VNC’s present grant-making focus is on the critical need to reduce violence in families by addressing and supporting domestic violence prevention. While we frequently revisit the causes we support and assess the impact of our grant dollars have on delivering critical services to the community, VNC has an invitation-only grant application process.
We are proud to support these and other organizations serving the needs of the greater Los Angeles community.
Center for the Pacific Asian Family (CPAF) was founded in 1978 to help address domestic violence and sexual assault in the Asian and Pacific Islander communities. CPAF established the first multi-lingual 24-hour helpline, and opened the first multilingual and multicultural domestic violence emergency shelter assisting API survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in the nation. Today CPAF operates an emergency shelter, two transitional housing shelters, and community engagement and violence prevention programs, including a focus on developing youth leadership in violence prevention.
“With VNC’s support, CPAF is able to facilitate safe and empowering spaces for youth to develop healthy relationship skills, build empathy and problem-solving practices for non-violent resolution to conflicts, and strengthen peer advocacy to help those who have been sexually assaulted and abused."
With humble beginnings as the nation’s first bilingual hotline for Spanish–speaking survivors of sexual assault, East Los Angeles Women's Center (ELAWC) provides an array of innovative and integrated, culturally-responsive services that build upon a foundation of trauma-informed, evidence-based services. Working in collaboration with individuals, groups, communities and their partners, ELAWC helps foster the implementation of policies and practices that support social justice and human rights.
“Van Nuys Charities has provided us with multiple levels of support. Most importantly, VNC has created a cohort of providers, offered guidance and technical support, and presented opportunities to evolve and further enhance our services to reach the most vulnerable impacted by domestic violence. VNC's Board of Trustees, staff, and consultants are invested in our work and they are committed to helping survivors and their families create safe and nurturing home environments. We honor our relationship with VNC and the cohort of phenomenal organizations. Thank you for providing us with the resources and support to further our mission and provide life-saving services.”
Jenesse provides victims of domestic violence with comprehensive programs and services to ensure their transition from crisis to stability and on to self-sufficiency by utilizing innovative, non-traditional approaches to intervention and prevention. Jenesse is also dedicated to raising awareness about domestic violence, involving the community-at-large in the fight against this societal scourge. The mission of this organization is to restore and provide trauma informed, culturally responsive holistic, comprehensive services to survivors and families impacted by domestic and sexual violence; and to advance prevention modalities to sustain healthy and safe communities free of violence.
“In 2015, J.B. & Emily Van Nuys Charities awarded Jenesse Center a three-year grant to support Jenesse’s efforts to equip young people with the knowledge, skills, and awareness they need to become morally conscious leaders through its youth program. In 2018, we were awarded another three-year grant to strengthen our infrastructure and to support our development and strategic planning efforts. This funding from VNC is critical because other grants prohibit us from using their funds for the administrative costs associated with development, donor cultivation, and strategic development — the very work that helps improve Jenesse's long-term sustainability.”
Korean American Family Services (KFAM) provides quality intervention, prevention and outreach services for Korean immigrant families affected by domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. In addition, KFAM provides counseling, cultural-specific education and access to services for victims. KFAM also provides a perpetrator accountability group program.
“With VNC’s support, we were able to provide various types of DV training to Korean faith leaders so they could serve the community by either spreading the message about healthy families to their congregation or properly responding to DV when their congregation asks for help. Almost 70% of Korean immigrant families reportedly attend church regularly, which highlights the impact each faith leader has in the Korean community. Actually, we’ve seen an increase in the number of referrals from faith organizations after we started providing trainings.”
Peace Over Violence (POV) understands that violence in relationships and families is a root cause for violence in society. The agency works to intervene in cases of violence and to prevent violence from occurring. Their goal is to impact widespread transformation of society's attitudes regarding interpersonal violence by working to change the point of view of each individual. POV’s program objectives target empowerment, education, and advocacy through comprehensive services so individuals, those in relationships, and communities are healthy and thriving.
“Peace Over Violence is very grateful to J.B. and Emily Van Nuys Charities for its generous general operating support grant, which helped us sustain and grow our capacity to provide free, trauma-informed intervention services to survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence; offer violence-prevention education and empowerment training to youth and community members; and to support our staff and volunteers.”
