Ballen Studios Pledges $1 Million in 2023 to Honor Victims and Support Families Affected by Violent Crimes
Entirety of the Funds to be Awarded in Grants from the MrBallen Foundation to Affected Families and Organizations Focused on Education, Training and Financial Support
AUSTIN, Texas, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ballen Studios, the global, multi-platform content company founded by leading storyteller and creator, John Allen—known globally as MrBallen—today announced a $1 million pledge to honor victims and support families affected by violent crime.
The funds committed will be donated in 2023 via the MrBallen Foundation, which will award one hundred percent of the funds in financial grants throughout the year as part of their Honor and Hope Grant Programs. These programs were established to award grants to both 501(c)(3) organizations working to support victims or their families, as well as to provide financial resources directly to families and communities who have been affected by a heinous crime.
"Ballen Studios is honored to make this pledge, and I personally couldn't be more grateful for the outpouring of support from our global community since the MrBallen Foundation launched last year," said Allen. "My hope was to provide a pathway to give back, and I'm proud to share the entirety of donations that come into the foundation go out the door and directly to aid victims, their families and organizations working at the root of issues to make a genuine difference in the lives of people that need it most."
The MrBallen Foundation recently announced its first quarter 2023 grants to Free to Thrive, A21, and the Rebecca Bender Initiative, organizations focused on combatting human trafficking and advancing justice for survivors everywhere. Since receiving its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status last year, the MrBallen Foundation has already donated more than $400,000 to over a dozen organizations doing compassionate, needle-moving work around the world. "We are delighted to partner with the MrBallen Foundation, so more sexual assault survivors will hear the powerful message," said Joanne Archambault, CEO and Founder of End Violence Against Women International, an Honor grant recipient where funds were awarded to expand their Start by Believing Campaign and support victims of sexual assault. "We believe you. We support you. We will get you the help you need."
The MrBallen Foundation also provides expedited financial assistance to victims and their families directly through their Hope Grant. Knowing that time is of the essence for so many victims and their families, this grant program is meant to be responsive to the immediate needs of those impacted by a heinous crime. As recently as this week, the MrBallen Foundation donated $25,000 to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee in response to the tragic shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville where three nine-year-old students and three adults lost their lives. In December of this past year, the Foundation also awarded the Hope Grant to support the family of Athena Strand, the seven-year-old girl who was tragically kidnapped and murdered this past November outside her father's Paradise, Texas home.
"Since our inception the MrBallen Foundation has continuously recognized the importance of serving victims of violent crimes and their families, and bringing hope to those that have experienced the devastation that violent crime brings," said the MrBallen Foundation Executive Director, Laurie Gift. "This pledge gives us the capacity to continue to provide that hope to victims and families in their greatest time of need, by partnering with organizations that meet the direct and tangible needs families are facing."
In addition to being one of the internet's biggest storytellers, host of true crime hit, MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark and Mysterious Stories, and Founder of Ballen Studios and the MrBallen Foundation, Allen is a former Navy SEAL who was medically retired in 2017 after being injured in Afghanistan.Allen knows that it is a lifelong process healing from trauma and violence, and even one violent act has a ripple effect from the victims to their loved ones and entire communities.
For more information and to find out how to get involved, visit https://mrballen.foundation/ and follow the MrBallen Foundation on Instagram @MrBallenFoundation, Facebook @MrBallenFoundation, LinkedIn @MrBallenFoundation, and Twitter @MrBallenFnd.
About the MrBallen Foundation
The MrBallen Foundation (MBF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to honoring victims and supporting families affected by violent crimes through education, training and financial support. Victims of heinous crime are faced with psychological, financial, and emotional traumas and residual effects far beyond the physical impact of the crime that need addressing for proper, holistic healing to begin. The MrBallen Foundation was founded by John Allen to provide dynamic solutions for victims and organizations that provide support to them through financial support.
About Ballen Studios
Ballen Studios is a global, multi-platform content company developing and producing projects spanning film, television, publishing, live touring, merchandising, audio, and digital-first platforms. Founded by top podcast host and one of the internet's biggest storytellers, John Allen—better known to his millions of fans globally as MrBallen—Ballen Studios was established to propel the art of storytelling to new heights and connect audiences globally through authentic, engaging storytelling across mediums. Allen, a former US Navy SEAL turned prolific content creator, had a meteoric rise to fame in 2020, first on TikTok and YouTube, and most recently in audio when he launched hit podcast, MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories, a true crime-focused series that also explores strange and mysterious occurrences.
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