Saving Promise
Saving Promise is the first of its kind national domestic violence awareness movement that is positioned to have the same impact that has been so effective for breast cancer awareness. By understanding the ways America organize and take action, this new combination of advocacy and action will form a movement of ordinary people, willing to stand up for little girl named Promise and turn domestic violence from a national health crisis into a national priority.
Saving Promise has developed a strategic model that proposes extending our focus beyond 'reactive' to 'proactive' by introducing more innovative Research, Prevention and Education, Culture-building Awareness Programs, Empowerment Campaigns, Coalition-building, Public Policy and Cause Alliance.
About You
About You
First Name
L.Y.
Last Name
Marlow
http://twitter.com/#!/savingpromise
Facebook Profile
About Your Organization
Organization Name
Saving Promise
Organization Website
Organization Phone
800-774-5760
Organization Address
1425 K Street NW, Suite 350, Washington, DC 20005
Organization Country
United States
Country where this project is creating social impact
United States
Is your organization a
Please select
How long has your organization been operating?
1‐5 years
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Innovation
Entry Form title
Saving Promise
What change do you want to bring to the world?
Saving Promise is the first of its kind national domestic violence awareness movement that is positioned to have the same impact that has been so effective for breast cancer awareness. By understanding the ways America organize and take action, this new combination of advocacy and action will form a movement of ordinary people, willing to stand up for little girl named Promise and turn domestic violence from a national health crisis into a national priority.
Saving Promise has developed a strategic model that proposes extending our focus beyond 'reactive' to 'proactive' by introducing more innovative Research, Prevention and Education, Culture-building Awareness Programs, Empowerment Campaigns, Coalition-building, Public Policy and Cause Alliance.
What are the primary activities of your project?
To transform how the world views and responds to domestic violence and reduce the millions of lives that are affected by this public health pandemic. We seek to:
• Re-energize research to better assess the root causes and propose new solutions;
• Raise a greater level of awareness through innovative prevention, intervention and education;
• Reform advocacy and bring together the various efforts under one movement;
• Revive and empower our families and communities to live a safe and healthy lifestyle;
• Reduce the countless individuals, families and communities that are affected by domestic violence.
Beginning in fall 2011, Saving Promise’s first course of action is to: a) build the organizational infrastructure to grow and sustain the organization and its vision; and b) implement key initiatives, all designed to assess current conditions, start the national conversation, and bring communities together under one powerful cohesive movement. Programs include:
Research—Most available research is outdated. This cripples our ability to pinpoint more progressive solutions. Saving Promise will commission research to assess the root causes and propose solutions.
Gotta Talk About It—Put simply, domestic violence is an issue that society does not like to talk about. Saving Promise will launch its national flagship awareness campaign entitled ‘Gotta Talk About IT’—the first step to breaking the shame and silence.
OneVoice—While there are a number of domestic violence advocates, there exists no lead organization that has been able to mobilize a unified call to action, secure the hearts and minds of the American public, and elevate domestic violence to a national priority. Saving Promise will launch a campaign entitled ‘OneVoice’—a vehicle to unite the disparate domestic violence advocates and the community to build a unified, domestic violence call to action.
What is innovative about your initiative? How is it a new contribution to the field?
One might ask why domestic violence persists on the heels of the work being accomplished to eradicate it. Saving Promise believes that a) the disparate efforts of the many organizations need a cohesive strategy; b) we must extend our focus beyond ‘reactive’ to ‘proactive’—greater prevention, intervention and education; and c) a solution lies not only in the need for more policies, programs and services, but also in transformative solutions to better serve the victims and perpetrators, their families and our communities.
Given the three issues that predominately affect women—breast cancer, heart disease and domestic violence—breast cancer and heart disease are on the decline, while domestic violence is on the incline. Why is this so? It's so because Susan G. Komen for the Cure and American Heart Association have done a phenomenal job branding these issues and putting forth more proactive and preventive models to curtail the number of people affected. To date, there exists no proactive brand or model for domestic violence.
Saving Promise has spent the last three years developing a strategic model that proposes a combination of ‘proactive’ and ‘preventive’ programs over the next 3 to 5 years. By partnering with the existing domestic violence advocacies, and introducing more ‘proactive’ than ‘reactive’ models, we can drastically reduce the millions of lives, families and communities that are affected by domestic violence.
What stage is your project in?
Idea phase
Tell us about the community that you engage? eg. economic conditions, political structures, norms and values, demographic trends, history, and experience with engagement efforts.
In the national consciousness, domestic violence victims fit a very specific profile. We used to think of domestic violence as a problem that only affected “them.” Yet, at the growing rate of incidence, it's just not possible that the problem is limited to just one demographic. We believe that as the faces of our community change so do the faces of domestic violence. Despite current efforts, U.S. studies report that domestic violence has grown to be the leading cause of injury to women ages 15-44, and affects more than 32 million Americans with an annual cost exceeding $5.8 billion dollars. These statistics do not reflect current data since no national studies are undertaken on a frequent basis. Moreover, the stats neither include unreported incidents of domestic violence nor data from outside the U.S. With more than three women murdered each day alone in the U.S., and the rising number of people affected every hour, domestic violence is a public health pandemic.
