At the same time – as the legislature continues to debate the FY27 budget – service providers are facing dramatic reductions in Federal funding. The reductions, set to hit programs this summer, will put services for nearly 100,000 survivors at grave risk, including many from the most marginalized survivor communities. In response, we urge lawmakers in the Senate to also include the $13.8 million TRUST line in the budget, as requested by Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance, to protect programming for the most at-risk survivors.

Jane Doe Inc., the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, is grateful for the Governor and legislature’s efforts so far to restore vital state funding that supports the life-saving work of service providers across Massachusetts, including emergency housing services, hotlines for those experiencing violence or in crisis, intimate partner abuse education, support for immigrant, refugee, and LGBTQIA+ survivors, and more. Restoring funding through DPH to FY25 levels helps, but the depth of federal cuts means service providers will still be facing significant shortfalls. In the face of escalating attacks on survivors and their communities, we are hopeful state lawmakers will do more to safeguard support for our most marginalized communities and help ensure the safety and healing of survivors across the Commonwealth.

This fall has been a complicated one for survivors and advocates alike. Though the federal shutdown has ended, families and organizations across Massachusetts are working to rebound from the impact of SNAP delays and other shutdown effects.

Jane Doe Inc. and our member programs rallied at the Massachusetts state house on October 23 to advocate for the restoration of $7 million in funding, cut from the Department of Public Health’s Sexual and Domestic Violence Services budget. While we were dismayed by the legislature’s failure to restore funding in a vote later that day, our advocacy continues.

Through it all, I remain grateful for the tenacity, compassion, creativity (and humor) our staff and our coalition partners bring to their work and their advocacy. I am reminded again and again that we are stronger together.

In this spirit, I wanted to offer a few ways you can invest in our community and uplift survivors this season of giving:

·    Share holiday abundance. Find your local sexual assault or domestic violence agency and support their holiday giving drive. Consider offering gift cards as it can be empowering for a survivor–as it is for all of us–to make their own decisions about what toys and winter coats to pick out for their children this season.

·    Volunteer in your community. Look for organizations working on the ground with communities positioned to be the most impacted by changes in federal and state policy. Sign up for alerts from local organizations like MIRA Coalition and the Massachusetts Trans Political Coalition to stay tuned about ways you can share your time, talent, and treasure.

·    Strengthen JDI’s foundation. Mark your calendar for December 2 for Giving Tuesday 2025 and consider making a year-end gift to JDI. Gifts from individuals sustain JDI’s critical policy and systems advocacy here in Massachusetts and beyond, and strengthen our foundation in the face of public funding uncertainty.

·    Join JDI in the community! Read on for more about a variety of events that support JDI’s programming and advocacy. We can’t wait to see you in real life!

Thank you for supporting survivors. I am proud to do this work with you!

Hema Sarang-Sieminski
Executive Director

Nationwide, organizations are being pressured to erase trans people from their work and public presence. We know that we must hold the line and build capacity within our coalition to better serve trans survivors.

To get us started, we held a week of workshops and webinars by and with trans and LGBTQ+ experts. We are also preparing to launch two Trans Resource Guides: one survivor-facing and one advocate-facing.

The week was a reminder about trans joy, the power of allyship, and the strength of our coalition.

You can read JDI’s Trans Day of Remembrance Statement here.

What a joy it was to gather on May 5, 2026 at the Artists for Humanity Epicenter for a celebratory reception as we raise critical funds to support survivors and advocates, transform our communities, and realize a safer, healthier, freer world free from abuse and violence.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Nearly 300 advocates and supporters gathered at the Massachusetts State House on March 16, 2026 for Jane Doe Inc.’s 2026 Advocacy Day. Curious about our legislative priorities? Check them out here: bit.ly/JDIPriorities25.  

To help answer these questions, JDI engaged Framework Strategies, a consulting firm with expertise in housing solutions for survivors of gender based violence and the HUD Continuum of Care program. Consultants at Framework Strategies spent six months under contract with JDI to develop the Survivor Housing Action Plan, an agenda of work that centers survivors’ needs and advocates’ voices. With big appreciation for all those advocates who shared their feedback and ideas, we are excited to share this agenda and workplan for the road ahead.

Read the full report here.