Urgent action is needed to ensure DV service providers have the funding they need to provide critical, life-changing services to all New Yorkers experiencing domestic violence. To increase our impact, we are asking advocates to contact their state legislators on February 24, 2025 to make them aware of our 2025 budget requests. 

To simplify the process for you, we have developed this template script to use when calling legislative offices. We encourage you to tailor the script to highlight information you feel your legislators should be aware of (impacts to your program, what you are seeing in the field, nuances specific to DV programs and the victim/survivors you work with, etc.).  

Template Phone Script

Hello, my name is [name] and I am a/an [advocate, program director, director, executive director, etc.] at [name of your organization]. 

I am calling to urge [Senator/Assembly Member (name of legislator)] to support dedicated funding in this year’s state budget to ensure the continuity and sustainability of domestic violence services across New York. 

New York’s DV programs are in an existential crisis. Several factors are occurring simultaneously to create a serious, unsustainable situation – one that is making it impossible for DV programs to meet the needs of survivors and their families. While the crisis has been worsening since the Pandemic, challenges became even more acute when the federal administration announced in January that it is likely to modify the availability and/or allowable uses of the federal funding streams DV programs rely upon the most.

I urge [Senator/Assembly Member (name of legislator)] to create a $200 million DV Services Transformation and Stabilization program to systemically change New York’s method of funding DV programs. I also urge you to support a $50 million increase to the Governor’s appropriation for victim services, and a 7.8% increase on the total value of all NYS contracts with primary purpose DV programs.

Without these proposals, DV programs will be unable to meet the very high demand for our services.

Thank you!