The National Sexual Assault Conference® (NSAC) is just around the corner, and RALIANCE is getting ready to present their track to conference attendees. Our Project Coordinator, Julia Mallory, and our Corporate Research Associate, Megan Owens, will be running the workshop “Building and sustaining lasting partnerships with businesses in your community.” This workshop will address Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) cuts, how they’ve impacted federal funding for the sexual violence prevention field, and what gender-based violence prevention organizations can do to gain business partners in their community as an alternate source of funding. This session help participants, “learn how to connect with their local business community, how to pitch to businesses, and how to build lasting partnerships.”
In preparation for this session, we caught up with Mallory and Owens to discuss what we have to look forward to in their presentation.
What has been your favorite part of preparing for your RALIANCE session?
Mallory: One of my favorite parts about preparing for my RALIANCE session has been the collaborative nature of the presentation and anticipating how my co-presenter and I will each approach the topic from our own unique perspective in service to our colleagues.
Owens: My favorite part of preparing for the session has been working closely on the presentation with my colleague, Julia!
How will your session be different from what RALIANCE offered last year at NSAC?
Mallory: Our goal with this session is to offer tangible tips on how to build relationships with businesses in one’s respective community that can help sustain the important work happening. Our goal is to approach this in a very practical, action-oriented way while acknowledging perceived barriers.
Owens: This year, we are especially cognizant of the impact of decreased funds for sexual assault and domestic violence services, and with that in mind, we wanted to include a session that would provide guidance and practical tips on an alternative way to address funding gaps – through business and corporate partnerships – for advocacy organizations of any size.
What do you hope your audience will take away from your presentation?
Mallory: It is my hope that attendees leave with ideas and the beginning of a plan that will make their fundraising goals feel possible.
Owens: I really hope that attendees will walk away with the beginnings of an action plan they can take back to their organizations and to immediately the ground running with connecting to businesses in their communities.Â
Anything else you’d like to add?
Owens: I’m looking forward to all of NSAC! There are so many amazing sessions this year, and I am looking forward to learning from so many amazing advocates across the field.
Are you registered for our session yet? There’s still time to register for it (and for the rest of the conference) at this link. We look forward to seeing you there!
RALIANCE is a trusted adviser for organizations committed to building cultures that are safe, equitable, and respectful. RALIANCE offers unparalleled expertise in serving survivors of sexual harassment, misconduct, and abuse which drives our mission to help organizations across sectors create inclusive environments for all. For more information, please visit www.RALIANCE.org.
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