Domestic Violence Nonprofits Reach Out for Assistance

NORTHBROOK, Ill., Oct. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On a single day last year, nearly 12,000 requests from survivors of domestic violence for emergency shelter, child care, financial aid and other services went unanswered because programs lacked funding.¹

More than 220 nonprofits, championed by The Allstate Foundation, are urging the public to support survivors of domestic violence and financial abuse during The Allstate Foundation Purple Purse® Challenge, which takes place Oct. 2 – 31. The annual fundraiser coincides with National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October.

Nearly 100 percent of the funds nonprofits raise will go toward helping them provide life-changing services for survivors and their families.

"The Allstate Foundation Purple Purse Challenge allowed us to open our doors, hire staff and implement programs," said Sonya Passi, founder and CEO of FreeFrom, a national organization that helps provide long-term financial security for domestic violence survivors. "It gave us the vehicle we needed to galvanize support around our mission."

To raise money, nonprofits are launching online fundraising pages and reaching out to their communities for support. In addition to money organizations raise on their own, The Allstate Foundation has dedicated $700,000 in incentive grants. The more nonprofits generate through fundraising events and marketing campaigns, the more chances they have to win Foundation grants. 

The Purple Purse Challenge is part of The Allstate Foundation's ongoing effort to educate the public about financial abuse and the role financial empowerment plays in ending domestic violence. Earlier this year, the Foundation conducted a social experiment called "Lost Purse" that asks "what would you do if you knew someone was being abused?"

The Purple Purse Challenge is an important component of The Allstate Foundation's vision to end domestic violence. It aims to address the capacity challenges that exist in the nonprofit sector and help organizations raise critical funds to meet the cries for help from survivors in their communities.

"One in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime, regardless of socioeconomic background or ethnicity – more than breast, ovarian and lung cancer combined," said Vicky Dinges, Allstate's senior vice president of corporate responsibility. "It's a horrible reality that can happen to our mothers, friends, sisters or neighbors. But we can change this reality by learning the warning signs of domestic violence and financial abuse, supporting domestic violence nonprofits and giving at PurplePurse.com."

In nearly all domestic violence cases, survivors experience financial abuse, which means their abusers deny them access to financial resources they need to break free. Financial abuse is an invisible weapon of choice for abusers and one of the primary reasons survivors stay in or return to abusive relationships. Without resources, survivors often are unable to care for themselves and their families, find employment and housing, or save for the future.

"Domestic violence is a human rights issue, not a women's rights issue," added Dinges. "As individuals, as organizations and as a society, we need to stand up to abusers and stand for survivors. We need everyone's voices – men's and women's – to ensure resources are available to help women break free and stay free from abuse, because no one deserves to live in fear."

In addition to supporting an important cause, select donors will win an exclusive purple purse designed by Serena Williams, tennis champion and Allstate Foundation Purple Purse ambassador. Every $10 donation to PurplePurse.com during the Challenge will represent one entry into a weekly sweepstakes. Handcrafted from premium Italian leather, the limited-edition purse is valued at $400. Each participating nonprofit also will receive a purse to use in their own fundraising efforts.

Individual donors also can show their support for survivors by purchasing Purple Purse charms for $10 through PurplePurse.com. Each charm comes with a short story about a domestic violence survivor who used financial empowerment to break free. Proceeds from charm sales benefit the 2017 Allstate Foundation Purple Purse Challenge participants.

The Allstate Foundation Purple Purse Challenge is administered by CrowdRise. It is part of Allstate Foundation Purple Purse, a public education and fundraising program aimed at raising awareness of the prevalence of domestic violence and financial abuse and the need for resources to help survivors. Now in its 13^th year, Allstate Foundation Purple Purse has propelled more than 1 million survivors on the path to safety and security, and invested more than $55 million to empower women to break free from abuse through life-changing financial education, job training and readiness, and small business programs for survivors.

If you or someone you know is in a domestic violence situation, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224.

About The Allstate Foundation
Established in 1952, The Allstate Foundation is an independent charitable organization made possible by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL). Through partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country, The Allstate Foundation brings the relationships, reputation and resources of Allstate to support innovative and lasting solutions that enhance people's well-being and prosperity. With a focus on building financial independence for domestic violence survivors, empowering youth and celebrating the charitable community involvement of Allstate agency owners and employees, The Allstate Foundation works to bring out the good in people's lives. For more information, visit www.AllstateFoundation.org.

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¹ National Network to End Domestic Violence's 11^th Annual Domestic Violence Counts Report http://nnedv.org/projects/census/5716-domestic-violence-counts-11th-annual-census-report.html

SOURCE The Allstate Foundation

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http://www.allstatefoundation.org