NoVo Foundation Announces The Life Story Grantee Partners Addressing Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Women and Girls Across the U.S.
Today, the NoVo Foundation is honored to announce the recipients of The Life Story Grants: a $10 million, three-year investment in fifteen projects that open exit ramps and close on-ramps to commercial sexual exploitation across the U.S.
The Life Story Grants follows the launch of The Life Story: Moments of Change, a survivor-centered examination of 13 moments that can shape — or change — the trajectory of how girls and women enter the sex trade — also referred to as “the Life”.
NoVo remains committed to deepening our understanding of systemic barriers faced by survivors and lifting up the work that will be a catalyst for change. The Life Story Grants aims to support and expand the efforts of underserved leaders across the country and foster collaboration among national and community organizations that seek to address the short-term needs while supporting long-term solutions. Funding for these projects will address how systems such as foster care, healthcare, immigration, housing and law enforcement can shift and respond to survivors and their communities.
The projects, selected in consultation with a Survivor Advisory Board, are:
- AEquitas – Just Exits for Survivors of Exploitation
- AnnieCannons – Bay Area Anti-Trafficking ReferAll Platform
- Empower Her Network – Destination: Her Choice
- The Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, the Barton Child Law and Policy Center and Emory School of Law, youthSpark, the International Human Trafficking Institute and LGBTQ Institute at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights – Sparking Systemic Change: A trauma- and mental health-informed, community-based, early intervention model for survivors
- The Northside Healing Space and 21st Century Academy at Liberty Community Church, PCUSA, University of Minnesota School of Nursing, Social Work, and the Robert J. Jones Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC), WJRJ Industries – Northside Healing Space Collective
- Legal Aid Chicago and Mujeres Latinas En Accion – Latinas Empowerment and Advancement Project (LEAP)
- The Lighthouse / Black Girls Project – A Survey of Sexual Exploitation in Rural Areas
- Marsha P. Johnson Institute – Freedom Beyond Imagination
- National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, Rights4Girls, National American Indian Court Judges Association, National Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Project, Awaken, and Toni McKinley, LLC – Identifying and Promoting Promising Practices in Juvenile and Family Courts to Address Child Sex Trafficking
- PurpLE Health Foundation – PurpLE Care Launch
- Pacific Survivor Center, Ceeds of Peace, and Ho’oulu ‘Āina – Building Resiliency, Creating Healers
- Sovereign Bodies Institute – Sovereign Bodies Institute
- The Switch – Systemic Change for Commercially Sexually Exploited Youth
- Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico – Exit Ramps for Transgender Women of Color in New Mexico
- WestCoast Children’s Center – Making Exploitation Visible
The Life Story Grants prioritizes the expertise of communities disproportionately impacted by exploitation, focusing on girls and women of color, trans girls and women and gender non-conforming people, immigrant girls and women and Indigenous girls and women. All of the projects are inspired by a deep belief in the brilliance, power and leadership of survivors. To learn more please visit novofoundation.org/thelifestorygrants.