Membership Application Process
Thank you for your interest in joining the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Below you will find information about membership criteria, the application process and
requirements for membership. We are pleased you are interested in joining our
coalition, our voices united and amplified strengthen our ability to help survivors build
safe and secure lives.
The DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence (DCCADV) accepts applications for
membership between April 1 - July 31 on an annual basis. From August 1 - January 31
of each year, DCCADV reviews applications and conducts assessments of applicant
organizations. After this review process is completed, an applicant may be granted
provisional membership for a six month period. At the end of the provisional
membership period, DCCADV assesses the applicant’s participation in Coalition
activities and adoption of best practices. Applicants who are recommended for full
membership are then presented to the DCCADV Board of Directors for approval as a
full member. The entire application process lasts one year.
Application Submission: April 1 – July 31
4 month period to submit applications for membership
 Applicant completes a Membership Application Form (copy enclosed)
 Applicant must sign statement agreeing to DCCADV Mission and Guiding
Principles (copy enclosed)
 Applicant submits a signed, completed application, together with documents
requested in Checklist to Accompany Assessment
Application Review: August 1 – January 31
6 month review period by DCCADV and its Standards Committee (comprised of
representatives from member programs)
 DCCADV reviews Membership Application
 DCCADV staff completes Initial Assessment within 3 months
 Standards Committee completes Second Stage Assessment upon completion of
Initial Assessment
 Standards Committee conducts site visit – includes ED interview and an
interview with program staff person
 DCCADV provides technical assistance on best practices and model policies, as
needed
 Applicants must operationalize or make substantial practices in operationalizing
best practices in survivor-centered advocacy during the application year
 Standards Committee presents applications to DCCADV membership for review
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Provisional Membership: February 1 – July 31
6 month provisional membership period
 Applicant will attend DCCADV membership meetings – ED or designee, no
voting rights
 Applicant is welcome to attend any Advanced Trainings (ATs), and the Domestic
Violence Advocate Core Competency Training (DV ACT), especially staff that
need advocate privilege or are working with survivors
 DCCADV will assess applicant for participation in DCCADV membership
meetings, trainings (ATs and DV ACT) and adoption of best practices
 Applicant will submit 3 letters of support to the Standards Committee: one letter
each from a current member program, a survivor, and a member of the
Applicant’s board.
 Standards Committee representative will present those applicants who are
recommended for full membership to the DCCADV Board of Directors for
approval for full membership during the 3rd quarter meeting each year
Full Membership: August 1
Full membership granted based on successful completion of application process and
provisional membership period, submission of 3 letters of support and approval of the
DCCADV Board of Directors
Applicants may decide to withdraw their application at any time. An application will be
denied if the program does not complete all of the application process requirements
during the appropriate time periods.
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Membership Benefits
DCCADV seeks to advance the anti-domestic violence movement in metropolitan
Washington, DC, promote awareness of emerging standards and best practices in the
anti-domestic violence field, and provide innovative services for the education and
professional development of its members.
The Coalition offers the following specific benefits to members, as resources allow:

Discounts on registration fees for DCCADV bi-annual conference (to include
training workshops, information about best practices, networking
opportunities)

Training and technical assistance on emerging domestic violence issues,
general non-profit issues, and policy advocacy

Promotion of members and help raising their visibility with a wide variety of
audiences

Assistance in developing collaborative relationships and partnerships

Media and communications support
The Coalition recognizes the leadership and expertise of its members in the community
and will facilitate opportunities for members to lead trainings and provide technical
assistance to other members. The Coalition will also recruit national and local experts
for various trainings.
In addition to these specific benefits, many DCCADV activities will benefit the broader
domestic violence community, regardless of whether an organization or individual is a
member. For example, the Coalition will implement a policy/advocacy agenda that
individual organizations may not have the resources to implement on their own. It will
also carry out public awareness campaigns to raise awareness about domestic violence
issues. It will continue to make information about domestic violence trends and issues,
pending legislation, etc., available through its website and communications venues.
DCCADV membership has three tiers:

