NSVRC Blogs

RALIANCE will be funding innovative projects in varying amounts based upon need, up to $50,000. Intent to Submit forms (LOIs) are due August 24, 2018.    The RALIANCE Grant Program is a vehicle for direct private funding to programs that have demonstrated expertise in addressing and preventing sexual violence.   In our last three grant cycles, we’ve driven close to $2.3M to prevention programs. RALIANCE grantees are helping to change the culture in one generation through visionary projects from across our three funding categories:    Category 1: Services or advocacy

Through her years working as a foster mother, Carol Andersen encountered numerous women from marginalized communities. There were domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking survivors, including mothers fighting not only to get their kids back but to get their lives back as well.  “These families were really torn apart by violence,” Andersen said. “As I learned about their challenges it led me to fund solutions that could help them rebuild their lives, reconnect with their children, and kind of put their family back together.” Under the 501c3 organization called Connections

Often the faces that were sworn to “protect and serve” their communities are unknown to the individuals within that community. As a result, cities and towns across the nation participate in National Night Out. The relationship between law enforcement and their communities are as diverse as the people who live there. If you know your community would not benefit from this event, feel free to click away and check out our other blogs posts and resources. National Night Out is an annual campaign that works to strengthen police and community relationships. One the first Tuesday in August (with

Pride Month 2018 has come and gone, but that shouldn’t mean putting your center’s engagement of LGBTQ communities on pause! LGBTQ people are here and queer all year round. Some of us are out, and proud and some of us are working on it. Some of us are asking a lot of questions about who we are, and some of us don’t yet know what questions to ask. All of us should have access to your center’s services when we need them. Also, there’s no rule that Pride-esque events have to take place in June. I’m writing from Harrisburg, PA, where our Pride Festival and accompanying events have been held during

Guest Post by Sally J. Laskey, Evaluation Coordinator, NSVRC I had a teacher, Ms. Nichols, in elementary school that used Choose Your Own Adventure stories as a way to help students find joy, play, and develop decision-making powers while reading. We would pass a book around the class, each read a few pages, and if you were reading when you got to the end of a chapter, you got to choose how the adventure would unfold. I would wiggle in my seat as we wrote our own story together. I view program evaluation as a type of storytelling. Evaluation shares the story of where your organization has

Being a child or teenager in today’s society is hard. Society dictates how they should behave, what they should like, and who they should be with.  Those pressures can especially impact adolescents when they aren’t conforming or don’t want to conform to unwritten ideals about gender roles. Thankfully, there are great resources available for those working with or loving kids questioning their gender identity. The NSVRC library has some helpful titles worth checking out. On behalf of LGBTQ Pride Month, I encourage you to take a look at these fabulous books.  Jamie is Jamie: A Book about Being

As we are in the midst of LGBTQ Pride Month, chances are your timelines and dashboards are already filled with queer-themed films, shows, and, of course, literature. While there are some must-read classics (Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown, Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin, and so on) here is a list of LGBTQ+ reads that you may be unfamiliar with but will tug on your heartstrings all the same.  Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block When the “earth shaker” hits Los Angeles, Pen’s home, family, and life are left in ruins. With only a withered copy of The Odyssey, Pen sets

Today is recognized internationally as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and is an opportunity to highlight the vulnerability to sexual violence and other forms of abuse that so many elderly persons experience. Below is a statement from the National Center on Elder Abuse that communicates the importance of this day, and after that is a brief list of links to resources on Elder Abuse from the NSVRC and the Department of Justice. From the National Center on Elder Abuse via the USC Center on Elder Mistreatment As Americans, we believe in justice for all. Yet we fail to live up to this promise

Long runs outside, walking the dog, yoga, singing, journaling or any number of self-care activities offer a much needed break from life’s stressors. Most people are in need of a little self-care. Our mental health is just as important as our physical health as it's a critical part of our overall wellbeing. Survivors, those who work in the field, and those close to these individuals, can benefit greatly from a variety of resources that can help our overall mental health. In light of May being Mental Health Awareness Month, I wanted to share just a few self-care resources found in the NSVRC

We know one in six boys and one in four girls will be sexually assaulted before they turn 18 (Dube et al, 2005). Findings from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) also show that sexual violence is a very common experience in youth and that youth that experience sexual violence are more likely to be revictimized in adulthood (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], n.d.). Based on these statistics, you likely have interacted with a child that has experienced sexual abuse without knowing it.   Incorporating trauma-informed practices into your