Stronger Organizations, Stronger Field: Experiences from the ARP Support for Survivors Program

In 2022, the Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services (OFVPS) awarded $13.2 million to API-GBV to start The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Support for Survivors Program. The program included 43 grantees from April 2023 through June 2025, of which 42 completed the program. This report offers insight into the importance of culturally-specific community nonprofits in addressing service gaps and the value of nurturing their growth and development. 

The ARP Support for Survivors Program offered the infusion of funding and support that grantees needed in order to address the ongoing challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic – translation and interpretation of medical and public health information, as well as support of mental health and healing. Their work speaks to the importance of culturally-specific programs in building trust with survivors who have faced intense victim-blaming, shaming and silencing from their families and communities. Grantees succeeded in building trust with survivors through cultural connections, creating communities of healing, and nurturing survivors’ agency and leadership in the change they seek. Over the two-year grant period, grantees reached more than 11,400 survivors. 

API-GBV sought to walk alongside grantees every step of the way – gaining their input on what they needed most, bringing in expertise to support organizational needs, and troubleshooting on challenges that arise. Organizations evolved into full-fledged 501(c)(3) nonprofits, transitioned from volunteer-run to staffed, and launched new programs led by experts. Grantees saw API-GBV as more than a funder – API-GBV was their partner and champion. They were invested in the success of their grantees. Together, they built a connected network of advocates strengthening services for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors and the field as a whole. 

API-GBV calls on funders, policymakers, and community leaders to invest boldly and consistently in AANHPI and ME organizations serving survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Nonprofits serving survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault cannot continue to be undervalued, underfunded, and sidelined as a niche issue. The impact of domestic violence and sexual assault on our communities cannot be deprioritized any longer. With sustained support, these organizations can save more lives, grow their leadership to strengthen communities, and build a future free from violence.