Futures Without Violence

Futures Without Violence is a health and social justice nonprofit with a simple mission: to heal those among us who are traumatized by violence today – and to create healthy families and communities free of violence tomorrow.

From domestic violence and child abuse, to bullying and sexual assault, our groundbreaking programs, policy development, and public action campaigns are designed to prevent and end violence against women and children around the world.

Striving to reach new audiences and transform social norms, we train professionals such as doctors, nurses, judges, and athletic coaches on improving responses to violence and abuse. We also work with advocates, policy makers, and others to build sustainable community leadership and educate people everywhere about the importance of respect and healthy relationships.

ABOUT FUTURES™
Our Mission
For more than 30 years, FUTURES has been providing groundbreaking programs, policies, and campaigns that empower individuals and organizations working to end violence against women and children around the world.

Providing leadership from offices in San Francisco, Washington D.C. and Boston, we’ve established a state-of-the-art Center for Leadership and Action in the Presidio of San Francisco to foster ongoing dialogue about gender-based violence and child abuse.

Striving to reach new audiences and transform social norms, we train professionals such as doctors, nurses, judges, and athletic coaches on improving responses to violence and abuse. We also work with advocates, policy makers, and others to build sustainable community leadership and educate people everywhere about the importance of respect and healthy relationships.

Our vision is a future without violence that provides education, safety, justice, and hope.

Leadership
Under the leadership of Founder and President Esta Soler, FUTURES was a driving force behind passage of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994—the nation’s first comprehensive federal response to the violence that plagues families and communities.

OUR STRATEGIES
Our Strategies leverage 35 years of experience in the power of collective action by bringing together government, healthcare, workplace human rights, business and education organizations to create a society-wide web of healing and prevention. Together, we are creating a future that respects the dignity and worth of all people.

ADVANCE PUBLIC POLICIES that improve the lives of victims, families, and communities impacted by violence or trauma.

We recognize the critical role that public policy and legislation play in protecting victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Our Washington D.C. team meets regularly with policymakers on both sides of the political aisle to educate and to advocate on behalf of women, children and teens who experience violence or abuse. We are coalition builders who place a high priority on policies and programs that focus on prevention, and active contributors to White House campaigns and initiatives. Societies thrive when women thrive so our international advocacy efforts address victims of gender-based violence such as rape, sex trafficking, and child marriage.

PROVIDE LEADERSHIP TRAINING AND EDUCATION for professionals who can activate positive change and help survivors heal and thrive.

Did you know that we provide access to training for more than 10,000 health care professionals and advocates each year? We also disseminate more than one million patient/provider education tools nationwide. From our earliest days as grassroots organizers, we’ve learned that educating and building leaders is crucial to making sustainable behavioral change. From the training of 12702 U.S. judges in our National Judicial Institute, to co-producing educational workshops for every Major League Baseball player during 2015 Spring Training, we create conferences, webinars, online tools and resources that both empower and inform.

CREATE PARTNERSHIPS AND PROGRAMS that expand both our reach and impact on women and children exposed to violence.

On any given day, we may be recruiting high school athletic coaches as allies in preventing teen dating violence and sexual assault, or meeting with neuroscientists about the impact of violence on a child’s brain. We believe in the power of innovative programs and unconventional partners. If you read news headlines, you know that the timing couldn’t be better for our groundbreaking program, Coaching Boys Into Men, a 12 week curriculum that provides high school coaches with the tools they need to talk to their athletes about respect for women and healthy relationships. To date, CBIM is the only program of its kind to be endorsed by the CDC for effectiveness.

CHANGE THE SOCIAL BELIEFS, ATTITUDES, AND BEHAVIORS that tolerate and perpetuate violence against women and children.

FUTURES produced the very first national domestic violence public service campaign, “There’s No Excuse” in 1994, a bold action that took a private issue and made it a very public concern. Twenty years later, we still have confidence in the capacity of ideas and actions to shift behavior. In 2016, we introduced a national campaign to raise visibility about the epidemic of children exposed to violence in their homes, schools and communities. It’s “Changing Minds” – and calls attention to the impact that witnessing violence has on a child – while motivating adults to intervene with everyday gestures that can help a child heal and thrive.

CHILDREN, YOUTH & TEENS
Studies suggest that 15.5 million children in the U.S. witness domestic violence annually. By age 17, over one-third of America’s children will have been exposed to domestic violence. Witnessing violence can have a lasting impact on a child, and can result in fractured relationships, poor academic success, and even health problems that can last long into adulthood.

FUTURES works to promote resiliency for children exposed to violence. We’re working at the forefront of policy and research to advance promising practices in health care, education, law enforcement, and in the community that help children and youth heal and thrive.

