North Dakota Domestic & Sexual Violence Coalition

05/27/2026

We're accepting applications until June 15th!

Apply now: https://nddsvc.org/get-involved/womens-opportunity-scholarship

We're now accepting applications for the Women's Opportunity Scholarship!

The Women’s Opportunity Scholarship Fund provides higher education opportunities to low-income women who wish to enter, or are currently attending, a North Dakota college, university, or trade school. The fund helps scholarship recipients break the bonds of poverty and enhance their lives and the lives of their families intellectually, culturally, and environmentally.

Please share this opportunity!

Applications are accepted until June 15th.

👩‍🎓 See requirements and apply on our website: https://nddsvc.org/get-involved/womens-opportunity-scholarship

05/21/2026

Abused Adult Resource Center in Bismarck is looking to recognize men who are positive role models in their community.

Check out their post to nominate someone!

🚨 Strong Men, Safe Homes - Nominations Are Open! 🚨

The Abused Adult Resource Center is proud to recognize men in our community who lead with strength, integrity, compassion, and respect. 💙💛

We all know men who make a difference every day:
✔️ Fathers
✔️ Coaches
✔️ Mentors
✔️ Teachers
✔️ Friends
✔️ Community leaders

Now is your chance to honor them through our Strong Men, Safe Homes campaign!

🏆 The top 3 nominees who help raise the most donations in support of AARC will receive:

🥇 1st Place — $500 Prize Value
🥈 2nd Place — $250 Prize Value
🥉 3rd Place — $100 Prize Value

📅 Nominations accepted through June 15th
📣 All nominees and winners will be recognized on June 21st

Together, we can celebrate positive role models while helping create safer, stronger homes and communities for all.

Submit your nomination here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XWzfNBzHHlBTfUP4ZOtpvm9gQB760Rk0xY29LH8hUvI/edit

05/19/2026

This May, we're recognizing Supervised Visitation Awareness Month and the important role supervised parenting time and safe exchange programs play in supporting families impacted by domestic violence.

For many survivors, separation does not end the danger. The post-separation period can bring increased risks, continued control, and ongoing trauma for both adult and child survivors. Survivors deserve spaces where they feel safe, supported, and heard, and supervised parenting time and safe exchange services can provide an important layer of protection and stability during an incredibly difficult time.

This month, we honor the advocates, staff, and programs working every day to help families navigate these difficult circumstances with care and compassion.

To find a supervised parenting time and exchange center near you, visit https://nddsvc.org/spt

05/14/2026

The biggest, greatest, most heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended our Coalition for Change documentary premiere on Monday night! 💜

This film represents decades of history in the fight to end violence against women in North Dakota, and it was a great reminder of all that we can accomplish when we stand together. We laughed, we cried, and we remembered the women and change-makers who fought so hard to get us where we are today.

Special thanks to our documentary stars and pioneers of the movement, Beth Haseltine, Bonnie Palecek, Susan Paulson, and Lynne Tally, who not only dedicated decades of their lives to ending violence, but also generously shared their stories and wisdom with us. 🌟

More thank yous to:
🎥 BWeis Media for shooting, directing, and editing the film,
🎭 Dakota Stage for providing a fantastic and accommodating space for the premiere,
🙌 And to our team for putting together such a wonderful event!

05/13/2026

If 2024 was the year of change for this coalition—a new name, a new logo, a new executive director—2025 was the year that we hit the ground running.

We called this year’s annual report “Growing Season” because it summed up 2025 perfectly; our team has grown, and so has our impact. We hosted more trainings, provided more technical assistance, advocated for more state funding, provided more legal assistance, and reached more people than ever through our awareness efforts.

And while this growth was positive, it was in response to a growing need. Victims and survivors’ calls for help have also never been greater.

Read more in our 2025 Annual Report: https://nddsvc.org/2025-annual-report

05/07/2026

Our 2025 statistics on domestic and sexual violence are available now! 📢

Each year, we compile data from our 18 member organizations across the state to put together annual fact sheets. The fact sheets give a snapshot of how many victims of domestic violence and sexual assault are reaching out for help and what kinds of violence they are facing.

