NNEDV’s Economic Justice Project works to strengthen victim advocates’ financial capabilities to better assist survivors of domestic violence move from short-term safety to long-term security, and to an economically sustainable independent life.  NNEDV's Economic Justice Project employs its signature “train-the-trainer” approach to deliver financial literacy lessons to victim advocates across the U.S.  NNEDV's Economic Justice Project also uses its exclusive listservs and newsletter to inform victim advocates about personal finance tools, resources, and the most recent research available in the field of financial literacy and capability.

Financial Empowerment Webinars and Podcasts

Please join The Allstate Foundation and NNEDV for our webinars series where you'll be able to expand your knowledge of important financial topics throughout Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Financial Literacy Month. Listen, learn, ask questions and interact with our expert presenters. Follow the link below each session to register.

If you are not able to join us live or want to re-visit the session later, each webinar will be available for download as a podcast.

2011 Domestic Violence Awareness Month Financial Empowerment Webinar Series

Education Loan Repayment - Heather Jarvis, Student Loan Expert

October 17: 3pm ET, 2pm CT, 1pm MT, 12pm PT

• Steps of Public Loan Forgiveness
• Overview of resources

Register: https://nnedv.ilinc.com/register/ccmxjfw

How Credit Works - Barry Paperno, FICO

October 24: 3pm ET, 2pm CT, 1pm MT, 12pm PT

• Reading a credit report
• Credit score calculation
• How to improve a credit score
• Steps to disputing a report

Register: https://nnedv.ilinc.com/register/yvwxjry

Identity/SSN Change and Finances - Valenda Applegarth, Greater Boston Legal Services

October 31: 3pm ET, 2pm CT, 1pm MT, 12pm PT

• History of Identity/SSN change
• Pros/Cons
• Alternatives

Register: https://nnedv.ilinc.com/register/jjsrmmf

For a complete list of webinars click here: http://www.clicktoempower.org/financial-tools/financial-empowerment-webinars-and-podcasts.aspx

About Financial Abuse

Financial abuse is a common tactic used by abusers to gain power and control in a relationship.  The forms of financial abuse may be subtle or overt but in in general, include tactics to limit the partner’s access to assets or conceal information and accessibility to the family finances.   Financial abuse along with emotional, physical and sexual abuse, manipulation, intimidation and threats are all intentional tactics used by an abuser aimed at entrapping the partner in the relationship.  In some abusive relationships, financial abuse is present throughout the relationship and in other cases financial abuse becomes present when the survivor is attempting to leave or has left the relationship.

Financial abuse, while less commonly understood, is one of the most powerful methods of keeping a survivor trapped in an abusive relationship and deeply diminishes her ability to stay safe after leaving an abusive relationship.   Research indicates that financial abuse is experienced in 98% of abusive relationships  and surveys of survivors reflect that concerns over their ability to provide financially for themselves and their children was one of the top reason for staying in or returning to a battering relationship.  As with all forms of abuse, it occurs across all socio-economic, educational and racial and ethnic groups.

Forms of Financial Abuse

As with other forms of abuse, financial abuse may begin subtly and progress over time.  It may even look like love initially as abusers have the capacity to appear very charming and are masterful at manipulation.  For example, the batterer may make statements such as “ I know you’re under a lot of stress right now so why  don’t you just let me take care of the finances and I’ll give you money each week to take care of what you need”.   Under these circumstances, the victim may believe that she should or can trust the partner she is in love with and may willingly give over control of the money and how it is spent.  This scenario commonly leads to the batterer giving the victim less and less in “allowance” and by the time she decides she wants to take back control of the finances, she discovers that the accounts have all been moved or she no longer has knowledge or access to the family funds.

In other cases, the financial abuse may be much more overt.  Batterers commonly use violence or threats of violence and intimidation to keep the victim from working or having access to the family funds.  Whether subtle or overt, there are common methods that batterers use to gain financial control over their partner.  These include:

• Forbidding the victim to work 
• Sabotaging work or employment opportunities by stalking or harassing the victim at the workplace or causing the victim to lose her job by physically battering prior to important meetings or interviews
• Controlling how all of the money is spent 
• Not allowing the victim access to bank accounts 
• Withholding money or giving “an allowance”
• Not including the victim in investment or banking decisions
• Forbidding the victim from attending job training or advancement opportunities
• Forcing the victim to write bad checks or file fraudulent tax returns
• Running up large amounts of debt on joint accounts
• Refusing to work or contribute to the family income
• Withholding funds for the victim or children to obtain basic needs such as food and medicine
• Hiding assets
• Stealing the victim’s identity, property or inheritance
• Forcing the victim to work in a family business without pay
• Refusing to pay bills and ruining the victims’ credit score
• Forcing the victim to turn over public benefits or threatening to turn the victim in for “cheating or misusing benefits”
• Filing false insurance claims
• Refusing to pay  or evading child support or manipulating the divorce process by drawing it out by hiding or not disclosing assets

The Impact of Financial Abuse

The short and long term effects of financial abuse can be devastating. In the short term, access to assets is imperative to staying safe. Without assets, survivors are often unable to obtain safe and affordable housing or the funds to provide for themselves or their children. With realistic fears of homelessness, it is little wonder that survivors sometimes return to the battering relationship.

For those who manage to escape the abuse and survive initially, they often face overwhelming odds in obtaining long term security and safety. Ruined credit scores, sporadic employment histories and legal issues caused by the battering make it extremely difficult to gain independence, safety and long term security.

Economic Justice Technical Assistance & Online Resource Platform:

NNEDV’s Economic Justice Project delivers financial literacy and economic justice resources and information to its members and the general public via NNEDV's website, exclusive listservs, webinars, presentations and one-one-one technical assistance. The Economic Justice Project also compiles and organizes relevant research on a wide-range of financial literacy topics; and engages in a variety of outreach activities to help give survivors a voice with financial education stakeholders at the national level. This project is greatly enhanced through the ongoing commitment of dedicated partners that support projects to end domestic violence, and to empower survivors with the financial education and economic tools and resources they need to achieve financial independence.

NNEDV's Economic Justice Partnership with The Allstate Foundation:

In partnership with The Allstate Foundation and the U.S. state and territorial coalitions against domestic violence, NNEDV’s Economic Justice Project delivers financial literacy information with tools like the Moving Ahead Through Financial Management curriculum, webinars, and grants that support economic justice and empowerment programs for survivors of abuse. 

Since 2005 NNEDV’s Economic Justice Project has coordinated and provided technical assistance for the following Allstate Foundation grant programs:

• The Moving Ahead Through Financial Management Curriculum Grant Program provides curriculum materials and funding support to state coalitions that work with local programs to train advocates in their state.  To date, more than 600 domestic violence victim advocates have been trained to teach survivors financial skills, and thousands of survivors are using this resource nationwide.
• The Moving Ahead Economic Empowerment Grant Program has awarded over $2.3 million to state-wide coalitions against domestic violence to help survivors become economically independent from their abusers and to research domestic violence and economic abuse to support new services.  Grant focus areas include matched savings programs, financial education, micro-enterprise and job readiness programs.

Read more about the exciting partnership with NNEDV and the Allstate Foundation Economic Empowerment for Domestic Violence Survivors Program.

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