Written By Rita Shah, Saheli Family Services Coordinator
Since 2005, Allstate Foundation has propelled nearly 600,000 victims on the path to safety and security, and has invested more than $43 million to empower survivors to break free from abuse. In 2011, the Allstate Foundation launched the Purple Purse program to encourage the public to donate to local nonprofit organizations that support financial empowerment services for domestic violence survivors. By collecting donations, each participating organization could compete for additional funding in incentive funding and direct grants contributed by the Allstate Foundation. More information can be found at www.purplepurse.com.
In 2015, the Allstate Foundation invited 160 domestic violence organizations across the nation to take part in the challenge and to raise more awareness around this issue. Below is a quick timeline of program milestones:
- 2011 – Purple Purse Launch
Allstate Foundation launched the Purple Purse program with the introduction of PurplePurse.com. - 2012 – Pass It On!
Allstate Foundation began passing physical purple purses to act as a conversation starter for domestic violence and financial abuse. - 2013 – Pass It On & Keep the Conversation Going
The number of physical purse passes grew, and reached more people than ever, bringing deeper attention to domestic violence and financial abuse. - 2014 – Purple Purse Challenge Introduced
The first-ever Purple Purse Challenge was held, raising 1.8 million dollars in just one month! Actress Kerry Washington joined the program, lending her voice as an ambassador and personally creating a limited-edition purple purse to support the cause. Purple Purse charms are also introduced to serve as a visible sign of support.
This was Saheli’s third year in a row to be invited to participate in this challenge. This year due to the generosity of or donors, Saheli was able to raise $4,027. You can visit Saheli’s purple purse page to see more. Thank you to everyone who supported us this year!
In 2016, Saheli again hopes to participate in the challenge and host the purple purse challenge in conjunction with our Saheli 5K Walk Against Violence! If you are interested in helping Saheli with these events, please contact us at info@saheliboston.org.
