Montana Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence (MCADSV) is a statewide coalition of individuals and organizations working together to uproot violence and oppression in order to end domestic and sexual violence in Montana.

Coalitions and support organizations are essential to the nonprofit sector. They bring funding to other nonprofits, connect organizations to one another, disseminate vital information, foster communication, and mobilize organizations for advocacy. MCADSV plays a vital and often unseen role in Montana.

FOSTER COLLABORATION:

MCADSV prioritizes authentic relationship-building, empowers local programs, and creates a unified front. Through shared resources, skill-building, and strategic advocacy, the coalition promotes a culture of collaboration that maximizes impact. Victim services organizations benefit from working together through increased impact, resource sharing, unified advocacy, holistic support, enhanced visibility, capacity building, strategic planning, improved outreach, innovation, and mutual support.

MOBILIZE FOR ADVOCACY:

The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Fund provides federal support to state and local programs that assist victims of crime. VOCA grants have decreased in small amounts over the last several years and in 2023, Montana programs faced a 40-50% cut in services, disproportionately affecting rural victim services programs. Cuts would make programs unsustainable, causing many to shut their doors. 

MCADSV engaged their membership organizations including Domestic and Sexual Violence Services of Carbon County (DSVS) and jumped into action to address this financial threat to serving survivors in Montana. DSVS Co-Director, Jenn Battles, spoke about the value of the Coalition this way, “One of the Coalition’s most important roles is to alert our organizations to proposed policy changes that affect survivors and assist us in developing strategies we can execute together to respond – their work amplifies our message and our missions in legislative spaces.”

With MCADSV’s expertise and leadership, domestic and sexual violence organizations from across Montana, including DSVS, knew to focus their precious time and resources during the 2023 Montana State Legislature on helping legislators correct their assumptions that victim services are fully funded and will always be available to those in need. MCADSV and their members made a compelling case to their representatives and secured $4 million in one-time-only funding from the state, primarily working with women legislators serving on the Senate Finance and Claims and House Appropriations Budget Committee. Montana is one of a handful of states that does not permanently allocate a portion of their state budget to supporting survivors. MCADSV will work to renew funding to support survivors during the 2025 legislative session.

Read the 2023 Impact Report here.