Chicago, IL (May 17, 2011) — The Ms. Foundation for Women has announced $600,000 in grants as part of a groundbreaking partnership with the NoVo Foundation and individual donors to end child sexual abuse in the United States.
“The Ms. Foundation for Women is proud to announce this new round of grants to prevent child sexual abuse,” says Senior Program Officer Monique Hoeflinger. “From working within Native American and religious communities, to advocating for new federal policies, to using art as a catalyst for social change, each group is pursuing innovative strategies to engage families, communities and policymakers to end child sexual abuse once and for all.”
“We not only want to celebrate the Ms. Foundation’s generosity,” says Jim Hmurovich, President & CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America, “but also their focused leadership on supporting an issue that has been silent far too long. I believe that people are awakening to the fact that healthy child development is better for children and our communities than experiencing child abuse and neglect. I am hopeful that this generosity and leadership will contribute to a grassroots movement for America’s children in communities across the nation to prevent sexual abuse and other forms of abuse from ever occurring. We all have a role to play in developing our next generation of adults, and the Ms. Foundation certainly is doing their part.”
A total of 15 organizations were selected from over 250 submissions. The awardees—representing local, state and national groups working in 14 states across the country— are faith-based, arts, domestic violence and survivor-led groups as well as sexual assault coalitions and child abuse prevention organizations, including Prevent Child Abuse America working in partnership with three members of its chapter network Prevent Child Abuse Maryland which is housed at The Family Tree, Prevent Child Abuse Massachusetts which is housed at Massachusetts Citizens for Children and Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey; and Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina which received its own individual grant.
In its selection of grantees, the Ms. Foundation prioritized organizations that advocate for policy reform and long-term culture change. Together, these grantees will foster a groundswell of new thinking, discussion and collective action on child sexual abuse prevention.
In addition to delivering funds, the Ms. Foundation will offer critical non-monetary support that will enable awardees to share strategies and ideas and strengthen the movement overall.
“Child sexual abuse is a complex social problem that requires more than one organization or approach,” says Hoeflinger. “As reflected in this diverse group of grantees, ending child sexual abuse will take local, state and national organizations working together in a collaborative, strategic way.”
The Ms. Foundation for Women is the leading national social justice foundation committed to building women’s power to ignite change. Every day, it helps over 150 grassroots organizations across the U.S. fight for changes like good paying jobs, reproductive health, ending violence against women and girls, and the inclusion of women at decision-making tables. By investing in social justice trailblazers—especially women from low-income communities and communities of color most affected by injustice—it works for a nation in which power and possibility are not limited by gender, race, class, or any other factor. The Ms. Foundation delivers funding, builds skills and connects activists with allies to create change that benefits women, families and communities. Since 1972, the Ms. Foundation has invested over $50 million and influenced other funders to support solutions from the ground up.
ABOUT PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AMERICA
Prevent Child Abuse America, founded in 1972, works to ensure the healthy development of children nationwide while recognizing that child development is a building block for community development and economic development. We believe that communities across the country are doing innovative things with great results to prevent abuse and neglect from ever occurring, and what we need to do as a nation is commit to bringing this kind of ingenuity to communities everywhere. Based in Chicago, Prevent Child Abuse America has chapters in 47 states and nearly 400 Healthy Families America sites in 34 states.
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