Our programs will appeal to many demographics including one critical, often overlooked demographic: men. Because men represent the majority of batterers, awareness and empowerment campaigns will focus on finding and directing men to services before they batter or, in a growing number of cases, are victims of violence themselves. Additionally, we plan to develop targeted programs for women, youth, families and the community at large.
In the past, Saving Promise implemented a number of awareness and community programs. For example, in 2010, we launched a national pilot campaign entitled ‘Gotta Talk About It’, where we went to major cities to partner with the community and raise awareness. The results of this program proved two things: a) that people are very much interested in awareness; and b) that a more ‘proactive’ model does work. Refer to the video link under the ‘media’ section to view videos of this campaign.
Share the story of the founder and what inspired the founder to start this project
Looking to the incredible success of the breast cancer movement in bringing an important health issue out of the shadows, Susan G. Komen for the Cure was instrumental in building its success around two things: the story of a single woman and the passion of her sister, Nancy Brinker, who used her sister’s legacy to change the world. When Susan G. Komen first launched, we didn’t think it was possible to change breast cancer, but now we see that it is possible.
L.Y. Marlow seeks to inspire a similar movement that speaks to those who has been or will be affected by domestic violence. Her story is about four generations of her own family, mothers and daughters [her grandmother, her mother, herself and her daughter], who have survived more than sixty years of domestic violence. When L.Y. discovered that her 22 year old daughter was trapped in an abusive relationship—one in which the abuser tried to kill her daughter twice, and strangle her daughter while her granddaughter named Promise, now the fifth generation, lay on the bed beside her, she founded Saving Promise.
After growing up in one of the most drug and crime infested projects in Phila, a product of teen pregnancy, and escaping unspeakable abusive relationships, L.Y. put herself through 16 years of night school to earn multiple degrees including an MBA; which landed senior level positions in Corporate America. She would later win multiple professional, leadership and advocacy awards. L.Y. Marlow is also the award-winning author of Color Me Butterfly, her family’s story which inspired Saving Promise.
Social Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
Please describe how your project has been successful and how that success is measured
Saving Promise has implemented a myriad of programs to include a national tour, social media campaigns and public relation campaigns to reach various targeted demographics. For example, in fall 2010, we launched a national awareness tour where we went to ten major cities including Washington DC, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, and others to partner with the community and raise awareness in that city. In fact, we not only went to places where it is safe to talk about this issue, we took it to where America lives, works and play—to the largest malls in each city. This innovative model allowed us to reach hundreds of thousands during peak shopping times. Next, we launched a series of social media campaigns leveraging facebook, twitter, and blogs. For example, this year alone, we launched a campaign entitled Be Free for 3—a three day campaign to tell as many people as we could about domestic violence; we also partnered with a University of Maryland MBA class to raise awareness about Saving Promise and domestic violence. These campaigns allowed us to reach thousands through the use of social media. Additionally, we’ve developed and hosted various teen dating violence workshops at middle and high schools as well as launched various public relations campaigns to include appearances on local and national television and radio. More recently, as part of our community development efforts, Saving Promise was featured at a national baseball game—the Orioles, where thousands of fans learned about Saving Promise and domestic violence. Finally, Founder L.Y. Marlow is a sought after speaker who’s been invited to speak and share the Saving Promise vision at such venues as the United Nations, Global Peace Conference hosted by the Dalai Lama, John Hopkins University, military entities, and various women’s organizations, colleges/universities and faith-based institutions.
How many people have been impacted by your project?
1,001- 10,000
How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?
More than 10,000
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Initial results for Research, Gotta Talk About It and OneVoice campaigns
Task 1
Develop Initiatives Plan—Work with the board of directors and team to develop a plan for Research, Gotta Talk About It and One Voice campaigns
Task 2
Secure Resources—Identify and secure the people and monetary resources needed to execute the plan.
Task 3
Execute and Monitor Plan—Develop well orchestrated tasks and milestones to execute and monitor programs.
Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Final Results for Research, Gotta Talk About It and OneVoice campaigns
Task 1
Develop Initiatives Plan—Work with the board of directors and team to develop a plan for Research, Gotta Talk About It and One Voice campaigns
Task 2
Execute and Monitor Plan—Develop well orchestrated tasks and milestones to execute and monitor programs.
Task 3
Assess and Report Results—Develop metrics and measurement programs to assess and report the results of the effectiveness of the programs.
How will your project evolve over the next three years?
Saving Promise will evolve through the following programs over the next three years:
• National Action Plan— Saving Promise will partner with community leaders and advocates to devise a National Action Plan on Domestic Violence, a roadmap to assess the current domestic violence trends, programs and gaps; to more aggressively and comprehensively address domestic violence.
• Culture-building Awareness & Empowerment Programs—Wide-spread awareness and education programs that are fundamental to change beliefs, attitudes and behaviors.
