Blue Shield Against Violence
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Program Director
Bess Bendet
With almost 20 years of nonprofit and foundation experience, Ms. Bendet brings to the Foundation a deep commitment to gender equality, as well as years of experience designing and leading effective grantmaking and program strategies.
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Key Facts
Fact: One in three women will be a victim of domestic violence in her lifetime, and one in five adolescent girls reports being assaulted by someone she has dated.
On average, a woman is battered in this country every nine seconds. Batterers do not limit their violence to 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 over 100 shelters statewide, providing domestic violence service providers with funding that allows them to draw upon their own innovation to create environments free from domestic violence.
Blue Shield Against Violence (BSAV) currently focuses its investments on projects that:
- Improve society's response to domestic violence by developing and advocating for institutional policies that protect domestic violence survivors.
- Strengthen California's safety net by building a coordinated and stable system of domestic violence services and responses.
- Develop innovative primary prevention strategies targeting youth that contribute new learning to the field. (Funding by invitation only)
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 a Cohesive Treatment System for Survivors
Through our Shelter Initiative, we provide general operating support to domestic violence shelters across the state. One shelter used funds to strengthen its fundraising capacity and subsidize crisis hotline phone bills. For some, it means keeping the lights on. General operating support allows shelters to be innovative and responsive when developing new approaches to creating environments free from domestic violence. The Shelter Initiative is by invitation-only.
Institutional Change
We continue to break ground with our employer outreach work, providing training and consulting for employers and managers to help them recognize and respond to signs of abuse in the workplace. More than 10,000 individuals have been reached through this program. We also partner with corporations to help them develop workplace policies and procedures addressing domestic violence. If you are interested in learning more, please email us directly at bsav@blueshieldcafoundation.org.
Prevention Strategies
BSAV has developed an ambitious media campaign for high school-age youth. The purpose of this work is to reach young people in new ways, at a critical time when serious relationships are formed and patterns are established. The campaign offers tools and resources to help teens "dial down" their relationship drama, and emphasizes a "for youth, by youth" approach, delivering content via new media channels. This is an invitation-only initiative.
Policy and Regulatory Change
BSAV supports the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (CPEDV), a statewide, membership coalition of domestic violence service providers. CPEDV, its members, and its partners are building a statewide coalition to forge a unified policy agenda to improve California's response to domestic violence.
Blue Shield Against Violence does not fund the following:
- Award dinners, athletic events, competitions or special events
- Conferences or seminars
- Capital construction
- Capital projects over $50,000
- Television/film/media production
- Religious activities
- Political causes, candidates, organizations or campaigns
- Grants to individuals
- Mental health programs
- 52-week Batterer Intervention programs
