Domestic Violence Awareness Month
This Domestic Violence Awareness Month (that’s October, if you didn’t know), Jewish Women International (JWI) is calling attention to the lack of corporate funding for domestic violence programs and services. Did you know that 1 in 4 women in the United States experiences domestic violence in her lifetime? Yet less than 1% of corporate philanthropies include domestic violence in their giving guidelines or list domestic abuse as an area of interest.* As women and as consumers – we need to stand up and demand change.
With their economic clout, corporations are ideally positioned to fund life-saving domestic violence services, underwrite public awareness and prevention campaigns, and create in-house policies for their own employees who are experiencing abuse. In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, it’s time for companies to finally make domestic violence a philanthropic priority – and for women, a powerful and growing economic force, to accept nothing less.
Ten Ways You Can Help Boost Corporate Giving for Domestic Violence
- Visit the website of your favorite companies to see where their philanthropic dollars are going. Write a letter requesting that they support domestic violence programs. We have a sample letter to get you started.
- Ask a store in your community to host an event or promotion to support domestic violence programs. They can hold a benefit or dedicate their proceeds from a given day to the cause.
- Purchase a share of stock in one of your favorite companies targeting women and attend a shareholders meeting. At the meeting, ask the company to support domestic violence programs and services.
- Post on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, your blog, or another favorite social media site, asking your networks to join the cause. Here are some sample Facebook posts, Tweets, and images to share.
- Reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Without corporate philanthropy, many of the domestic violence programs rely heavily on funding from (VAWA). Tell your members of Congress to reauthorize this important legislation.
- Learn more about domestic violence and talk to your friends to educate them about this important issue.
- Read JWI’s blog throughout the month of October to learn more about funding for domestic violence programs.
- Organize a visit to your members of Congress and tell them why the Violence Against Women Act is so important to you. We have a guide for advocates, new and experienced.
- Send an e-card to help spread the word about domestic violence and corporate giving.
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Support JWI’s domestic violence work.
*Foundation Directory Online, September 2012.