END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN INTERNATIONAL (EVAWI)
Seeking justice together, one response at a time.
Learn how to support this organization
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI) was founded in 2003 by Sergeant Joanne Archambault, who retired from the San Diego Police Department after serving almost 23 years in law enforcement. During the last 10 years, she supervised the Sex Crimes Unit which had 13 detectives and was responsible for investigating approximately 1,000 felony sexual assaults within the City of San Diego each year. During her decades of work with victims and other professionals, Sergeant Archambault saw a critical need for training in sexual assault investigation. Resources were available for professionals in health care, victim advocacy and social services, however, criminal justice professionals desperately needed training to improve the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault. EVAWI was created to fill this void.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
International Conference
In 2023, we hosted a hybrid conference in Chicago, IL April 11-13, with recorded content available to all registrants for an additional 90 days. 2,480 individuals participated in our Conference on Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Fighting for Change, with 2,035 attendees joining us live in Chicago and another 445 individuals participating virtually. Participants represented 50 states, 5 US Territories and 16 countries.
Participants walk away from our conference with new skills, but they also feel energized and supported by an army of peers who share their passion and dedicated work on behalf of survivors.
Our annual conference has been scheduled at specific locations through 2032.
OnLine Training Institute (OLTI)
The OnLine Training Institute (OLTI) helps professionals expand their knowledge and skills in sexual assault investigation, prosecution, victim services, and community collaboration. There are 19 self-paced modules with 213 hours of training, including learning activities, video clips, review exercises, and case scenarios. Each module is full of resources, tools, and supplementary materials to enhance the learning experience. After passing each end-of-course test, participants can download a personalized certificate of completion.
More than 40,000 people have registered for the OLTI since its launch in February 2007.
Live and Archived Webinars
Our webinars offer cutting edge training, both as live events and archived recordings. Webinar topics range from a stalking survivor’s firsthand account of navigating the legal system, to building a trauma-informed culture at law enforcement agencies.
We now offer over 250 webinars in our archives, which include access to the recording of the live event along with handouts and other supplementary materials (e.g., background articles, associated reports, policy templates, sample forms).
Technical Assistance
Each day, staff members respond to requests for information and technical assistance from a broad range of professionals, journalists, survivors, support people, and others.
The requests we receive are often complex, requiring hours and even days to work through the consultation. More than one-quarter of these requests were for technical assistance consultations with subject matter experts.
EVAWI is a multiplier - there's a ripple effect. When we train one person and they take that training back to their agency, we've impacted an entire community. For example, with technical assistance, we’ve helped law enforcement agencies move from using outdated approaches to interviewing survivors to implementing best practices. The technical assistance we offer helps professionals and organizations apply the most current knowledge to enhance their programming and policies.
Website and Online Resources
Web statistics demonstrate the value of our online resources for professionals working in the field. In 2022, for example, our website drew more than 436,800 unique visitors. The number of page views surpassed 5.8 million in that same year, with an average of more than 16,000 page views per day. This includes visitors to the EVAWI website and our Start by Believing website.
Visitors also access a wide range of documents and resources from our website. In 2022, more than 229,000 resources were downloaded, including published articles, reports, and other training and technical assistance materials. This is an average of 627 resources and tools accessed every single day.
Start by Believing Campaign
Start by Believing (SBB) is a public action campaign that transforms the way we respond to sexual assault. Too often, survivors aren’t believed when they reach out to loved ones, their community, or the professionals whose job it is to help. A negative response can worsen the trauma and create an environment where perpetrators face zero consequences for their crimes.
When we do believe survivors, it changes lives. Our belief helps survivors begin to heal and helps them access justice. Start by Believing fosters a positive community response, uniting allies and supporters, and improving our personal reactions. The goal is to change the world, and outcomes for victims, one response at a time.
EVAWI provides communities free toolkits and hands-on assistance to launch Start by Believing campaigns that spread the message “we believe and support survivors.” In the past 10 years, over 700 communities worldwide have adopted the Start by Believing philosophy.
Seek Then Speak
SEEK THEN SPEAK offers sexual assault survivors and support people a way to privately gather information and explore options for medical care, supportive services, and reporting to police (SEEK). If they choose, survivors can then begin the process of reporting to police by completing a detailed, self-guided interview (SPEAK).
Comprehensive Victim Interviewing
EVAWI offers a 3-day virtual training on Comprehensive Victim Interviewing (CVI), led by veteran law enforcement investigators and other leading national experts. Offered online through a high-performance technology platform, participants will have plenty of opportunities to interact and review videorecorded interviews with survivors conducted by skilled investigators following best practices, including accompaniment by a victim advocate.
Professional Membership
When you join End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI), through our Professional Membership Program, you become part of an energizing community, committed to supporting survivors and holding offenders accountable. Each EVAWI Membership is an investment in high-quality training, preparing professionals for everything from the first interaction with a victim, through the investigation and prosecution of offenders, with wraparound support every step of the way.
Positive outcomes require everyone working together, so your role is critical – whether you are in law enforcement, victim advocacy, health care, prosecution, or any other discipline that serves victims of gender-based violence. Join today and you will play an active role in improving responses for victims everywhere. Together, we can seek justice for survivors, one response at a time. Because every response matters. YOUR response matters.
Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Exam (SAMFE) Virtual Practicum
The Virtual Practicum teaches health care providers each step of a person-centered sexual assault medical forensic examination. Nurses can earn up to 19.5 hours of continuing education for completing course material.
The Virtual Practicum is also a valuable training tool for law enforcement, prosecutors, forensic scientists, emergency medical services, victim advocates, and others allied professionals. Get your free copy of the program today!
Where we work
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of hours of training
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Because our 2021 International Conference was offered virtually, registrants were able to access significantly more hours of content than they would have in a live, in-person conference.
Number of conference attendees
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
International Conference
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Due to the COVID-19 health pandemic, EVAWI's 2020 annual conference was cancelled, and the 2021 annual conference was held virtually. 2022 was our first hybrid conference.
Number of website pageviews
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Website and Online Resources
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of downloads of the organization's materials and explanations
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Website and Online Resources
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Our download numbers changed drastically in 2021 when we switched to a new website and lost data.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Working with professionals inside and outside the criminal justice system, we seek to improve outcomes for victims and pursue accountability for their assailants. Our goal is to protect victims, prevent future attacks, and keep our communities safe.
We envision a world where gender-based violence is unacceptable on every level – where the victims whose lives, families and communities are torn apart, receive the compassion, support and justice they deserve.
When we create a system that helps victims not only to heal, but to thrive, they will transform our world with strength, hope, and joy.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
• Provide education, training, technical assistance, and expert consultation
• Formulate policies and disseminate best practices to guide reform efforts
• Develop and disseminate original training curricula and resource materials
• Conduct and disseminate original research to guide reform efforts
• Evaluate, compile, and disseminate findings from the research literature
• Plan, execute, and evaluate public education efforts (e.g., media campaigns)
• Promote multidisciplinary collaboration
• Coordinate with other organizations in pursuit of our shared vision
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
As a professional training organization, we offer a broad portfolio of resources to improve criminal justice and community responses to gender-based violence:
• Our OnLine Training Institute (OLTI) helps professionals expand their knowledge and skills in sexual assault investigation, prosecution, and community resources.
• Conferences bring you cutting edge training on a wide range of subjects, from leading experts.
• Webinars offer state-of-the-art training either as a live event or from the archives.
• Our Training Bulletins keep subscribers updated on new topics, resources, and developments in the field.
• Our Resource Library provides a wide array of documents, videos, policies, protocols and templates to adapt for your agency.
• FAQs and Online Resources are continually updated, so you have the tools you need to implement best practices.
• One-on-one Technical Assistance is also available for individuals and communities.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
2023 was a transformative year for EVAWI. Together we celelebrated EVAWI's 20th anniversary, honoring the law enforcement officers, advocates, medical providers, prosecutors, and other professionals who continually raise the bar to achieve excellence. For 20 year we've worked to advance healing for survivors and seek accountabiliyt for offenders.
In 2023, together we impacted more survivors of gender-based violence than ever before. With funding from donors, federal grants, and our annual conference, we provided 174,752 hours of training and support for law
enforcement, health care, victim services, and other professionals. Our Online Training Institute (OLTI) saw 6,469 modules completed, and we had 61 new communities launch Start by Believing campaigns for a total of 763 worldwide.
More than 45,000 law enforcement officers, prosecutors, health care providers, and advocates received regular email updates on emerging issues and groundbreaking resources for effective investigations and prosecutions.
We are proud to give professionals the tools they need to hold offenders accountable, change the culture, and bring justice and healing to those hurt by violence.
The current shift in attitudes about sexual assault and survivors underscores the significance of a trauma-informed, multi-disciplinary response to gender-based violence. As a result, we have doubled-down on our efforts to provide new evidence-based training modules, training bulletins, and webinars.
Our organization continues to grow and evolve as we work diligently to honor our commitment to serving the dedicated field of professionals doing this work every day.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN INTERNATIONAL (EVAWI)
Board of directorsas of 07/09/2024
Pete Lewis
Superintendent, Colville School District (Ret.)
Term: 2023 -
Diana Faugno
President and Co-Founder, Academy of Forensic Nursing
Aurelia Sands Belle
Research Instructor, National Mass Violence and Victimization Resource Center
Varsha N.
Founder & Consultant, ROAR Training & Consulting, LLC
Catherine Johnson
Assistant Director of Investigation, US Center for SafeSport
Elizabeth Donegan
Sergeant, Austin Police Department (Ret.)
Stacey Mitchell
Clinical Associate Professor, Texas A&M University
Jennifer LaCoss
Medial Director, Adult Palliative Care Services, University Hospital
Carol Olson
Assistant Director, Injury and Violence Prevention Program, VCU Health Systems
Jackie Casey
Executive Director, Gastro Intestinal Research Foundation
Samantha Gwinn
Independent Consultant
Sharla Jackson
Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Resource Prosecutor, Prosecuting Attorney's Council of GA
Anna Nassett
Founder, Stand Up Resources
Elizabeth Cronin
Director, New York State Office of Vitim Services
Amy Hutsell
Program Director, Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/16/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.