SAMPLE EMAILS FOR VIRTUAL BUDGET ADVOCACY DAY

Urgent action is needed to ensure that DV service providers have the funding required to maintain service provisions to all New Yorkers experiencing domestic violence. To make a united effort and increase our impact, we are asking advocates to contact their NYS Senators and Assemblymembers. Below you will find a template email and link to talking points. We encourage you to tailor the sample email to highlight any other 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.). When sending your email, please attach the supporting documents found in the Legislator Packet (linked below).

Template Email
Download a template email here.  

SUBJECT: FY ’22–’23 NEW YORK STATE BUDGET - DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FUNDING

Dear Senator/Assembly Member XXXXX,

I am writing to you today as a/an {advocate, program director, executive director, etc.} at {your organization}.

As the Legislature begins its discussions on the State Budget, I wanted to make you aware of a significant issue facing all victim assistance providers across the state – massive funding cuts that will impact the provision of support services for victims of all types of crime.

The timing of these cuts could not come at a worse time. According to the latest nationwide survey, New York continues to have the highest demand for DV services in the country. In 2020, on just one day in New York, more than 8,300 survivors of domestic violence received services. On that same day, nearly 2,000 DV survivors did not get the services they requested.

To ensure the continuity and sustainability of New York’s crime victim services, I urge you to support these budget requests:

1.    Earmark $25 million in the FY’22-’23 budget to extend current contracts with all victim assistance providers;

2.    Remove the Governor’s proposal to mandate a 40-hour training and certification for all DV advocates (Part H of the PPGG budget);

3.    Increase the TANF set aside for non-residential DV services to $6 million; and,

4.    Maintain the Governor’s $5 million appropriation in OCFS’ Aid to Localities Budget to implement a flexible funding model pilot project.

The enclosed letter and materials contain more information about these proposed investments.

Thank you!

Other Legislator Materials