Bob Kraft & New England Patriots Charitable Foundation Announce Investment in Jane Doe Inc.

A message from JDI Executive Director Debra Robbin:

Today, it is my absolute honor to write you regarding a gift that Jane Doe Inc. will receive from Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation. We just came back from a press conference where Jane Doe Inc. (JDI) stood with Attorney General Maura Healey and others as Mr. Kraft announced gifts to support a handful of initiatives to address sexual and domestic violence in the Commonwealth, including new and exciting work here at JDI.

The multi-year grant to JDI will support the establishment of our new Institute for Safety and Justice, a comprehensive training and community building initiative for the Coalition's member programs and others in the field working to support survivors of sexual and domestic violence. Through the Institute for Safety and Justice and other work undertaken with this grant, JDI will assist JDI members and others to continue to be responsive as our work evolves to meet the emerging needs of all survivors. Our initial efforts will:

• Focus on the secondary trauma often experienced by those working with survivors of sexual and domestic violence and the overall issue of trauma in our society.
• Create new training opportunities for all new advocates and volunteers working in the field that emphasizes a human rights framework as a path for prevention and justice.

We are thrilled that Mr. Kraft and the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation have chosen to invest in domestic and sexual violence advocates who provide one of the most critical relationships for survivors. These advocates represent an indispensable and vital workforce who help survivors navigate complex systems, find the right venues to find safety, healing and justice, and map a course to rebuild their lives after experiencing a single trauma or a lifetime of abuse. We are grateful to have this additional funding to enable JDI to expand our work on behalf of our membership and allies across the state.

We also applaud the Krafts and the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation for investing in a range of initiatives - from direct service to community building and prevention. These issues are not one-dimensional and require comprehensive, multi-disciplinary and long-term approaches. The new initiative to be headed by Attorney General Maura Healey, Game Change: The Patriots Anti-Violence Partnership is an exciting multi-faceted approach to violence prevention training among high school students. Working in partnership with the Attorney General will be Mentors in Violence Prevention from Northeastern University's Sport in Society, a JDI member program and nationally recognized leader in bystander education and prevention, and community-based sexual and domestic violence providers who have their fingers on the pulse in their local communities. We are thrilled to see JDI's member programs front and center of this initiative, bringing their expertise and experience to these critical issues and promising opportunities.

We also want to take this opportunity to thank YOU, our supporters and donors!  Your involvement with and continued commitment to Jane Doe Inc. allowed us to envision taking on this new initiative. 

Together with you and our allies from our local sexual and domestic violence member programs to our partners in government and the private sector - now including Mr. Kraft and the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation! - we will continue moving forward to strengthen prevention, support survivors and build a culture free of violence and abuse.

For safety and justice,

Debra J. Robbin, Ed.M.
Executive Director