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Amy's Courage Fund

Thank you for your interest in the Amy's Courage Fund.  The Fund closed on Monday, November 1, 2010.  Funds for this grant program were depleted quickly due to a very high demand.

We know that the need for this grant program is great, and we appreciate all the efforts by local programs on behalf of survivors.

Many thanks to The Mary Kay Foundation for its ongoing commitment to directly and positively impact the lives of so many survivors of domestic violence.  NNEDV will post updates on this grant program on an ongoing basis. 

• Impact Reports: Please complete and submit your impact report for Amy's Courage Fund here.  To log in, please use the email address and password you created when you registered to complete your application online.

Fund Background

In April 2002, Amy wrote a note and taped it to the inside of her desk drawer. It read "Today Ron Ball and I are romantically involved, but I fear I have placed myself at risk in a variety of ways. Based on his criminal past, writing this out just seems like the smart thing to do. If I am missing or dead this obviously has not protected me... " Two months after writing this note, Amy Latus tragically lost her life to domestic violence.

Amy's Courage Fund is named in honor of Amy Lynne Latus and the many other victims who have suffered in silence.

We all know an Amy -- she's the girl next door, the woman standing in front of you at the grocery store. She's your sister, your mother, your friend, your coworker or maybe even you. It is our hope that the Amy's Courage Fund will help prevent more tragic deaths.

You can learn more about Amy at http://www.ifiammissingordead.com/.

In addition to inflicting physical, psychological and emotional abuse, abusers often financially control their victims — forcing them to quit their jobs, giving minimal allowances to pay for household needs, and taking steps to ruin their credit. As a direct result, many victims lack the financial resources necessary to flee and establish a life free of violence.

Amy's Courage Fund was established to alleviate the financial constraints that often prevent a victim from escaping abuse. Amy’s Courage Fund provides emergency financial assistance of up to $2,000 to victims of domestic violence and their children to meet their immediate needs after escaping an abusive home.

Since 2003, NNEDV has provided more than $600,000 in emergency financial assistance to families throughout the country, helping them to establish a new life free of violence.

Eligibility

Any adult survivor of domestic violence is eligible to receive funds. However, a domestic violence survivor must work with a domestic violence shelter/program or domestic violence coalition to submit an application for this fund.

The following is a list of fundable expenses:

• Moving and transportation costs for victims who are fleeing, such as plane, train or bus tickets, U-Haul rentals, hotels and other travel expenses;
• Rent and security deposits for new, safe homes;
• Utilities, utility deposits and phone hook-ups;
• Medical expenses such as doctor appointments, medication and prescription eyeglasses;
• Legal fees and expenses for filing for protection orders, custody agreements and divorce;
• Car repairs and transportation needs; and
• Furniture, appliances, clothing and other household goods.

In addition, in times of national crisis - such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita - Amy's Courage Fund extends its emergency grants to domestic violence programs so that they are able to continue providing services in their communities.

While this list is fairly inclusive, there may be circumstances where a survivor has emergency needs that are not on this list. In these instances, agencies are encouraged to apply and clearly articulate how the need is related to a survivor's safety.

NNEDV will disburse grants up to $2,000 per application. The same survivor may not apply for more than one grant in a calendar year.

Application Submission Guidelines

NNEDV will only accept Amy's Courage Fund applications from 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations whose core mission is to serve or represent victims of domestic violence.

Eligible organizations that submit applications must provide core services that include 24-hour crisis line, emergency shelter, crisis intervention, system advocacy, residential and nonresidential support groups, individual and group counseling, domestic violence training/technical assistance and domestic violence transitional housing.

Eligible organizations include:

• Domestic violence shelters;
• Domestic violence transitional housing programs;
• Domestic violence coalitions; and
• Culturally specific domestic violence organizations.

If you have any questions or need additional information, you can reach NNEDV at (202) 543-5566 or via email.

To Apply

The November 2010 application cycle for Amy's Courage Fund is closed. Please check back in 2011 to apply for future application cycles.

• For more information, please see NNEDV's Frequently Asked Questions about Amy's Courage Fund.

Please note: NNEDV does not provide crisis services. If you or someone you know is in danger, please contact 911 or your local police. For advocacy, counseling and referral services, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY). All conversations with advocates at the National Hotline are strictly confidential.

Amy's Courage Fund is provided due to the generous support of individuals like you and Altria Group, Inc., Bioelements, the FISA Foundation, Liz Claiborne, Inc., The Mary Kay Foundation and Simon & Schuster.