Strategic Planning: Guiding Our Future

Sanctuary for Families

Our new Strategic Plan will guide us through the next five years.

Over the past six months, Sanctuary leadership, staff, clients and supporters have come together to create a vision for the organization’s future. This new Strategic Plan will guide us through the next three years as we strive to build a world where freedom from gender violence is a basic human right.

Where we are today

We are proud to offer high-quality services to more than 8,000 survivors of gender violence every year. Clients are at the center of our work; we draw on the experiences and voices of survivors when working to build our programs and reform local and national systems and policies. Our success is reflected in the sustained funding we receive from government, individual donors, and leading national funders.

To ensure we remain impactful, it is necessary to take time to critique and reflect upon what we, as an organization, can do better. Through this process of reflection, we have identified critical areas of focus for the future.

A roadmap for the future

Our next five years will be guided by three key goals:

1. We will address unmet client needs – in particular, empowering survivors to build economic self-sufficiency; ensuring that their children’s needs are met; and securing safe, permanent housing in the highly challenging NYC housing market.

2. We will build on our effective model of comprehensive service delivery by making it easier for clients to access services; by studying our impact; and by making results-driven decisions about our programs and operations.

3. We will amplify our advocacy and outreach efforts in order to improve the response of our communities and systems to victims of gender violence.

These goals serve to support our clients in their individual journeys to self-determination, while also enabling us to directly address legal and social structures that perpetuate gender violence. You can also view a detailed overview of the goals.

Many voices create a meaningful plan

In order to develop our strategy and goals, we sought a deep level of involvement from our board, executive leadership, and staff, and engaged in conversation with clients and partners in government, philanthropy, and the social service community. We are grateful for the thoughtful contributions of all who participated.

We invite you to consider this strategic plan and to help us fulfill our shared vision of exceptional services and progress toward a world free of gender violence.

– By Hon. Judy Harris Kluger, Executive Director

giving tuesday; facebook; fundraiser

Support Survivors this #GivingTuesday

Sanctuary for Families

Sanctuary clients face more challenges than ever before — we hope you’ll think of them on this special day.

Celebrate #GivingTuesday with a tax-deductible gift to Sanctuary — all gifts will be matched up to $50,000!

DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT

Giving Tuesday is just around the corner! 

What started as a simple idea and turned into a global movement, Giving Tuesday is an opportunity to come together with people around the world in the spirit of generosity.

This year has been particularly difficult for survivors of domestic violence. With two recent Supreme Court decisions that will grant more power to abusers — the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the striking down of a century-old New York law that limited the carrying of concealed firearms outside the home — victims of gender violence face more challenges than ever before.

We know that many other causes are vying for your attention at this time of year. Still, we hope you’ll think of Sanctuary’s clients on November 29th — the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.

Thanks to a generous group of anonymous Sanctuary Board members, all gifts made to our #GivingTuesday campaign will be matched up to $50,000! You can get a head start on Giving Tuesday by donating today, knowing that your gift will have double the impact for survivors

  MAKE A GIFT  

Take Action on Social Media

If you’d like to increase your impact, you can create a Facebook fundraiser to get your friends and family involved in our mission to end gender-based violence. It’s an easy and effective way to get the word out about our work.

Create my facebook fundraiser

You can make an incredible difference with just a few minutes’ work. 

  1. Click here to create your own Facebook fundraiser.
  2. Click ‘Select Nonprofit’ and search for Sanctuary for Families. You’ll know it’s us by our logo!
  3. Set your goal and tell your friends why you’re supporting Sanctuary or why supporting survivors is important to you.
  4. Start sharing your fundraiser Monday evening and all through the end of the day on Tuesday!

100% of donations made through Facebook go to the nonprofit organization; which means every dollar goes to our cause.

Create an Instagram Nonprofit Fundraiser:

Instagram fundraisers can be attached to video, carousel, and image posts in the feed. The fundraiser will be visible in the post and will be active for 30 days, which can be extended at any time. A link to an active fundraiser will also be added to your profile bio. ACCESS OUR GRAPHICS.

  1. On your profile, tap the Create icon (“+”) in the top right.
  2. Select Fundraiser.
  3. Enter Sanctuary for Families (@sffny) and select it from the menu. 
  4. Add details in the Fundraiser Details page, tap Add, and tap Share.