Founded in 1973, the Richstone Family Center is dedicated to treating and preventing child abuse and trauma, strengthening and educating families, and eliminating violence in families, schools and communities. Recognizing that a strong correlation exists between domestic abuse and child abuse, with approximately half of all domestic violence situations involving direct child abuse, Richstone has expanded its programming and now provides services in both English and Spanish for individuals of all ages, those in relationships, and for families. We also provide domestic violence education and support at local high schools. Richstone strives to remain responsive to community needs and is working towards a future in which our communities are free from child abuse and domestic violence.
“Richstone is incredibly grateful for the support of the J.B. and Emily Van Nuys Charities and their commitment to breaking the cycle of domestic violence. The families Richstone serves are particularly vulnerable due to cultural barriers, social isolation, and an unfamiliarity and fear of the legal system. VNC has been a valued partner that has strengthened our capacity to both evaluate and address the growing and evolving needs of domestic violence and child abuse victims within the communities we serve. This has helped us broaden our outreach efforts, enabled us to reach a new audience of clients, and provide education on how factors such as substance abuse, financial instability, and cultural norms often relate to issues of domestic violence and abuse.”
Since 1972, SPIRITT Family Services, a community-based organization, has provided critical range prevention, early intervention, treatment, and recovery services for the social and emotional well-being of over 13,000 children, adolescents, and adults annually. Approximately 65% of families in SPIRITT’s child abuse prevention programs have been referred for issues related to family violence, which is why SPIRITT has domestic violence prevention and intervention strategies integrated throughout its programs. Education and support on domestic violence and healthy relationships are provided one-to-one and in group settings - case management, educational workshops, domestic violence support groups, fatherhood, and more - to provide reliable information, awareness, and resources to our community.
“SPIRITT is grateful to J.B. and Emily Van Nuys Charities for their commitment to support domestic violence prevention efforts, so children and families strengthen protective factors and live healthier lives. VNC support will help cover unmet program and administrative needs for continuity and long-term sustainability.”
StrengthUnited is a chartered center of California State University, Northridge (CSUN), and has served the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys for over 30 years. StrengthUnited supports the most vulnerable members of our community at critical moments in their lives and provides prevention, intervention, and education in our community to address violence and abuse at the root. We provide services to survivors of all ages who have experienced child maltreatment, domestic violence, and sexual assault. Through a groundbreaking multidisciplinary approach, StrengthUnited serves thousands of children and adults annually, free of charge.
“StrengthUnited has received tremendous support from the J.B. & Emily Van Nuys Charities through cohort-specific training and collaboration. Additionally, their financial support has helped us reach a previously untapped population of middle-school-aged children through the Safe Dates Program. We have also implemented healthy relationship/violence prevention events that reached approximately 900 students in the past year. Thanks to the support of VNC, StrengthUnited has been able to educate children at a critical, transformative age, to change their knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes around healthy relationships. This type of preventative work is key to creating a violence-free community.”
YWCA Glendale’s mission is to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Their purpose is to ensure the health, safety, and economic empowerment of women, children and families and to strengthen communities to prevent and break the cycle of domestic violence. Their programs include a 24/7 Crisis Hotline, a 16-bed Domestic Violence Emergency Shelter, a Domestic Violence Community Services Center that provides case management, legal services, adult and child counseling, trauma informed childcare, and housing navigation support, a Violence Prevention Education and Outreach Program, a Girls Empowerment Program that offers after school programming, summer camp and STEAM education workshops and mentorship, and the Coalition for an Antiracist Glendale.
"Van Nuys Charities' multi-year grant and cohort capacity building support provided YWCA Glendale with the resources necessary to craft and begin implementing an ambitious five-year strategic plan, allowed us to build an executive team with the skills and expertise to lead our future growth and impact, and afforded us the opportunity to begin jointly implementing programming for girls with YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley, amplifying both the programmatic and geographic imprint of our violence prevention work."
VNC and its Trustees are proud to support the following institutions:
A Place Called Home • Blind Children’s Center • CASA of Los Angeles • Downtown Women’s Center • For the Child • Goodwill
Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law • John Tracy Center • Para Los Niños • Rainbow Services
Strive • Upward Mobility Foundation • Valley Oasis