We believe in starting early, and investing in prevention strategies that promote healthy parent-child relationships, friendships, and dating relationships. We honor the lived experiences of victims and survivors of violence and partner with organizations to advance systems and social norms change. Working with violence prevention advocates and educators, FUTURES has worked to break the cycle of violence by developing groundbreaking programs to prevent teen dating violence and promote healthy relationships.

ENGAGING MEN
What can men do to help end violence against women and girls?

FUTURES has been asking that question for more than a decade. Men are increasingly joining the movement to end violence against women—using their positive influence as fathers, educators, coaches, and policymakers to challenge the attitudes and beliefs that support violence.

We’ve created several programs to involve men in preventing violence against women, including Coaching Boys into Men and the Y Factor. In 2010, FUTURES was chosen to be the lead technical assistance provider for the US Department of Justice Engaging Men Program, a groundbreaking national grant program that supports local organizations in engaging men in their communities.

Through these programs, FUTURES aims to develop new male leaders in the field who are willing to publicly speak and act to oppose violence against women and girls. We strive to create a ripple effect, encouraging men in many more communities to get involved.

HEALTH
Recognizing that experiencing domestic and sexual violence can have lifelong health impacts, FUTURES works across sectors to pioneer best practices, programs, research and policies to address the unique health needs of survivors of violence, and promote prevention. Our work encompasses training and technical assistance to improve health care providers’ response to domestic violence, building the capacity of domestic violence programs to meet the needs of survivors, and advancing innovative partnerships that make health care more accessible to survivors when they need it most.

For nearly 30 years, FUTURES has been the federally-designated National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence, and since 2020, has operated Health Partners on IPV + Exploitation to transform health center responses. Bridging the gaps between domestic and sexual violence advocates, health care professionals, and other community based providers, our programs support systems changes that promote a more holistic approach to health care, healing and wellness for survivors of violence.

LEADERSHIP & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Futures considers learning and leadership fundamental to amplify the capacity of individuals and organizations to prevent violence, repair its devastation, and build stronger communities. Our Learning and Leadership programs are created, delivered, and evaluated in collaboration with multidisciplinary and cross-sector partners and experts.

Our programs provide a variety of educational opportunities to enhance individual skills as well as organizational infrastructure, all through the lens of trauma and violence prevention. We offer programs for judges, community leaders, service providers, advocates, attorneys, health care providers, educators, and others. Through our training and educational programs, we are improving the capacity and strength of community organizations and building ambassadors for change throughout the country.

FUTURES Center for Policy, Action, and Leadership
Futures Without Violence works to influence public policy aimed at preventing and ending violence in the U.S. and around the world. The Center for Policy, Action, and Leadership @ Futures Without Violence is based in Washington D.C. The Center is emerging as a national catalyst and incubator for deeper, transformational change to enable families and communities to thrive free of violence. Together with thought leaders and activists, political and community leaders, researchers, and survivors with lived expertise, the Center is committed to advancing solutions and achieving impact.

WHAT CAN I DO?
There are many ways to take action and get involved in your community to help prevent violence against women and children. Here are a few ways to get you started!

1. Be a Changemaker.
There are many ways to become an ambassador in your community and help prevent violence before it starts. Here are a few ideas:

Teens: Become a That’s Not Cool Ambassador, and help educate your peers about digital dating abuse.
Coaches: Become part of the Coaching Boys Into Men program and teach your middle- and high school-aged athletes about the importance of respect and non-violence.
Parents: Hold challenging conversations with the young people in your life – around the dinner table, at a baseball game, or on the morning drive to school – about sexual assault and harassment and cyberbullying. Netflix documentary Audrie & Daisy is a good place to start; here is a discussion guide for parents to use to have these difficult yet crucial discussions.
Health care professionals: Whether you’re a nurse, a doctor, a social worker, or advocate, we have a variety of resources to educate the community about the health impacts of domestic violence.
College students: Educate yourself about the prevalence of sexual assault on your campus. Know your rights, and explore clubs and advocacy groups on campus to educate other students about the issue. Consider applying for our Campus Leaders Fellowship program.
Educators: Use these free lesson plans for talking to your students about sexual assault and harassment and bullying, based off of the Netflix documentary Audrie & Daisy. Also, visit our Start Strong toolkit to implement a school-based program that promotes healthy relationships for middle schoolers.
2. Donate to FUTURES.
Help support our educational, training, and leadership programs that strive to prevent violence for everyone.

CONTACT FUTURES WITHOUT VIOLENCE:

General questions: Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions or email us at info@futureswithoutviolence.org.

Health: For inquiries about health-related materials and content, email us a health@futureswithoutviolence.org.

Main Office
Futures Without Violence
100 Montgomery Street, The Presidio
San Francisco, CA 94129
Phone: (415) 678-5500
Fax: (415) 529-2930
TTY: (866) 678-8901