Primary Purpose Domestic Violence Organizations - organizations whose
mission is to support survivors of domestic violence and their families

Ally Organizations –organizations whose work intersects with and impacts
survivors and their families or who have a domestic violence component to their
work

Supporters– corporations, entities, agencies, government agencies and
individuals who actively support our work
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Benefits for Primary Purpose Domestic Violence Organizations
 One year provisional membership during application review, includes site visit
 Semi-Annual Conference
 Quarterly Membership Meetings
 Voting Rights on Annual Policy Initiatives
 Quarterly Advanced Training Topics
 DV ACT
 Policy Task Force
 Housing Work Group
 DVAM Work Group
 Training Work Group
 Participation in ED and Advocates Listserv
 Option to apply to serve on DCCADV’s Board of Directors
 Assisting with statewide fundraising efforts
 Action Alerts
 Technical Assistance
 Media Support
 Public Awareness Campaigns
 Emergency/Crisis Support – example: a death in your community resulting
from domestic violence
Benefits for Ally Organizations
 Must adopt DCCADV Guiding Principles (Confidentiality, Accessibility and
Empowerment)
 Semi-Annual Conference
 Quarterly Advanced Training Topics
 DV ACT
 Policy Task Force (no voting capacity)
 Housing Work Group
 DVAM Work Group
 Training Work Group
 Action Alerts
 Technical Assistance
 Media Support
 Public Awareness Campaigns
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Benefits for Collaborators
 Must commit to Guiding Principles (Confidentiality, Accessibility and
Empowerment)
 Semi-Annual Conference
 Quarterly Advanced Training Topics
 DV ACT
 Policy Task Force (no voting capacity)
 Housing Work Group
 DVAM Work Group
 Training Work Group
 Action Alerts
 Technical Assistance
 Media Support
 Public Awareness Campaigns
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DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Mission and Guiding Principles
Vision Statement
We envision living in a violence-free city and community where there is equality, safety,
justice and peace.
Mission Statement
DCCADV’s mission is to build a community where domestic violence is replaced with
human dignity. We advance our mission through advocacy, community education,
outreach, public policy, technical assistance and training, resource sharing and
research.
Guiding Principles
1. Respect and Dignity. We are dedicated to promoting equality, respect, and
dignity among all people. We value all survivors, ourselves, and each other and
support the people we serve.
2. Social Justice. We demand that all people live free from violence, economic
deprivation, discrimination, and prejudice. We are dedicated to the inclusion and
active participation of individuals and groups that have traditionally and
historically been devalued or excluded.
3. Trauma-Informed. We see each individual we serve and those that we work with
through a trauma-informed lens. Trauma-informed means we recognize and
respond to the effects of all types of trauma a person has experienced at any
point in their lifetime. We are flexible in our policies and practices and embrace
safety, collaboration, and trustworthiness.
4. Cultural Competency. We honor the uniqueness of every individual we serve and
allow for differences. We honor culture, tradition, religion, age and sexual
orientation and identity. Examples include the elderly, people of color, the
LGBTQ community, people with physical and/or intellectual disabilities,
immigrants, and those living in poverty.
5. Confidentiality. We honor confidentiality and each person’s right to decide who
knows their story. We safeguard and respect the privacy of all the people we
support; individuals, families, and service providers.
6. Self Agency. We are committed to ensuring quality services for victims, survivors,
and their children. We, therefore, are committed to empowering all people with
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the freedoms and choices to be self-sustaining with fundamental human rights,
especially victims and survivors of domestic violence.
7. Survivor Centered Supports. We honor each individual survivor and fully support
their needs and decisions. As advocates, our allegiance is the person we
support, all other activities and functions we perform flow from this allegiance.
We assist people to direct the course of their own lives; survivors make, act on,
and take responsibilities for their own decisions.
8. Accessibility. We recognize that domestic violence has devastating effects on all
victims but that some face additional and unique barriers to safety. We advocate
for justice, inclusion, and full community participation, removing barriers, real or
perceived, to encourage participation. The Coalition believes the special needs of
these populations must be considered in the development, outreach, and delivery
of victim services.
9. Accountability. We believe that all people should have an active voice in the
policies and practices that affect them. We are committed to ensuring that the
voices, opinions, and concerns of victims, survivors and their children constantly
guide and inform our work. We believe that everyone must work together to
affect a coordinated community response for there to be a successful shift in
societal attitudes and beliefs about domestic violence.
10. Self Care. We advocate for practices that help the people we serve and our staff
feel connected and supported. We are committed to each individual’s sense of
belonging and value and recognize autonomy while being attentive to vicarious
trauma, re-victimization, and burn out.
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Membership Application Form.
Date of application_____________________________
Organization name _____________________________________________________
Contact person_________________________________________________________
_
Mailing address_________________________________________________________
City__________________________________ State __________
Zip ___________
Business Phone________________________ Crisis Phone _____________________
Fax________________________
E-mail________________________________
Organization web site address_____________________________________________
Areas of Service (check all that apply):  DC  MD  VA
Other __________
Please briefly describe what your program does and whom it serves:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Names/contact names/addresses/phone numbers/fax/e-mail contact for all satellite
offices of your organization (please use an additional sheet of paper if necessary)
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
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Membership Participation Form
The DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence can only succeed in ending domestic
violence with the contribution of the time and skills of its member programs. Members
are asked to participate in some or all of the following activities, depending upon the
capacity and resources of the organization. These activities are open to member
organization staff, board members, volunteers and/or survivors.
Organization
Name________________________________________________________________
Contact
Person_______________________________________________________________
Address______________________________________________________________
City____________________________________ State_________
Zip___________
Phone_____________________________ Fax_______________________________
E-Mail________________________________________________________________
Please indicate which DCCADV activities your program plans to participate in.
DCCADV Governance:
 Apply to serve on the DCCADV
Board of Directors
Policy and Advocacy Efforts:
 Participate in policy advocacy
activities, such as meeting with
elected officials and testifying before
DC Council
Membership Committee Opportunities:
 Attend quarterly Policy Task Force
 Attend quarterly Housing Task Force
 Attend quarterly DCCADV
Membership Meetings
 Participate in an annual policy

