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Every Survivor Counts: National Network to End Domestic Violence to Conduct 20th Annual Domestic Violence Counts Survey

September 10, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: NNEDV Communications Team (Communications@NNEDV.org)

Washington, DC – Today, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) will survey more than 2,000 domestic violence programs across the country for its 20th Annual Domestic Violence Counts Survey.

Conducted annually by NNEDV since 2006, the Domestic Violence Counts Survey is a one-day, unduplicated count of adults and children seeking domestic violence services in the United States. Each year, NNEDV’s Domestic Violence Counts Report summarizes this data and shares stories of both hope and heartbreak – from advocates connecting survivors and their children with lifesaving assistance, to programs being forced to turn away victims who urgently need help.

“For two decades, NNEDV’s Domestic Violence Counts Survey has revealed the urgent and vital needs of survivors, advocates, and programs across the country. Every single day in the United States, thousands of adults and children turn to local domestic violence shelters and programs to save and rebuild their lives,” said Stephanie Love-Patterson, NNEDV President & CEO. “Yet, year after year, our survey shows the same heartbreaking reality: resources fall short of survivors’ overwhelming needs. With possible cuts on the horizon, we fear the gap will only grow wider. That is not progress. Survivors and their children deserve better. Protecting the vulnerable is not optional; it’s simply the right thing to do. Local domestic violence programs are the backbone of our country’s efforts to help victims, provide resources, and create safer communities. They need robust funding – especially federal funding – to ensure every survivor has a place to turn.”

Last year’s 19th Annual Domestic Violence Counts Survey, which NNEDV conducted on September 4, 2024, found that participating programs served more than 79,000 victims and did not have enough resources to meet more than 14,000 requests for help – in just one day. This is unacceptable.

Programs nationwide need increased funding to support all survivors seeking help while also working toward preventing violence in our communities. The lack of adequate resources has devastating consequences for victims and survivors. Funding for Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), and Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants are essential for programs, advocates, and survivors.

Survivors cannot wait. Additional resources must be provided, system-wide responses must be strengthened, and barriers to safety and justice must be removed. All survivors should receive the help they need. No program should be forced to close its doors when faced with a decrease in funding.

NNEDV is proud to conduct the Domestic Violence Counts Survey each year. We offer our gratitude to the staff members at each participating program for sharing information about their lifesaving work and for shining a light on survivors’ and advocates’ urgent needs.

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The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) represents the 56 state and U.S. territorial coalitions against domestic violence. NNEDV is a social change organization working to create a social, political, and economic environment in which domestic violence no longer exists. NNEDV works to make domestic violence a national priority, change the way society responds to domestic violence, and strengthen domestic violence advocacy at every level.