• Cause Alliance—Leverage corporate America's marketing power to expand domestic violence awareness at a pace and scale that has never before been done.
Sustainability
What barriers might hinder the success of your project and how do you plan to overcome them?
Funding: To date, the only funding sources for Saving Promise has been private donations made by the founder and proceeds secured via small fundraising events and campaigns. To expand our funding efforts, Saving Promise has developed a strategic funding strategy which serves to provide a fundamental approach for securing funds for our short and long term goals. Targeted programs includes pursuing social investor opportunities, private foundation grants, expanding our major and individual donor base, corporate sponsorships, consumer campaigns and cause alliance.
Change: One of the most disconcerting problems with domestic violence awareness is the stigma, secrecy and shame. In order to succeed, we realize that it requires a cultural shift to change the attitudes, mindsets and behaviours of society at large. Key to this effort, is the need to employ not just awareness campaigns, but cultural change and empower individuals, families and communities to overcome domestic violence.
Tell us about your partnerships
During the Gotta Talk About It national tour, Saving Promise partnered with various organizations and groups in each of the ten cities to raise awareness in that city. Some of the organizations included were DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence, National Hookup of Black Women, Stop Child Abuse Now, 100 Black Men, Women’s Institute for Family Health, Women Against Abuse, Safe Horizon, Men Can Stop Rape, YWCA, The Mankind Project, Crisis Centers, Domestic Violence Network.
Building on the pilot tour, beginning this fall 2011, Saving Promise will be launching its OneVoice campaign to expand and partner with national and local organizations and communities . Additionally, Saving Promise will partner with an academic and research entity along with a national domestic violence agency on the research program. Finally, Saving Promise will launch a pilot cause alliance program to seek partnership opportunities with corporations that have an affinity for domestic violence awareness such as Verizon, Liz Clairborne and Avon.
Current annual budget of project, in US dollars
$100,000‐250,000
Explain your selections
Saving Promise's primary funding source is donations received by the founder and individual donors or funds raised via small events and campaigns.
How do you plan to strengthen your project in the next three years?
By implementing the following programs:
• Research—Research is the linchpin for defining the depth to which domestic violence affects our communities. While important research has been undertaken, there is still a noticeable and pressing need to understand the root cause and scope of this pandemic within every demographic of our society.
• Coalition-building and Public Policy— Saving Promise will join forces with domestic violence stakeholders and community leaders to devise a National Action Plan. The National Action Plan on Domestic Violence is a roadmap for the public health communities to assess the current domestic violence trends, programs and gaps; and more aggressively and comprehensively address the growing domestic violence pandemic.
• Culture-building Awareness Programs—Wide-spread awareness and education programs that are fundamental to change beliefs, attitudes and behaviors.
• Empowerment Campaigns—Although prevention and awareness are essential, empowerment campaigns are equally important to effectively reduce the number directly impacted.
• Cause Alliance—Forge partnerships with corporate America to leverage their marketing power to expand domestic violence awareness at a pace and scale that has never before been done.
• Fundraising—Saving Promise has ambitious goals, and a need to build, every aspect of an advanced fundraising program, from infrastructure to portfolio of prospects at the same time the organization is engaged in constructing the programs that will carry out its mission in line with its branding, is critical.
Challenges
Which barriers to health and well-being does your innovation address?
Please select up to three in order of relevancy to your project.
PRIMARY
Limited access to preventative tools or resources
SECONDARY
Health behavior change
TERTIARY
Lack of access to targeted health information and education
Please describe how your innovation specifically tackles the barriers listed above.
Limited access to preventative tools or resources: Saving Promise proposes a number of prevention programs such as developing a National Action Plan on domestic violence; creating national programs for batterers; and awareness campaigns to teach people the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships.
Health behavior change: Saving Promise proposes to partner with the Board of Education to introduce a dating violence curriculum in public and private schools and with colleges and universities.
Lack of access to targeted health information and education: Saving Promise proposes a program entitled ‘Between Us’ to partner with the medical industry to get domestic violence awareness information in patient’s hands.
How are you growing the impact of your organization or initiative?
Please select up to three potential pathways in order of relevancy to you.
PRIMARY
Repurposed your model for other sectors/development needs
SECONDARY
Grown geographic reach: Within host country
TERTIARY
Grown geographic reach: Within host country
Please describe which of your growth activities are current or planned for the immediate future.
Saving Promise's vision is to lead the domestic violence awareness movement and serve as an umbrella organization and partner with the existing domestic violence communities and advocates to build best practices and better preventive models. For example, the National Action Plan on Domestic Violence will serve as the platform for this effort.
Do you collaborate with any of the following: (Check all that apply)
If yes, how have these collaborations helped your innovation to succeed?
 | 35 weeks agoL.Y. Marlow updated this Competition Entry. |
| 40 weeks agoL.Y. Marlow updated this Competition Entry. |
| 40 weeks agoL.Y. Marlow updated this Competition Entry. |
| 40 weeks agoL.Y. Marlow submitted this idea. |
