The Leverage Fund pairs nonprofits with professional grant writers, so they can pursue funding from state and federal governments and large national foundations, drawing more investment into WNC.
Bring $8M in outside grant funding into WNC by year-end 2020
Pandemic and economic stressors have led to increases in domestic violence, which means an increased need for legal assistance for survivors. But pursuing funding – particularly from federal sources – is time consuming and complicated.
With help from Dogwood’s Leverage Fund, Pisgah Legal Services received a $600,000 Violence Against Women Act grant directly from the U.S. Department of Justice. This grant will help PLS sustain legal services to survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking who are seeking relief in legal matters to escape abuse and rebuild their lives. In addition, it will help PLS expand services to help more immigrant and rural survivors of abuse.
“This grant is for three years, at $200,000 per year, which is the longest grant period we have. Our staff is extremely committed, hardworking, and professional, and having access to additional grant writing expertise during an extremely busy time helped us secure funds we wouldn’t have had the bandwidth to pursue. As a result, we can provide legal protections and assistance to those facing violence.”