Support the Center
Your valuable gift will be combined with others in the Center's education and research endowment to support our working toward understanding and ending violence against women.
To make a gift on-line, please click the button below or visit the University of Kentucky Office of Development on-line giving page. All gifts made via this University of Kentucky web site are secure and confidential.
Gifts made by check can be mailed to:
Center for Research on Violence Against Women
University of Kentucky
108 Bowman Hall
Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0059
For more information about making a gift to the Center for Research on Violence Against Women, please contact Carol Jordan, Director, at 859.257.2737.
Finding Your Way to Give
Gifts to the Center for Research on Violence Against Women provide direct and invaluable support that allows us to make strides toward strengthening research, scholarship and public service related to violence against women.
The Center’s donors are community volunteers, businesswomen and men, educators, advocates, public servants and more. Regardless the walk of life from which they come, they share with us the mission of creating a future for girls and women that is free from violence. We repay the kindness and trust of our donors with innovative advances in the science of understanding and ultimately ending violence against girls and women around the globe. Gifts of any size are valued and may be given publicly or anonymously as best suits the needs of the donor.
How to Support the Center
The mission of the Center for Research on Violence Against Women is the advancement of science toward understanding and ultimately ending crimes of violence toward women. Gifts to the Center for Research on Violence Against Women Endowment support the research mission of the Center and sustain our ability to translate research into the practice of criminal justice, health and mental health professionals who work daily on behalf of the nation’s women and children.
At the heart of our efforts to advance the nation’s research agenda on violence against women, the Center has set out to establish six endowed chairs and four professorships that will allow us to recruit the top researchers in the country to the University of Kentucky. Gifts to support faculty enhance our efforts to recruit new faculty as well as provide research grants to current faculty for their work in the area of violence against women.
To change life for future generations of girls and women, we must also create future generations of scholars, scientists and professionals who will carry on this mission. The Center is committed to enhancing the educational experience for students across a broad range of disciplines at the University. Gifts to this area support fellowships, assistantships, clerkships, and summer research programs for graduate and undergraduate students.
The Center’s commitment to public service promotes collaboration between researchers, advocates and practitioners. Gifts that support our outreach efforts further our ability to waive research-related event registration fees for victim advocates, provide research briefs for advocates and practitioners and host an invited lecture series with nationally recognized experts in the field of violence against women.
Education sets women on a path to non-violence and recovery
Education fills dreams and puts a woman’s full potential within her reach
Education lifts women and children out of poverty
Education empowers
You have the power to empower others
For too many women seeking to escape and recover from violence, financial constraints and lack of support serve as insurmountable barriers to attending college. You can help break those barriers by donating to the Center's Empowerment Scholarship which assists women who are survivors of domestic violence in entering or returning to college. The program will be operated by the Center in partnership with local domestic violence programs across Kentucky and the finance and scholarship office at UK.
The Gift of Women’s Health: The Verizon Wireless Endowment
To the left, Phyllis Konerman, Kentucky Domestic Violence Association; David Clevenger and Michelle Gilbert, Verizon Wireless; Lisa Holmes, Kentucky Domestic Violence Association; and Carol Jordan, Center Director
The intruding marks of violence sometimes rest briefly and sometimes endure on the body of a woman.
Verizon Wireless is recognized nationally for its corporate commitment to educating communities about domestic violence. Verizon Wireless’ HopeLine program collects used wireless phones and accessories from any wireless service provider and translates those donations into funding for battered women’s programs. Verizon Wireless also offers significant support to the Center’s research effort and specifically our work on women’s health.
The Verizon Wireless Endowment supports the Center’s work to advance an understanding of the health impacts of violence against women and to improve the health care system that stands ready to respond. The Endowment established the Verizon Wireless Endowed Chair of Study on Violence Against Women.
The Gift of Women’s Empowerment: The Women’s Circle Endowment
The founding members include (from Left to Right) Senator Kathy Stein, Missy Scanlon, Sue Badgett, former First Lady Judi Conway Patton, Ann McBrayer, Alice Sparks, UK First Lady Patsy Todd, Mira Ball, and Carol Jordan
It wasn’t the bruise that grew or the bone that snapped, it was what he said. That is what remains...the effects of violence in how I feel and what I fear, not in what you see.