The latest fact sheets show that 6,218 new victims of domestic violence and 1,309 new victims of sexual assault were served by advocacy centers in 2025, a 1.8% and 3.9% decrease from 2024 respectively.

While there was a slight decline in victims served from the previous year, advocacy programs are still serving an unprecedented number of victims in their communities. The average number of victims served in the five years post-COVID-19 pandemic (2021-2025) is about 18% higher than the average number of victims served in the five years before the pandemic (2015-2019). Advocacy programs also report seeing more severe cases of violence in recent years. But increased state funding has helped domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy centers meet the growing need for services, so while it’s disheartening to see such high numbers of new victims, it also means more victims and survivors are being connected to life-saving support than ever before. It means that safety, hope, and healing are at an all-time high too.

📈 Check out more annual statistics on our website: https://nddsvc.org/get-information/statistics

05/07/2026

Only a few weeks left to apply! Please share to help a woman you care about reach her goals 💫

We're now accepting applications for the Women's Opportunity Scholarship!

The Women’s Opportunity Scholarship Fund provides higher education opportunities to low-income women who wish to enter, or are currently attending, a North Dakota college, university, or trade school. The fund helps scholarship recipients break the bonds of poverty and enhance their lives and the lives of their families intellectually, culturally, and environmentally.

Please share this opportunity!

Applications are accepted until June 15th.

👩‍🎓 See requirements and apply on our website: https://nddsvc.org/get-involved/womens-opportunity-scholarship

05/06/2026

Thank you to the North Dakota Newspaper Association & NDNA Education Foundation for having us at their annual conference last week! 📰

Amie, our Communications Coordinator, presented alongside Greg from Children's Advocacy Centers of North Dakota on our new language guide to help journalists fairly and accurately report on domestic and sexual violence. Thank you to the wonderful reporters who came to our sessions!

Check out the new guide here: https://nddsvc.org/resource/domestic-sexual-violence-language-guide

05/05/2026

Today is May 5, the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives.

Because of limited data, there is no reliable nationwide count of how many Indigenous women go missing or are murdered each year, but it's estimated that on some reservations, Native women are murdered at 10 times the national average. We wear red to honor those we've lost and to demand the justice they deserve.

❤️ Learn more about the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives at niwrc.org/mmiwr-awareness
❤️ Follow FNWA, North Dakota's Tribal coalition working to end domestic violence and sexual assault

National Indigenous Women's Resource Center

05/04/2026

In one week!! Check out our new documentary, Coalition for Change, on May 11th at Dakota Stage in Bismarck!

Get tickets: https://nddsvc.coalitionmanager.org/eventmanager/trainingevent/details/125

🌟 Join us for the premiere of our new documentary: Coalition for Change! 🌟

What makes a movement?

We sat down with four pioneers of North Dakota's anti-domestic and sexual violence movement to answer the question.

Featuring NDDSVC's founding Executive Director, Bonnie Palecek, and other leaders of the movement, Coalition for Change is a reflection on our grassroots origins and where we are today. The 30-minute short film is both a historical record and a means of passing the work along to a new generation of leaders.

Former leaders share stories of pure joy, sheer will, devastating heartbreak, and the everyday helpers who stepped up to support survivors when it mattered most. Join us as we celebrate the strength and perseverance of women who did not see themselves as revolutionaries, but described themselves simply as "women helping women."

On the big screen for one night only, you won't want to miss this inspiring event. Seats are limited, so secure your tickets today!

—Coalition for Change documentary premiere details—

📆 Date: May 11, 2026
🕖 Time: 7:00pm-8:00pm (Doors open at 6:30pm, show starts at 7:00pm)
📍 Location: Dakota Stage, 412 E Main Ave, Bismarck, ND 58501
😁 Who should attend: All are welcome!
💵 Cost: $10.00 per ticket

🎟️ Get tickets: https://nddsvc.coalitionmanager.org/eventmanager/trainingevent/details/125