LET'S RAISE OUR VOICES FOR SURVIVORS!

Urge the U.S. Congress to fully fund the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), raise the Victims of Crime Act(VOCA) Fund cap, and protect the balance of the VOCA Fund!

Use the NNEDV Action Toolkit below.

Overview: VAWA and VOCA in Fiscal Year 2008 Federal Budget

Your voices and actions helped to secure an additional $17.3 million for VAWA programs overall and protected the VOCA Fund from complete elimination!

Unfortunately, however, a budget battle between the U.S. President and Congress meant that a number of VAWA programs and the VOCA Fund received cuts.

• The VOCA Fund cap for Fiscal Year 2008 was reduced by a devastating $35 million. An administrative cut applied to VOCA will reduce the cap by an additional $41.3 million.
• The Family Violence Prevention Services Act (FVPSA), the lifeblood of cornerstone domestic violence programs was cut by $2.1 million.
• Legal Assistance for Victims was cut by $2.1 million and Grants to Encourage Arrest was cut by $3.2 million.

Read NNEDV's Press Release regarding the President's Budget Request.

WHY WE MUST ACT NOW!

An increasingly efficient, comprehensive and lifesaving response to victims, created and sustained by VAWA, FVPSA and VOCA funding, has begun to make our country a safer place for families, victims and communities.

Now, however, this phenomenal progress is in jeopardy. Compounding the shocking FY 2008 budget cuts, the President's FY 2009 budget proposes:

• A decimating $120 million cut from VAWA.
• Maintaining $122.6 million for FVPSA, $52.4 less than its authorized amount.
• Institutionalizing the devastating $35 million cut to the VOCA cap.
• The ELIMINATION of the VOCA Fund – a $2 billion loss!

If enacted, this proposal would undercut our hard won progress and needlessly endanger millions of victims across the United States. We are beginning to see a reduction in homicides and the incidence of these heinous crimes.

Yet as cuts force shelters and rape crisis centers to close, real victims face traumatic and life-threatening situations with no support. They face trauma, terror and death.

This year, the U.S. Congress has the historic opportunity to counteract the results of the FY 2008 cuts and the President’s proposals by fully funding VAWA and FVPSA, raising the VOCA Fund cap to $717 million, and protecting the VOCA Fund in FY 2009. By prioritizing these cost-effective, lifesaving funding streams, Congress will help to END domestic and sexual violence and the United States will be a place where perpetrators are held accountable and victims are supported.

What you can do to help save lives?

Contact Congress now!  Read our Action Alert to find out what you can do!

Use this Action Toolkit to take action on behalf of millions of victims/survivors across the country! These tools will help you take quick and easy steps to help increase funding to VAWA, FVPSA and the VOCA cap.

ACTION TOOLKIT:
Fully Fund VAWA & FVPSA & Increase the VOCA Cap

VAWA Funding Fact Sheet

Use this one-page fact sheet to learn more about funding for the Violence Against Women Act, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act and the Victims of Crime Act.

FY 2009 Briefing Book

Use this book for additional details on VAWA funding, including charts and color graphs, as well as descriptions of the programs and the critical needs that can be addressed through full funding.

FY 2009 VAWA and FVPSA Appropriations and Authorizations Chart

Use this chart to see increases and decreases in VAWA and FVPSA funding from Fiscal Years 2007 and 2008.  Also includes information about funding authorized for VAWA and FVPSA, and includes the President's Budget Requests for these programs in 2009.

Sample Letter (Word File)

Personalize and send to your Senators and Representatives. The letter is designed for local programs and should be printed on organizational letterhead. If you are an individual, simply delete references to "programs" and talk about why this issue is important to you and your community.

Fax or email the letter to your Representative and Senators. For contact information for your members of Congress, visit http://www.senate.gov/ and http://www.house.gov/ or call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

Local Program Talking Points

Use these talking points when you make lobby visits to members of Congress to outline the request for full funding for all VAWA and FVPSA programs, and to raise the VOCA cap in the FY '09 Congressional Budget.

U.S. Federal Budget and Appropriations Process Explanation

Baffled by the federal budget and appropriations process?  Use this short guide to learn more!

Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Fact Sheet

Find out why funding is so desperately needed to prevent and end domestic and sexual violence.

Domestic Violence Counts 07: A 24-hour census of domestic violence shelters and services across the United States

Read this report for a powerful glimpse into the large demand for domestic violence services. 

State Specific Services and Funding needs

Learn about services and funding needs in your state in the Individual State/Territory information from the Domestic Violence Counts 07 report.

In-District Lobbying Guide

You don't have to leave home to meet your Members of Congress and tell them your story.  You can visit them when they're in their district offices or invite them to tour your program or attend an event.  Our new In-District Lobbying Guide will tell you how to make it happen.  Be sure to work with your state domestic violence coalition on the visits.

Lobbying Fact Sheet

Wondering whether you can lobby?  Read this one-page fact sheet.