Invite others to join an Instagram Group Fundraiser:

  1. Once you’ve created your fundraiser, tap Share.
  2. Tap Invite Collaborators.
  3. Invite the account(s) you would like to join the fundraiser.
  4. Once the invitees accept, their usernames show in the fundraiser. The fundraiser is also added to their profile.

Fundraise on Instagram Stories Using a Donation Sticker

  1. Open the camera and upload one of our graphics, or your own photo.
  2. Tap the sticker icon.
  3. Select the Donation sticker from the tray.
  4. Search for and select Sanctuary for Families (@sffny).
  5. Customize your fundraiser using Stories creative tools.
  6. Tap Send To, then tap Share next to Your Story.
  7. You can add multiple images or videos to build your fundraising story.

Prefer Twitter to Facebook or Instagram? 

  1. Add our donation link to your bio. 
  2. When you post, drive your followers to the link in your bio

Have questions? 

Direct message us on any of our social media accounts or email communications@sffny.org. 

Thank you for supporting Sanctuary for Families. We are dedicated to the safety, healing, and self-determination of victims of domestic violence and related forms of gender violence. Through comprehensive services for our clients and their children, and through outreach, education, and advocacy, we strive to create a world in which freedom from gender violence is a human right.

Take Action This Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Sanctuary for Families

This Domestic Violence Awareness Month, take action to support survivors and keep the conversation going through October and beyond.

This year has been particularly difficult for survivors of domestic violence. From the spectacle of misogyny that was the Depp v. Heard trial to two recent Supreme Court decisions that will grant more power to abusers — the overturning Roe v. Wade and the striking down of a century-old New York law that limited the carrying of concealed firearms outside the home — victims of gender violence face more challenges than ever before.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). Join advocates and survivors in New York and across the country in educating ourselves and our communities about the dynamics of abuse, and raising awareness about resources available to victims. Here are a few ways you can get involved:.

Raise Your Voice on Social Media

Help us raise awareness about the prevalence and lethality of domestic violence, as well as of resources available to survivors, by posting on social media. We have created a social media toolkit with sample captions and downloadable infographics to help get you started, but feel free to customize your messaging in whatever way is most meaningful to you.

Access our full social media toolkit here: https://bit.ly/3yvqqR8

Check out more videos on our YouTube Channel.

Attend an Event

Join Sanctuary, fellow service providers, advocates, and supporters during the month of October.

  • October 7 |  KAFSC’s Annual Silent March against Domestic Violence, 5:00 PM @ NYPD – 109th Precinct, 37-05 Union Street, Queens, New York – The Korean American Family Service Center will be hosting a march down the heart of Flushing in solidarity with survivors of domestic violence. RSVP here.
  • October 8 | Love on the Block, 12:00 – 5:00 PM @ North Harlem – Bradhurst Avenue 154th & 155th St, New York, NY – Hosted by W.A.R.M. (We All Really Matter), come out and enjoy free food, music, clothing giveaways, bouncy houses, and 20+ resource vendors. Register here.
  • October 13 |  Move to Move Beyond Workshop, 6:30-8:00 PM @ Gibney Dance – 280 Broadway, Studio D, New York, NY – Join Sanctuary Survivor Leaders at Gibney’s Move to Move Beyond — a workshop that offers opportunities to explore personal autonomy, agency, and choice within a supportive collective. Register here.
  • October 13-14 | 2022 Family Law Conference “Justice for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence” – Join family law practitioners, survivor leaders, social service professionals, members of the judiciary, and advocates to address systemic injustices faced by survivors of intimate partner violence within New York State’s family law system.  Register here.
  • October 15 | Sisters in Purple Domestic Violence Awareness March, 11:00-12:00 PM @ W 145 Street and Lenox Avenue, New York, NY – Help bring more resources to the Bronx Community and join Returning Hope Inc. for their domestic violence resource fair. Register here.
  • October 15, | Bronx DA Walk/Run/Roll to End Domestic Violence 5K, 9:30 AM-12:30 PM In front of the Supreme Court steps at 161st Street and the Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY – Join us at a 5K hosted by the Bronx District Attorney’s office to raise awareness about domestic violence and honor the resilience of survivors. Register here.

