Blue Shield Against Violence
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Key Facts
Fact: One in three women will be a victim of domestic violence in their lifetime, and one in five adolescent girls reports being assaulted by someone they have dated.
On average, a woman is battered in this country every nine seconds. And people who abuse often do not limit their violence to their intimate partners – 50 percent of batterers also abuse their children.
We believe safety and access to health care should be universal principles; feeling and being safe at home, at work, and at school, are critical components of every Californian's health and wellness. This is why ending domestic violence is one of Blue Shield of California Foundation's top priorities. Through our Shelter Initiative, we provide core support to nearly 100 shelters statewide, providing domestic violence service providers with funding that allows them to draw upon their own creativity and innovation to create safe environments free from domestic violence.
Blue Shield Against Violence (BSAV) funding supports projects that fall into five areas:
- Supporting the development of internal policies and procedures, with a focus on workplace and high school settings, that create and sustain safe environments free from domestic violence
- Strengthening the capacity of domestic violence service providers to create safe environments free from domestic violence, and to advocate for systems and social norms change (This is an invitation-only initiative)
- Grantmaking focused on prevention strategies involving youth and media (This is an invitation-only initiative)
- Enhancing data collection, evaluation, research, and outcomes assessment efforts, to better inform the field of domestic violence in California
- Supporting policy and regulatory changes that promote and support safe environments, free from domestic violence, for all Californians
Grants awarded in 2007: 33
Totaling: $3,039,239
In keeping with the Foundation’s guiding philosophy, the Blue Shield Against Violence program focuses on immediate needs as well as long-term solutions. Some examples include:
Building Capacity
Through our annual BSAV Shelter Initiative, we give domestic violence shelters across the state broad license to invest funds as they see fit. One shelter used the support to develop an on-site children’s play area. Others have used it to strengthen their fundraising capacity or to subsidize crisis hotline phone bills. For some, it literally means keeping the lights on. By providing funds to address the core needs of shelters across the state, Blue Shield Against Violence allows shelters to be innovative and creative when developing new approaches to creating safe environments free from domestic violence. This is an invitation-only initiative.
Organizational / Institutional Change
We continue to break ground with our Employer Outreach Program, which provides training for employers and managers to help them respond effectively and empathically when they see signs of abuse. More than 10,000 individuals have already been reached through this program. Moving forward, our Employer Outreach Program will also focus on helping companies develop workplace policies and procedures around domestic violence. If you are interested in training, please email us directly at . For additional information regarding partner violence and the workplace, please visit the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence Web site.
Before it Starts
BSAV is developing an ambitious media campaign targeting high school-age young people at the critical time when serious relationships are formed and patterns are established. The purpose of this work is to reach young people in new ways – talking about healthy relationships and offering tools and resources . Funding will be directed to programs focusing specifically on teen dating violence, with an emphasis on those utilizing a “for youth, by youth” approach, and delivering this content via new media channels. This is an invitation-only initiative.
Enhancing Data Collection
Blue Shield of California Foundation and the Office of Women’s Health recently convened a working group to review statewide data on domestic violence shelters. The working group is now focusing on a retrospective review of available shelter data in order to identify trends in shelter clients and services provided. In the future, this group will review opportunities to streamline data reporting and dissemination, working to make information available to domestic violence shelters and other service providers in the field, various state agencies, as well as other funders in this field.
Supporting Policy and Regulatory Changes
BSAV supports the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (CPEDV), a statewide, membership-based coalition of domestic violence service providers and others working to end domestic violence. Because of the work of CPEDV and its partners, California is now on the path to developing a strong statewide coalition that allows domestic violence shelters and service providers to forge a unified policy agenda and develop services to meet the needs of domestic violence victims.
For potential grantees, our Blue Shield Against Violence program does not fund the following:
- Award dinners, athletic events, competitions or special events
- Conferences or seminars
- Capital construction
- Television/film/media production
- Religious activities
- Specialty care
- Political causes, candidates, organizations or campaigns
- Capital projects over $50,000
- Most multi-year projects
- Grants to individuals
- Mental health programs
- 52-week Batterer Intervention programs
- Legal services for restraining orders
