District of Columbia Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
See Schedule O.
- Income
- $2.0 million
- Spending
- $2.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 75%
- Reserves
- 1.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 80%
- Employees
- 8
- Volunteers
- 20
- Highest pay
- $156,394, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 54 out of 100.
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.3 months of spending.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 77% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 6% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1575% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 85 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 13 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $601,854 spent. Trainings and Technical Assistance: In our ongoing commitment to providing technical assistance and capacity-building support, DCCADV staff responded to 129 requests for technical assistance, including from member program staff, ally organizations, government partners, and survivors seeking services. TA responses mainly related to federal compliance issues, ensuring both member programs and government agency staff understood new requirements and could adjust accordingly. These interactions often included discussions on emerging trends in domestic violence and strategies for law enforcement to better support survivors. We also received additional inquiries from individuals and organizations seeking to better understand DCCADVs role within the Districts continuum of care. We conducted a total of over 80 training sessions, equipping 685 advocates with the necessary tools and best practices to provide trauma-informed, survivor-centered care. Our Training Department held our semi-annual Domestic Violence Advocate Competency Training (DVACT), a mandatory training for advocates to gain foundational learning about domestic violence, responding to it, and maintaining confidentiality when providing services, for a total of 68 people. In addition, we held four advanced trainings discussing primary prevention in the DV (domestic violence) field, Confidentiality and Service Provision, DV Services in 2025 and Beyond, and Best Practices for Engagement at Community Events. DCCADV also facilitated training sessions for homeless service providers, violence interrupters, medical professionals, and behavioral health professionals. Collectively, these efforts demonstrate measurable progress toward our intended outcomes of strengthening systems coordination, improving the capacity of member programs, and ensuring survivors needs remain centered in local and federal policy conversations. In response to the epidemic of gun violence in the District, we have initiated domestic violence training for Violence Interrupters in collaboration with the Peace for DC Academy. These Violence Interrupters serve as critical first responders who work to deescalate gun violence and prevent retaliatory harm, making them essential partners in community safety efforts. We successfully established a growing partnership with Peace for DC, an organization that provides foundational training via the Violence Interrupter Training Academy and offers support and ongoing training for academy alumni. We delivered a specialized domestic violence training for program alumni in FY 2025. The training series for alumni was so well received that we then began facilitating a new session in the foundational academy curriculum about co-occurring domestic violence-related firearm and community violence, domestic violence dynamics, recognition, intervention, and resources. The DCCADV team supported two academy cohorts for a total of around 40 participants this year. This collaboration represents an important step in enhancing the capacity of Violence Interrupters to address the intersection of domestic violence, community violence, and firearms in their prevention and intervention work. In partnership with DC Health, we conducted surveys to better understand the needs of healthcare staff in various settings around domestic violence. The results gathered showed the need for training centered around the foundations of what DV is, safe ways to screen for DV, and reproductive coercion. A training was created to meet those needs, and we were able to provide two in-person training sessions for DC community members who work in the healthcare field as birth workers, case managers, medical intake coordinators, clinicians, and more. The feedback from both training sessions supported the need and appreciation for creating a space for this learning experience. Additionally, we provided intensive technical assistance to support the development of a policy and protocol for domestic violence recognition and resources for the staff at the Aston, a new homeless services location and services designed for co-occupancy and couples. Once adopted, we began training frontline and supervisory staff on the dynamics and recognition of domestic violence, the best practice policy and protocol, and resources for survivors.
- $352,694 spent. Community Education and Public Awareness: DCCADV engaged in robust public education and outreach efforts to raise awareness about domestic violence and mobilize community action. Through social media, email, television, and print communications, DCCADV informed the public on how to engage in domestic violence awareness efforts, provided timely information and action alerts on local and national initiatives supporting survivors, and helped community members understand their role in ending domestic violence. DCCADV led and facilitated the annual Domestic Violence Awareness Month campaign, coordinating activities across member programs and participating in community-wide events, as well as outreach events organized by community partners. The Coalition maintained its website as a comprehensive clearinghouse of information on local domestic violence resources, ensuring accessible and up-to-date support for those in need. We received notable media attention for our advocacy efforts for local and federal funding to domestic violence support services in D.C. Among our recent coverage, we were featured in The Washington Post, Mother Jones, The New Republic, Telemundo, Washington City Paper, DCLine, and 19th News. Because our member programs have limited capacity, weve been creating media kits for these advocacy efforts with sample press releases, social media content, and talking points that theyve been able to use in their outreach and testimonies to further amplify these efforts.
- $318,182 spent. Membership Support: DCCADV staff were tireless in their efforts to ensure our member programs were informed and equipped to remain grant compliant, implement best practices, and remain survivor-responsive in this rapidly changing environment. Our comprehensive annual member surveys helped us identify service gaps, training needs, and emerging challenges across all eight wards of DC. These surveys provide critical data that shapes our strategic priorities and program development. Our organization maintains several specialized working groups that meet regularly to address specific needs and gather targeted feedback. These include the Policy Task Force mentioned above as well as our Data Working Group and DV Housing Continuum. We facilitated monthly advocate calls, bi-monthly membership meetings, and annual Domestic Violence Awareness Month planning sessions that create ongoing opportunities for member programs to share challenges, successes, and ideas for improvement. Our Data Work Group specifically focused on improving how we collect, analyze, and respond to information about service delivery and outcomes. Coalition Staff convened our Membership every other month and held quarterly Policy Task Force meetings to provide consistent support to our member programs, update and review pending legislation, and to strategize around the barriers survivors face when seeking services during a period of heightened federal activity in the District. In response to the changing federal landscape from February through September, we added standing weekly member meetings so member Executive Directors were kept up-to-date on the steady stream of new efforts coming from the federal administration impacting survivors and the organizations supporting them.
- $196,501 spent. Policy and Systems Change: Over the year, DCCADV staff participated in more than 200 community meetings, including the Interagency Council on Homelessness, Fair Budget Coalition, Victim Assistance Network, and numerous other collaborative meetings. These discussions focused on the implications of federal and local legislative changes, the needs of survivors, gaps and barriers to accessing the available services, and the launch of Homeward DC 3.0. In each of these spaces, DCCADV successfully elevated the critical need for survivor-specific considerations into conversations resulting in enhanced support for survivors. We remained active in local advocacy spaces, attending the VAN Policy Advisory Committee meetings, DV Fatality Review Board, Coalition for LGBTQ+, among others. Through these engagements, we continued to highlight how proposed and enacted budget and policy changes at the DC Council uniquely impact survivors of domestic violence. Our Policy Taskforce coordinates a District-wide agenda that prioritizes the needs of survivors. Our policy advocacy work includes monitoring legislation, providing testimony at hearings, and coordinating with policymakers to strengthen protections for survivors. We lead several specialized working groups, including our Policy Task Force, which meet regularly to address systemic barriers facing survivors.Our team worked diligently to stay current on the many federal decisions and policy shifts that have impacted survivors of domestic violence. Our Survivor Advisory Board (SAB), a cornerstone of DCCADVs commitment to survivor-centered advocacy and policy development, established in 2021, is composed entirely of women of color with lived experience of domestic violence who have received services in Washington, DC. This diverse group meets monthly to examine barriers to services, advise on program improvements, and drive systemic reform across the District.DCCADV is proud to share that our collective advocacy made a powerful impact on the Districts FY26 budget. These collective wins reflect the power of coordinated advocacy and the shared commitment of DCCADV, our members, and our partners to securing resources that strengthen safety, stability, and justice for survivors across the District.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since July 1987.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.