The Exodus Project is a nonprofit initiative serving victims and survivors of domestic violence in the US and Canada. The Exodus Project provides extensive online resources and emergency, confidential financial grants for people who have recently left a violent intimate partner.  

The Exodus Project Grant Program Overview

The Exodus Project works along side local domestic violence agencies, shelters and Community Organizations (“Exodus Partner”) that provide uninterrupted in-person support services for victims of domestic violence.

DV Advocate Responsibilities

The Exodus Partner serves as the primary point of contact and the victim liaison/advocate for The Exodus Project Grant. The Exodus Partner submits Exodus Project Grant application on behalf of the victim:

• The Exodus Partner submits the Exodus Project Grant application on behalf of the victim as a part of a holistic, durable and sustainable exit strategy.
• Applications must be submitted online by the approved Exodus Partner. A grant response will be provided by email or by phone within 72 hours.
• The Exodus Partner provides a Financial Needs/Income Assessment along with a verified list of payees with the grant request.
• Grant funds are paid directly to the designated and verified payees such as landlord, utility company, hotel, licensed service providers, etc., on behalf of the victim.
• The Exodus Partner must be able to provide regular updates on the victim’s status if requested.

Eligibility Guidelines

• For the safety and security of the victim, The Exodus Project Grant application must be submitted by a local domestic violence agency/community organization (“Exodus Partner”) in the US/Canada that provides uninterrupted/in-person support services to victims of domestic violence.
• The victim must be at least 18 years old, live in the US or Canada and be actively working with a domestic violence shelter/community organization that provides uninterrupted in-person support to victims of domestic violence. They should be currently staying at, or have plans to stay in a transitional/emergency domestic violence shelter.
• The Exodus Project receives over 750 grant requests each week. grants are awarded on first come first serve basis and based on several factors including: urgency, financial need, and available funding.

Grant Funding

For victim safety and grant compliance requirements, and to maximize program efficiency, The Exodus Project makes grant payments directly to the verified emergency resource providers/payees on behalf of the victim.

Protecting The Victim

The Exodus Project and Exodus Partners adhere to strict safety and confidentiality protocols to:

• Prevent the abuser from being able to track the victim’s activities and potentially discover the victim’s exit plan, which can and often does lead to an escalation of violence.
• Prevent unauthorized or fraudulent requests from being made on behalf of the victim.
• Prevent the abuser from intercepting grant proceeds from a address/mailbox the abuser may have or gain access to.
• Prevent the abuser from being able to coerce the victim through threats or acts of violence to hand over grant proceeds.
• Ensure the victim is provided appropriate, comprehensive support for holistic and sustainable exit planning.
• Ensure the victim has the necessary resources/support to secure and sustain permanent housing including, if necessary, applying for and obtaining a housing voucher.

Compliance

The Exodus Project adheres to strict compliance standards for grant funds disbursement.

• Prior to funding, a holistic needs assessment has been performed by the Exodus Partner, and each grant request payee is verified prior to funding.
• Exodus Project Grant requests can only be submitted to The Exodus Project by a verified local Domestic Violence Agency/Community Organization (“Exodus Partner”) in the US/Canada that provides uninterrupted in-person support and services for victims of domestic abuse.
• The Exodus Partner serves as the primary point of contact and victim liaison/advocate for grant applications.
• Our grant funding objectives call for 97% of donations go directly to support victims. To achieve our grant funding objective, The Exodus Project does not provide/duplicate services provided by Exodus Partners including DV hotline/phone support, legal consultations, emergency shelter, housing assistance, counseling, case management, etc..

The Exodus Project cannot accept grant requests from individuals or unknown, unauthorized sources. 

With as many as 31,000 victims of abuse fleeing domestic violence in a single day, and nearly 50% of homeless women and children in the US fleeing domestic abuse, we strongly urge victims who are fleeing domestic violence to contact a local DV Agency/Community Organization that provides uninterrupted in-person support and services for victims of domestic abuse as soon as possible.

For frequently asked questions, Exodus Project online resources or emergency assistance, see below.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ONLINE RESOURCES

I​f you need help now

Are you having an emergency? Call your local emergency phone number (911 in most communities)

The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 24/7, confidential and free: 1-800-799-7233 and through chat.