priorities survey
Respond to DCCADV Action Alerts
 Attend quarterly DVAM Work Group
 Attend quarterly Training Work
Group
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Training Opportunities:
 Staff will complete DCCADV’s
Domestic Violence Advocate Core
Competencies Training (DV ACT),
offered twice a year
 Participate in DCCADV Conferences
 Attend DCCADV’s quarterly
Advanced Topic Trainings
Public Awareness Efforts:
 Participate in DCCADV-sponsored
public awareness efforts such as
Domestic Violence Awareness
Month activities
 Contact DCCADV if there is a
homicide in your community and
work with local media
 Share your organization’s events via
the Coalition’s events calendar
 Contribute to the Coalition’s
newsletter
 Complete annual membership
survey
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Checklist and Membership Agreement
We have reviewed the following (these do NOT need to be returned to DCCADV):
□ Membership Application Process
□ DCCADV Mission and Guiding Principles
□ Membership Benefits
□ Checklist to Accompany Assessment for Membership
We are applying for membership by submitting the following documents to
DCCADV:
□ Member Program Application Form (required)
□ Membership Participation Form (required)
□ Documents requested in the DCCADV Assessment (required)
□ Checklist to Accompany Assessment for Provisional Members and Allies
signature page (required)
□ DCCADV Board Member Nomination Form (optional)
By signing below, we agree to actively promote and operationalize the Mission
and Guiding Principles of DCCADV:
Signed _____________________________________ Date __________________
Printed Name _______________________________________________________
Please submit completed Application to [email protected]
5 Thomas Circle, NW · Washington, DC 20005 · tel 202.299.1181 · fax 202.299.1193 · www.dccadv.org