Paraphrased from a rape survivor
The effort to end violence against women began with one sister reaching out to help another, with one woman’s voice being added to another until a global movement was born. The Women’s Circle Endowment was created as an homage to that movement and to the women who both inspired and created it. The Endowment was founded by women donors who, through their philanthropy, showed what women’s compassion, women’s wisdom, and women’s leadership can accomplish. The Women’s Circle Endowment is comprised of businesswomen, philanthropists, community volunteers and public servants. They are women who come from all walks of life but share a common mission to end violence against women.
The Women’s Circle Endowment supports the Center’s effort to provide a forensic perspective on the experience of women in the justice system. The Endowment funds the Women’s Circle Endowed Chair of Study on Violence Against Women.
A Gift to Ensure that the Stories of All Women are Told: The Georgia Davis Powers Endowment
There has always been a fight in me, and there always will be, until the injustices done to women and to people of color are finally put to rest.
—Senator Georgia Davis Powers
In 1968, Georgia Davis Powers became the first African American and the first woman ever elected to the Kentucky State Senate. Even before she began her career as a senator, Georgia Powers was a great leader in the Civil Rights Movement in Kentucky. Senator Powers’ public service career often focused on the unique needs of women, but her preparation for being an outspoken pioneer in matters of gender started much earlier. She was born in Springfield in Washington County, growing up as the only girl in a family of nine children. Within the pages of her autobiography, I Shared the Dream, Senator Powers also revealed the way in which violence marked the years of her life. She is a survivor of violence, she is an instigator of change, and she is an inspiration to all future generations of girls and women.
In honor of Senator Powers and her work on behalf of women, the Georgia Davis Powers Endowment was established. The Endowment symbolizes the truth that violence against women is pervasive in the United States and around the globe, crossing boundaries of race, ethnicity, class, caste and age—crossing lines of country, region, state and nation. The Georgia Davis Powers Endowment affirms the importance of addressing race, ethnicity, and other socio-cultural factors in the study of violence against women. The Endowment funds the Georgia Davis Powers Endowed Chair on the Study of Violence Against Women.
View the Champions for Women Endowment Campaign Photo Gallery
View the Announcement of Senator Georgia Davis Powers Endowed Chair Photo Gallery
Kentucky African American Encyclopedia
Kentucky Civil Rights Oral History
Watch Senator Georgia Davis Powers video provided by KET Louisville Life
A Gift to Future Generations: The Cralle/Day Endowment
My arms are heavy and my hands swollen from fighting off his violence. I knew I was afraid when I saw my terror reflected in my child’s eyes. What she watched tonight...is that what she now knows of love?
Paraphrased from a battered woman
Historically, children have been the forgotten victims of intimate partner violence, overlooking the nightmare that research estimates impact millions of children in America every year. A gift from Joan Day and the Cralle Foundation has established the Cralle-Day Children-at-Risk Endowed Chair to help further research in this area. The Cralle Foundation, based in Louisville, is well known for addressing child abuse issues. Joan Day, president of the foundation, is particularly interested in supporting the inclusion of children in the comprehensive efforts of the Center for Research on Violence Against Women to confront violence.
A national search is underway to fill this endowed chair.
The Gift of Social Justice for Women: The Judi Conway Patton Chair
I have a dream for our Commonwealth, a dream in which no woman feels the back of a violent hand on her face and no children see the fear of violence in the reflection of their mother’s eyes.
—Judi Conway Patton
Judi Conway Patton became the First Lady of the Commonwealth in 1995. As Governor Patton assumed office, it took the First Lady no time at all to determine what she would use her public role to accomplish. She would bring light to the issues of child abuse, intimate partner violence and sexual assault.