Request a Training

Our staff and survivor leaders are available to lead virtual trainings for community members and groups – including schools, hospitals, law enforcement, courts and judges, faith communities, and cultural groups – who are interested in learning how to identify and support survivors. Learn more.

Wear Purple on Thursday, Oct. 20 and Participate in our Video Campaign 

On NYC Go Purple Day, we wear purple to spark conversation and raise awareness about domestic violence. This year, Sanctuary will be creating short videos for Sanctuary’s social media accounts to empower survivors and raise awareness about domestic violence — but we need your help!

If you are interested in joining our collective video project, please register here.

Video guidelines:

You can record the video yourself with your mobile device. Please keep the videos to a maximum of 15 seconds in length, and record in portrait mode (vertically). And most importantly, WEAR PURPLE!

  • Answer one of the following prompts, or create your own:
    • I wear purple because…
    • I stand with survivors because…
    • What I want people to know about domestic violence is…

Please make sure to include the question in the answer, for example: “I wear purple because everyone deserves the chance to live a life free from violence.”

Register here to participate in the Purple Day video.

Submission guidelines:

The deadline to submit your video is Friday, October 14th.

You can upload your videos here.

We look forward to celebrating Purple Day together! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out at lbauer@sffny.org..

Donate to Sanctuary

Your support ensures our ability to deliver counseling services, legal representation, career-readiness training, and shelter to thousands of immigrant and low-income survivors and families every year.

    MAKE A GIFT   
.
Take action to keep the conversation about domestic violence going through Domestic Violence Awareness Month and beyond.

Take Action This Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Sanctuary for Families

The tragic and sensationalized murder of Gabby Petito put a national spotlight on the issue of domestic violence last month — Take action to support survivors and keep the conversation going through October and beyond.

The tragic and sensationalized murder of Gabby Petito put a national spotlight on the issue of domestic violence last month — the racial disparities in resources and attention afforded to Black and brown missing persons, the limitations of our country’s domestic violence laws, and the role of the police officers who enforce them.
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Yet as the weeks have passed and the search for Petito’s alleged murderer continues, what was becoming a fruitful conversation about abuse and femicide has unsurprisingly stalled just when it should be picking up.
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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). Join advocates and survivors here in New York and across the country in educating yourself and your communities about the dynamics of abuse, and raise awareness about resources available to victims. Here are a few ways you can get involved:
.

Attend a Virtual Event

Join Sanctuary, fellow service providers, advocates, and supporters during the month of October.

  • October 14,  Moving Through Trauma and Beyond @ 6:00 PM via Zoom – Hosted by Sanctuary’s Survivor Leadership Coalition, this survivor-led panel will explore the connection between mind and body, and how different modalities build pathways towards healing. RSVP here.
  • October 26, Above & Beyond Virtual Pro Bono Achievement Awards and Benefit @ 6:30 PM via Zoom – Join us as we honor members of the legal community who have gone “above and beyond” by providing outstanding pro bono representation and advocacy to survivors of gender violence. RSVP here.
  • October 26, Vicarious Trauma and Resilience: Creating Space to Care for Yourself and Your Clients @ 1:00 PM via PLI – Learn from current and former Sanctuary staff and advocates how to identify vicarious trauma and the steps you and your organizations can take to address it. Register here.

Request a Training

Our staff and survivor leaders are available to lead virtual trainings for community members and groups – including schools, hospitals, law enforcement, courts and judges, faith communities, and cultural groups – who are interested in learning how to identify and support survivors. Learn more.
 

Wear Purple and Speak Out on Social Media on Thursday, Oct. 21

On NYC Go Purple Day, wear purple as a way to spark conversation and awareness about domestic violence. You can participate by taking a photo of yourself wearing purple. Send your photo to Info@sffny.org and answer the prompt: Today, I wear purple [for/because/to] _________.

We’ll share your photos on Go Purple Day. You can also post on your own social media accounts and tag us on Instagram and Twitter @SFFNY or on Facebook and LinkedIn @sanctuaryforfamilies.
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Donate to Sanctuary

Your support ensures our ability to deliver counseling services, legal representation, career-readiness training, and shelter to thousands of immigrant and low-income survivors and families every year.

    MAKE A GIFT   
.
Take action to keep the conversation about domestic violence going through Domestic Violence Awareness Month and beyond.