So far in this blog post series, we’ve covered who NCADV is, what we do, and what we don’t do. To close out the series, we are taking a look at how anyone working to end domestic violence can help NCADV and the work we’re doing to educate, advocate, and raise awareness.

Action Alerts

When it comes to NCADV’s policy work at the federal level to support victims, survivors, and advocates, the best way to get the information needed to take action is to sign up for and participate in our Action Alerts. Alerts may ask you to take such actions as contacting your Congressional representatives, participating in a day of action on social media, and/or other activities designed to engage you with policy makers to make your views known on how the federal government can support victims and survivors while holding offenders accountable.

Toolkits

Raising awareness about domestic violence is an ongoing and critical part of NCADV’s work. Too many people still believe that it’s a private matter best resolved behind closed doors, or that if a victim stays with an abuser, the abuse “can’t be that bad.”

You can help shift the conversations people have about domestic violence in your communities, online as well as offline. NCADV offers a variety of toolkits to help you do this.

1. #TakeAStand Toolkit
   NCADV’s #TakeAStand toolkit was designed to be used by anyone (e.g. survivors/victims, advocates, allies who are committed to ending DV, etc) any day of the year. #TakeAStand is a call to action to educate people about domestic violence and raise awareness about the countless people -- victims and survivors, their children and families, their friends and family, their communities -- impacted by domestic violence. 
2. #SurvivorSpeaks Toolkit 
   In an effort to destigmatize conversations about domestic violence and allow survivor voices to be heard, NCADV implemented the #SurvivorSpeaks hashtag. #MeToo showed us cultural and social change is obtainable when the conversation is made accessible to all who are affected by sexual violence. Our hope is that #SurivorSpeaks will empower survivors to come forward with strength and share stories that need to be told and bring awareness to the issues that impact millions of women, men, and children. The #SurvivorSpeaks toolkit offers resources for survivors to use as their share about their experiences with domestic violence.
3. Annual DVAM Toolkit
   Every year for Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), NCADV provides a toolkit with a custom theme for that year. In 2021, for example, we provided the #WeAreResilient toolkit to remind those in this field of our individual and collective resilience as we work to change our culture’s assumptions and attitudes around intimate partner violence.

Donations and Fundraisers

As an organization who does not rely on government grants for funding, NCADV runs on donations and membership dues. The overwhelming majority of donations to NCADV are from grassroots supporters who contribute what they can; consistently, 87% of donation amounts total $100 or less.

We hope you are able to consider a contribution to NCADV, either as a one-time donation or on a recurring monthly basis. If that is out of reach for your budget, here’s some other ways you can help NCADV.

• Host a Drive for Old Cell Phones and Other Electronics
  Collecting old cell phones and electronic devices is a great way to have a big impact. Our partners at Cellular Recycler take these devices and send the value of the recycled items to NCADV. This adds up to a significant amount over time; since 2012, we’ve raised over $300,000 for NCADV with Cellular Recycler!
• Host a Facebook Fundraiser
  Hosting a Facebook fundraiser is another way to make a big impact, even if you are unable to make a direct donation. Consider hosting one during October (Domestic Violence Awareness Month), or on another day that holds significance to you (e.g. your birthday, the day you left an abusive partner, etc).

We hope you have enjoyed learning more about NCADV, our organization, our mission, our work, frequent misconceptions, and additional steps you can take to help us.