Case Study: Quantifying the Value of Safenest
The Client
SafeNest, located in Clark County, Nevada has been at the forefront of ending domestic and sexual violence in Southern Nevada for 44 years. SafeNest is unique in its commitment to treating the entire continuum of violence from prevention to protection to empowerment. For example, SafeNest is the only nonprofit in the region to provide resources for batterers to address the cycle of abuse at the root. SafeNest has ten locations across the region and provides the following services: 24/7 crisis hotline, emergency shelter, transitional housing, counseling, court support, and advocacy.
The Need
Organizations like SafeNest provide services to survivorsdaily. Understanding the value of these services andthe impact they have on not only survivors and theirchildren, but the local economy is critical to ensuringthere is adequate support.
The Project
In August of 2021, Sharity, Inc. was contracted by SafeNest to replicate a 1998 study that measured the
return on investment of domestic violence programs. Sharity then worked on updating the economic
measures and added data from two additional tools to show impact to businesses and the cost of domestic violence as a crime. This report provided a more robust picture of the devastating effect that abusers and their actions have on local communities, as well as the value that domestic violence services provide in mitigating this impact. Sharity’s work provided a template for local programs to utilize in order to show the impact that intimate partner violence has on the local economy, as well as the value of the services they provided beyond the numbers of individuals served. This study evaluated three main components: the scope of the local problem, the impact of services, and the value of services.
The Result
SafeNest provides Clark County donors and taxpayers a return of 28 times the amount invested by reducingthe impact of domestic violence in the community. Based on this study, it was determined that each year theSafeNest shelter and mental health programs save Clark County taxpayers an estimated $152 milliondollars by intervening and preventing further abuse, as well as economically empowering survivors to livesafely. The organization launched a capital campaign using the data and has successfully raised theneeded funds to break ground.
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