based on a multidisciplinary public health approach. Postgraduate students in trauma surgery, psychiatry, psychology and public health were trained in epidemiology, advocacy and policy with the hope that this would foster a professional commitment to the prevention of violence.