On day one of the administration, Mrs. Patton began her work. She was instrumental in recruiting Carol Jordan to the Governor’s Office to staff the effort, forming with her an enduring and successful partnership. Beginning in 1996, she successfully pushed domestic violence legislation, testified on legislation to strengthen the role of victim advocates in courtrooms, created policies for domestic violence prosecutions, expanded training initiatives and other reforms. In 1998, she pushed legislation to create the Governor’s Office of Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Services in statute. During the 2000 Session, she worked to propose a substantial legislative package on domestic violence and rape, including a bill to create the Governor’s Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault which she co-chaired. She also worked with the Governor to set aside $1 million to upgrade the fifteen facilities in Kentucky which house battered women’s shelters in 1998 and to increase operating funding for rape crisis centers and battered women’s shelters.
A Gift to End Sexual Violence: Ashley T. Judd Endowment
I am thrilled my beloved university is taking a vital leadership and scholarly role in addressing the exploitation of girls and women. In my world wide travels, it has become abundantly clear to me that there will be no peace, no stability, no end to extreme poverty and its horrific consequences, until girls and women are safe from all forms of violence and injustice. Sexual, economic, educational, legal, social empowerment of girls and women is essential before real, lasting, change can even be possible. This program will honorably do its part to advance the dream of peace.
—Ashley T. Judd
At least one-fifth of the nation’s women will experience some form of sexual violence or exploitation, leaving a lasting mark on their physical and mental health. The unique and devastating impacts of sexual violence led the Center to establish an endowed chair specifically for this area. The endowment was created in partnership with Ms. Ashley T. Judd, a UK alumna who works internationally to raise awareness on the plight of girls and women who face sexual exploitation. A fundraising campaign for the Ashley T. Judd Endowed Chair of Study on Sexual Violence Against Women is currently underway.
The Gift of Women’s Mental Health: The Culton Endowment
The Center is committed to studying the mental health effects of violence and how to enhance the recovery of women who face it. In addition to the Women’s Circle Endowment, a gift from Robert and Anna Culton established an endowed professorship to advance research in this area. The Robert H. and Anna B. Culton Endowed Professorship was established in July 2008.
A Gift to End Violence Against Girls and Adult Women: Fifth & Pacific Foundation Endowment
In 2003, the Fifth & Pacific Foundation (formerly the Liz Foundation) became one of the earliest significant donors of the Center. The partnership between the Foundation and the Center has supported efforts to include advocates in research and now to support research through a professorship. The Fifth & Pacific Foundation Professorship will advance both the mission of the Center and the priorities of the Foundation by addressing teen dating violence.
The Fifth & Pacific Foundation has long made its presence known by addressing issues critical to women and girls. Since 1991, Fifth & Pacific Companies have been working to end violence against women. That commitment has translated into its Love Is Not Abuse program, which provides information and tools that men, women, children, teens, and corporate executives can use to learn more about the issue and find out how they can end this epidemic. The Company is also a supporter of loveisrespect.org, a resource to engage, educate and empower youth and young adults to prevent and end abusive relationships.
A Gift to the Next Generation: The Mary Byron Scholars Program
The Center believes that the contributions to the field made by today’s academic community are but a down payment on what we can provide. The greatest successes lie in the achievements of future generations of scholars whose work can, collectively, be the means to an end of violence against women. In FY 05, the Center joined with the Mary Byron Foundation in Louisville, Kentucky, to establish its very first graduate fellowship. The selection of Mary as the Center’s very first named fellowship holds significant meaning to all of us at the Center, as this young woman lost her life to domestic violence, but her story has fueled innovation and saved the lives of countless other girls and women. Mary was a beloved daughter, sister and friend; she is also an inspiration and reason to continue this work on behalf of all women.
Mary’s Story
1993 was a horrific year for Mary. She had been raped, assaulted, and stalked by her former boyfriend. He was arrested and jailed for these crimes, but someone posted his bail and he was released. At that time, there was no mechanism in place to alert Mary to his release and to the increased danger to which she was now exposed.
On December 6, 1993, Mary’s former boyfriend approached her as she sat in her car waiting for the engine to warm up. She had just left work after celebrating her 21st birthday with friends. He approached from the driver's side and fired seven bullets into her head and chest at point blank range, killing her. As she celebrated 21 years, he made 1993 her last. Out of the tragedy of Mary’s murder was borne an innovative, automated victim notification system. That system is, called the VINE System, is now used in thousands of communities across the nation.