2020 was a hard year for most because of the COVID pandemic. But for Rosalee (not her real name), it became a prison where she was trapped with her abuser, unable to escape or call for help. The courts were closed. Shelters were closed. Life felt closed. The only light was social media groups where she could escape for a moment and connect with others like her.
As the pandemic shut life down, VictimsVoice realized what this meant for victims of domestic violence like Rosalee. We had people using our documentation tool across the US and watched usage rates spike in each state as it issued stay-at-home orders. We also knew that others who would need the VictimsVoice application would not be able to get to one of our partners to get a free license.
Being a new startup, we’ve pledged 1% of our product to all of our Partner Members, victim and survivor-serving organizations and agencies who pre-pay for our licenses to give to those who cannot afford the annual fee. We also pledge 25% of donation purchases from private individuals, turning that into interest-free loans for those who need to get out and feel safe through our VictimsVoice Halo Fund.
Already a member of over 50 victim and survivor groups on social media, we made the decision to put revenue aside and, during the entire month of May, offered free licenses to anyone in the US who was trapped with their abuser and needed the legal documentation to get a protective order or seek legal justice. No questions asked - we provided activation codes and onboarding instructions for anyone who said they needed it.
With government funding stripped bare for 501c3’s, we saw a new need in 2021. Nonprofits were struggling to meet the overwhelming needs of those survivors who were finally able to get out and seek help. We partnered with DomesticShelters.org and their Purple Ribbon Awards to ensure the US-based, grassroots nonprofit shelters who were doing the hard work to help those like Rosalee had access to provide our tool to those in their community and onboarded 69 new Partner Members at no cost. This was much more than 1%, but the need was so great that we had to step up.
Today is Giving Tuesday, November 30th, and it’s my birthday. What better gift could anyone ask for than to have people all over the world dedicating donations of time, money, and products to so many amazing nonprofits.
My company may not be in a position to donate equity (yet), but I am proud to be able to donate an important product to so many nonprofits across the US that are saving lives and those of their children. You can learn more about the VictimsVoice Partner Members on our website here.
Sheri Kurdakul, CEO, VictimsVoice
Victims by Force. Survivor by Choice. Activist by Design.
