CASH ASSISTANCE TOOLKIT
Flexible financial assistance for survivors of gender-based violence helps people move toward safety, stability, and healing.
A practical guide for service providers, funders, and advocates designing effective cash assistance programs.
Financial abuse impacts most survivors of gender-based violence.
WHY CASH ASSISTANCE MATTERS
Without access to financial resources, many survivors face significant barriers to leaving unsafe situations or maintaining stability after they do.
Direct, flexible cash assistance helps remove those barriers – supporting safer outcomes, improved housing stability, and long-term economic independence.
WHY UNRESTRICTED CASH WORKS
Traditional funding models often come with restrictions, delays, or complex requirements. These barriers can limit access and slow down support at critical moments.
Unrestricted cash assistance puts decision-making power back in the hands of survivors – allowing them to prioritize what they need most, when they need it.
Survivors know their situations best. Flexible funding respects that.
Survivors most often use financial assistance to cover essential, immediate needs. Meeting these needs quickly can have a direct impact on safety and stability.
HOUSING & UTILITIES
TRANSPORTATION & CHILD CARE
FOOD & SUPPLIES
HYGIENE & PERSONAL CARE
WHO THIS TOOLKIT IS FOR
WHAT’S INSIDE THE TOOLKIT
Flexible financial assistance gives survivors the ability to make immediate, life-changing decisions.
This funding helped me move out of a shelter and into my own place. I am finally feeling stable again.
It eased a heavy financial burden and helped me not to return to the domestic violence situation I was in.
I am deeply grateful to those who make this type of assistance possible – your generosity transforms lives.
The funding helped me get my car fixed, catch up on utilities, and buy new clothes because a lot was taken from me.
Ready to build or strengthen a survivor-centered cash assistance program?
OVER $20M DISTRIBUTED
TO 15,000 SURVIVORS
The Network provides technical assistance and guidance for organizations developing financial assistance programs.
