Sustainability for Domestic Violence Organizations
NFF's Mission
- Help individual nonprofits assess and improve their health and adaptability through better financial literacy, use of appropriate data and tools, and strategic planning techniques
- Strengthen the sector as a whole by sharing observations, recommendations and best practices in the DV sub-sector and beyond
- Improve funding practices by identifying and sharing historical, financial, and sector-wide trends
Since 2008, Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF) has worked with over 45 California-based domestic violence (DV) service providers to improve their financial sustainability and help them plan for the future. The majority of our work has been through a special initiative supported by the Blue Shield of California Foundation's, Blue Shield Against Violence Program. But to better connect money to mission, below are some important facts about why DV organizations are so incredibly critical in our communities and how their structure and history affect their future sustainability.
Email research@nffusa.org to learn more!
What is Domestic Violence? Some Sobering Statistics
Domestic violence is not physical violence alone. Domestic violence is any behavior intended to gain power and control over a spouse, partner, girl/boyfriend or intimate family member. Abuse is a learned behavior; it is not caused by anger, mental problems, drugs or alcohol, or other common excuses. Anybody can be a victim , regardless of wealth, race, age, religion, or education.
- On average, more than 3 women and 1 man are murdered by their intimate partners in the US every day.
- 3 in 4 women (76%) who reported they had been raped and/or physically assaulted since age 18 said that an intimate partner (current or former husband, cohabiting partner, or date) committed the assault.
- Boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own partners and children when they become adults.
- The health-related costs of intimate partner violence exceed $5.8 billion each year. Of that amount, nearly $4.1 billion are for direct medical and mental health care services, and nearly $1.8 billion are for the indirect costs of lost productivity or wages.
NFF Resources
Navigating a New Course: A Domestic Violence Organization Steers Towards a More Sustainable Future. By NFF Alum Paula Smith-Arrigoni and NFF. In Part 1 of this report/case study, we examine the overall characteristics, history, and funding environment of the DV sector in California. In Part 2, we re-visit these sector-wide issues through unique organizational context of Center for Community Solutions, one of San Diego's oldest nonprofits dedicated to ending relationship and sexual violence.
Blogs and Essays dedicated to Domestic Violence Organizations
Areas of Focus
Resources for Domestic Violence Organizations
- National Network to End Domestic Violence
- National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
- Anti-Violence Resource Guides
- Courage Network
- National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, & Mental Health
- American Bar Associaton Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence
- Battered Women's Justice Project
- Futures Without Violence
