FreeFrom
Building safety and economic freedom with survivors of gender-based violence
FreeFrom, is a national, survivor-led organization transforming how the U.S. addresses gender-based violence (GBV)—from a series of isolated crises to a systemic economic issue.
GBV affects 1 in 2 women and 1 in 2 transgender people with devastating financial effects that can impact generations to come and perpetuate the cycle of violence.
Financial insecurity is the number one barrier to safety for survivors, and healing from violence is expensive. Survivors’ financial well-being ranks in the bottom 10th percentile for adults in the U.S. It costs a female survivor $104K to deal with the consequences of abuse over her lifetime.
Since 2016, FreeFrom has been working to end GBV by building safety and economic freedom with and for survivors. FreeFrom’s programs and resources have reached more than 30K people to date, and the organization has disbursed more than $5 million to survivors to support their immediate safety, savings, and small businesses. FreeFrom’s advocacy for legislation that supports survivors’ financial security has led to wins in states where more than 20 million survivors live.
With support from the Kering Foundation, FreeFrom is strengthening survivors’ financial security through innovative, trust-based programs, such as the organization’s Savings Matching Program. Over this year-long program, survivors report their monthly savings, which FreeFrom then matches up to $55 per month. With the monthly matches and a $120 sign-up bonus, participants have the opportunity to save $1,440 by the program’s end.
To date, FreeFrom has supported 1,966 survivors and counting in saving over $823K through the national program.
‘I can’t tell you how simple and humanizing the FreeFrom match process was. At a time when I had exceptionally limited capacity and was just fighting to stay above water, your program really came through in a big way. It helped me feel hopeful about being able to finally get free, but it also provided a way forward.’
– Savings Matching Program Participant
Learn more about FreeFrom’s work by watching SURVIVOR MADE, a documentary about the survivors behind FreeFrom’s social enterprise, GIFTED.
SURVIVOR MADE trailer: