For domestic violence survivors, long-term economic security is key to a safe, independent future.
Proceeds from the cards you send through JWI’s Mother’s Day Project work to build pathways to economic independence for survivors of domestic abuse and their children.
Choose personalized e-cards to send to all the special men in your life — one for each $25 donation to JWI — and we’ll take care of the rest.
E-cards can be scheduled to send on Father’s Day (Sunday, June 16th) or any day you choose.
JWI uses the proceeds to provide financial education resources, workshops, and ongoing support to thousands of abuse survivors living in 250 domestic violence shelters across the U.S. so they can gain the tools to control their futures and build safe lives for themselves and their children.
Your donation is tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
This year, your support goes further than ever before.
Financial abuse occurs in 99% of all domestic violence cases.
It can leave survivors without a job or financial resources of their own, and is often cited as the main reason survivors stay with or return to their abusive partner.
This year, proceeds from JWI’s Mother’s Day Project will be used to provide ongoing financial education resources, workshops, and trainings to thousands of domestic abuse survivors at shelters nationwide, so at-risk women can obtain the knowledge to control their futures and build safe, independent lives for themselves and their children.
The impact continues long after Mother’s Day ends.
JWI continues to support women across the country by working to end gender-based violence through ongoing advocacy, economic security, and women’s leadership initiatives.
Survivors and advocates share the impact of JWI's Mother's Day Project:
“A huge part of getting out of the cycle of abuse is empowerment, and giving survivors access to being self-sufficient. Had I had someone that really understood [that], it would have helped steer me in the right direction.”
- Abuse Survivor, JWI 2021 National Needs Assessment
“You changed my life. I feel more confident in my life than ever before. I’m in an entirely different place than where I was a few months ago.”
- Survivor who participated in one of JWI’s financial education workshops
“Without a job, survivors are stuck in poverty, often leaving them to go back to their abusers because it’s just easier.”
- Advocate, JWI 2021 National Needs Assessment
“Money brings me so much stress but I know I need to face it and stop avoiding it, so these workshops feel very valuable.”
- Survivor who participated in one of JWI’s financial education workshops
Don’t need Mother’s Day cards but want to support JWI’s Mother’s Day Project?
Donate here!
History of JWI’s Mother’s Day Project
For more than 20 years, JWI has sent bouquets of flowers, financial literacy resources, and children’s craft kits to domestic violence shelters across the U.S. on Mother’s Day. The COVID crisis drove abuse rates higher than ever, and more and more families (an estimated 50,000 on any given day) moved into shelters, where women are too focused on rebuilding their lives to take time to celebrate Mother’s Day.
In addition to dedicated donors who send JWI Mother’s Day cards to their loved ones each year, the project is also generously supported by the The Joan Margolius Cherner Women’s Empowerment Fund, which funded the creation of "Joanie's Place" - peaceful oases in domestic violence shelters where survivors can relax with moments of mindful meditation, access laptops to find employment opportunities, read financial literacy materials, and heal and grow together.
This Mother’s Day, thanks to additional funding from The Joan Margolius Cherner Women’s Empowerment Fund, shelter residents will receive a special financial education workshop on Mother’s Day called, Financial Futures: Empowering Children to Control Their Money & Own Their Futures. This workshop includes a trauma-informed, survivor centered video, presentation, and accompanying materials that will help teach the women living in shelters to have meaningful conversations with their children about financial literacy so they can help break the cycle of poverty and abuse, and empower the next generation to live safely – and thrive.
Mother’s Day Project FAQs:
Tell me more about where my gift goes:
This year, we will be using Mother’s Day Project proceeds to:
Fund ongoing financial education workshops for domestic abuse survivors and their children. These trauma-informed, survivor-centered workshops will include animated videos, slideshow presentations, personal money journals, curriculum facilitator guides, and ongoing 1:1 support from JWI staff to shelter staff. These resources will expand our Life$avings: Financial Empowerment for Survivors of Abuse initiative.
Ship financial literacy resources directly to hundreds of shelters across the country.
What is financial abuse and why does it matter?
In 99% of all instances of intimate partner violence, survivors are left with “little to no income, no access to cash or bank accounts, fraudulent and/or coerced debt in their name, and damaged financial profiles.” (FreeFrom, Survivors Know Best) That is financial abuse - a tool of control used by domestic violence perpetrators that goes far beyond withholding access to money. It’s destroying a victim's credit; preventing her from working; or disrupting her workplace so she loses her job. It's stacking the financial deck against her so she can't rent an apartment; buy a car; get a credit card... So she – and her children – cannot escape.
Survivors with access to financial literacy training and support can begin to climb out of this devastating cycle. They can begin to gain the confidence to create a budget, understand how to improve their credit and pay down debt, and take steps toward their personal financial goals.
“You changed my life. I feel more confident in my life than ever before. I’m in an entirely different place than where I was a few months ago.” - Survivor who participated in one of JWI’s financial education programs
How much do the cards cost?
We request a donation of $25 per card (e-cards or print). We hope that instead of thinking of this as a transactional purchase of $25 Mother’s Day cards, you’ll consider it a gift to the domestic violence survivors who will be impacted by your donation, and an investment in JWI’s work to help abuse survivors obtain long-term economic security and employment.
Is my donation tax deductible?
Yes, your donation is tax deductible to the fullest extend of the law.
I’m having trouble placing my order; who can I contact?
We’re here to help! Please email mothersday@jwi.org and someone will be in touch shortly.
Can I order e-cards now but still have them delivered on Mother’s Day?
Of course! Upon checkout, you can select a date for delivery. (Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 12th, 2023.) They will be sent in the morning of whichever day you choose.
Can I order blank paper cards to give to family and friends on my own?
Yes - click here and select your desired amount.
I don’t really need cards; can I simply make a gift to support this project?
You can - and thank you! Click here to make a tax deductible gift to JWI’s Mother’s Day Project.
I created an account on JWI’s e-card platform when I ordered cards in the past. Can I re-use that information?
If your account is saved in our card platform, you should be able to quickly re-order cards by following these steps:
Enter your account information
Click "re-order cards" on the menu on the left
Wasn’t this project previously called the Mother’s Day Flower Project? What happened to the “flowers”?
In the past, JWI used a portion of proceeds from this project to send floral bouquets to shelters across the country on Mother’s Day. This year, we’ve decided that survivors and their families will be better served, longer-term, if we use all proceeds to expand the financial empowerment resources we send to shelters, and to grow our Women’s Financial Empowerment Institute so more abuse survivors can build safe futures for themselves and their children. This change was made to give every dollar you donate the deepest, longest-lasting impact possible.
