Support the iBelieveThem Foundation Launch!

“When someone shows you who they are,

believe them the first time."

-Maya Angelou

Your feelings are valid.

You are not alone.

I am here with you.

I will fight for you.

Change will come.

I BELIEVE YOU.

Our primary mission is to create an online platform through which survivors of sexual assault, harassment, domestic violence, and sexual discrimination can speak freely without fear of judgement or retribution- sharing their experiences, as well passing along resources that have helped them heal to others who might need them. Picking up on the momentum of the #metoo and #timesup movements, the rising attendance to women’s marches across the nation, and the recent uprise in public discourse surrounding consent, gender policy, mental health and sexual education, we hope to drive the conversations one step further to change the way we view and react to such issues from the ground up. Unreported sexual assault, violence, and gender-identity-based harassment should be things of the past, and we want to empower survivors with the knowledge that they are not alone in this fight. Especially in the wake of the senate judiciary committees treatment of credible accusers in their political narratives, we see how victim blaming can intimidate victims into staying silent and prevent them from healing. This is a fact that too many of us know far too intimately.

Fellow survivors of traumatic experiences can provide the best insight and advice to those who do not know how to understand, report, or move on from what happened to them. The first step is empowering those who have struggled to find the voice to share their story; they can learn by example that they are not alone in this fight, and eventually understand that they are believed, they are strong, and there is hope for healing.

The platform will provide powerful analytical data for research and for organizations looking to solve these issues, especially as it relates to the distribution of crisis resources, laws protecting victims, and mental health services. The site will collect user recommendations on resources that they found helpful and provide links to websites, hotlines, and local meet-ups. We believe the key to addressing issues is connecting women (and all victims of sexual abuse, including men, LGBTQ communities and children) to one another and to the critical resources such as legal council, trauma and mental health services, educators, and representatives in the government to enact systemic change in the way that we heal and grow for the future. We need the data first.

Our distinguishing feature is the ability to post anonymously, rather than sharing to the general public or peers on Facebook using #metoo, to HR or authorities in the workplace, or even tell their family who may not be equipped to respond adequately. People have already come to us ready to share things that they have never disclosed before because they know they can do it privately. People are yearning for a place to talk to each other about these issues, to work through them in a productive way outside of the regular social media environments. The blog, the story share (under 500 words) feed, and the resource library will be available to the public on the site. The community message board/discussion forum will require an email address to join, but you can remain anonymous on these boards, unlike on other platforms like Facebook. While we seek to gain traffic through social media platforms, our site will stand on its own; it is less likely to be infiltrated by trolls or negativity that social media and forums like reddit have come to exemplify. It differs from existing discussion forums/non-profit resources because it is going to be edgy, sexy (like consent!), simple, and targeted content with appeal to the online generation. We want to ensure positive and productive discourse within this space, and we will have certified professionals involved to answer questions, as well to provide their own hot takes and useful resources in an accessible way. Same goes for policy/legal professionals. We want to be as inclusive as possible and have a broad reach as a movement, yet still operate in a silo meant to be taken seriously and mobilize action.

We need your support to get our organization off the ground. We will dedicate your donations to the establishment of our web platform and the basics of starting up a company. We want to do this right, and require some badass engineers to help us build it. We need to keep a minimum balance of $1,000 to open a corporate checking account. We want to be able to pay to keep our 501(c)3 Non-profit Corporation running (tax filings and advisory, financial reporting, corporate registration fees), to offer our editorial and art contributors recognition rights and royalties for creating original content for us, and to establish partnerships with educators, trauma/ mental health specialists, consultants and other experts. Our next donation round will include the apparel/merchandise we are working on that will keep us funded in the long term.

As an organization, we will routinely ask for your input to help us identify specific organizations and social justice campaigns to dedicate a portion of your funds to. In the longer-term we also hope to more directly help those pursuing legal actions against their perpetrators through a legal defense fund or grant program. Key "campaign issues" could be recommending legislation surrounding statutes of limitation for assault cases across the states, protection for victims, criminal procedure reform, health/sexual education in schools (especially related to consent), rape culture and empowerment on college campuses, sexual abuse in the prison systems, domestic violence, and promoting general women’s and lgbtq+ rights.

This movement can only grow and lead the broader conversation if we start small and specific, if the content is accessible and relatable, and if it feels like an intimate community working towards the same goals. We cannot wait for all the amazing things to come, and thank you for taking this leap of faith with us!

Follow us on Instagram @iBelieveThem, and use the hashtag #iBelieveThem so we can repost content from our community! DM or Email submissions of your #metoo/ #whyididntreport stories**, art, op-ed, educational resources, or other creative ideas to iBelieveThem2018@gmail.com.

**Story shares should not include any names, and will be posted anonymously unless you tell us otherwise. Once the website is up, these submissions will be entered through the site directly, and will only collect user identifications as you choose to include them. We are excited to share our stories and our healing journey with you, and for you to share yours. #iBelieveThem.