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Mission and Vision
Safe Waters is a survivor-founded nonprofit dedicated to supporting Coast Guard and Department of War (DOW) members who have experienced sexual assault or harassment in service. Our mission is rooted in lived experience: every member of our leadership team and board is a survivor who once stood in the silence, the confusion, the fear—and chose to rise. We turned our pain into purpose, forging Safe Waters as a sanctuary of support, healing, advocacy, and transformation.
We exist to ensure that no one in uniform suffers alone. Whether you are active-duty, a reservist, or a veteran, we are here with peer-led support, trauma-informed resources, and systemic advocacy to uphold your dignity and restore your voice.
Our vision is bold and unwavering: a military culture where every individual is safe, every survivor is supported, and healing is not a hope—but a promise. We believe in transforming silence into strength, isolation into solidarity, and harm into healing.
A Critical Moment in History
Sexual assault and harassment within the military are not new problems—but they are no longer invisible. In recent years, survivor voices, investigative reporting, and increased public awareness have brought long-overdue attention to the realities faced by service members, especially within under-resourced or overlooked branches like the Coast Guard.
What has become clear is that even well-intentioned policies often fall short in practice. Survivors are left navigating confusing systems, enduring delays in justice, and facing isolation or retaliation for speaking up. This isn’t just a military issue—it’s a human issue. And it demands a response grounded in care, courage, and accountability.
Safe Waters was founded by survivors who love their service and their fellow members, but who also know the system can—and must—do better. We are here to complement the mission of the Armed Forces by supporting those harmed, elevating awareness, and working hand-in-hand with leaders and institutions ready to ensure that no one suffers in silence again.
This is a defining moment: not to point fingers, but to extend hands. We believe in the power of change—and we’re building it now.
The Survivors Behind Safe Waters
What makes Safe Waters different is who we are. We are not just advocates—we are the very people this system abandoned. Our founders and board members have lived through the trauma of sexual violence in uniform. We have filed reports, endured retaliation, navigated broken systems, and survived.
We are transforming our lived experience into a movement of hope and accountability. Our leadership brings together veterans, legal experts, trauma counselors, policy advocates, and storytellers—bound by the shared goal of ensuring no one ever has to face what we did, alone.
Our stories aren’t statistics. They are names, faces, families, futures. And through Safe Waters, they have become catalysts for change.
The following are statements from some of our members:
“I feel seen. I feel understood. I feel like I am not alone. I feel encouraged. I feel strengthened. I feel acceptance. I feel validated.”
“I’m not alone anymore, and I have wonderful women to talk to, cry to, and laugh with. This group has allowed me to face my trauma head-on and heal.”
“They’ve shown understanding and compassion for what I’ve been through - and what I’m still going through.”
Proposed Projects for Future Flourishing
We have identified three critical areas where Safe Waters can make the most significant and immediate impact.
Comprehensive Survivor Support Services
Description:
Create a national survivor support hub tailored specifically for the Coast Guard and DOD communities. This would include:
Trauma-informed counseling
Legal navigation
Housing support
Crisis response
Peer mentoring
Why It Matters:
Most survivors report feeling completely alone. Worse, many are retraumatized by the system meant to protect them. A dedicated, independent, survivor-led support network restores trust, ensures safety, and fosters long-term healing. Annual expenditure would require funds covering costs such as curriculum development, marketing and outreach, clinical staffing, legal and housing support resources, and peer mentor training.
Estimated Cost:
$500,000 annually
Awareness, Prevention & Education Campaigns
Description:
To build a culture of safety, we must first foster understanding. Safe Waters will lead survivor-informed education campaigns designed to reduce stigma, prevent harm, and empower service members to act.
These campaigns will be culturally competent, trauma-informed, and tailored to the unique environments of military and veteran communities. Our approach emphasizes peer leadership, bystander engagement, and clear access to resources.
Key components of this initiative include:
Development of educational materials tailored for active duty, reserves, and veteran populations across the Armed Forces, with a focus on accessible, inclusive language
Digital and social media outreach campaigns targeting awareness, reporting options, and survivor rights, especially in isolated or underserved duty stations
Workshops and in-person briefings led by trained facilitators—many of whom are survivors themselves—to build trauma literacy and shift cultural norms
Train-the-trainer modules for Coast Guard leadership, chaplains, and support staff to better respond to disclosures and prevent institutional re-traumatization.
Why It Matters:
You cannot report what you do not understand. You cannot change a culture without conversation. Education is the frontline of prevention. Safe Waters will ensure these conversations are survivor-informed, evidence-based, and widespread.
This investment helps prevent future harm and builds readiness across the force—by ensuring every member knows their rights, their role, and where to turn for help. Funds would cover the following expenditures:
Salaries for 1–2 full-time program staff (education/outreach specialists)
Graphic design, printing, and translation services for materials
Platform management and content creation for online campaigns
Travel and facilitation costs for regional and base-level workshops
Honoraria for survivor speakers and peer educators
Estimated Cost:
$250,000 annually
Policy Advocacy and Systems Reform
Description:
Survivors need more than support—they need systems that respond with justice, consistency, and care. Safe Waters is committed to changing not just individual outcomes, but the structures that shape them.
Our policy work focuses on collaborating with lawmakers, legal advocates, and military leadership to ensure survivor voices are not only heard but are helping shape the policies that affect them.
Key advocacy objectives include:
Federal legislation establishing independent reporting mechanisms that reduce conflicts of interest and protect service members from retaliation
Integration of trauma-informed practices into military justice, command training, and victim services
Coast Guard-specific oversight reforms, including survivor representation in accountability working groups and improved data transparency
Survivor testimony and briefings before Congressional committees and Armed Services Subcommittees to bring lived experience into the legislative process
Partnerships with legal organizations and veteran coalitions to co-develop survivor-centered policy solutions
Why It Matters:
Policy change is slow—but it is essential. Safe Waters is committed to being at the table, ensuring that reforms reflect the reality and dignity of those most affected. Cost in this area cover:
A part-time or contract Policy Director and research support staff
Travel and lodging for in-person legislative briefings, hearings, and coalition meetings
Policy brief design and distribution for members of Congress, DoD leadership, and oversight bodies
Legal consulting fees for bill drafting and regulatory recommendations
Stipends for survivor advisors contributing to advocacy strategy
Estimated Cost:
$150,000 annually
A Movement Needs Fuel: How You Can Financially Partner
To fully launch and sustain these three projects, Safe Waters seeks to raise $900,000 annually. We are calling on donors—individuals, families, institutions, and corporate allies—to be part of this historic movement.
Leadership & Major Gift Opportunities
If you are interested in making a large donation that would go towards the following, please contact us to discuss it one-on-one.
will fund half of our efforts to make Safe Waters known in our military communities.
will underwrite trauma-informed counseling services and peer mentor training for survivors nationwide.
will expand our legal navigation and housing support programs.
will equip Safe Waters to provide crisis response and survivor advocacy for Coast Guard and DOW communities.
will sponsor survivor-led training curriculum and outreach initiatives.
will strengthen community engagement through awareness campaigns and monthly support circles.
Other Ways to Give:
One-Time Gifts: Every dollar goes directly to support, advocacy, and education.
Monthly Giving Circles: Join our growing community of committed sustainers.
Legacy & Planned Gifts: Make survivors part of your lasting legacy.
Corporate & Foundation Partnerships: Demonstrate leadership in human rights and military justice.
Transformation: Who We Will Become
On the other side of a successful campaign, Safe Waters will be a first-of-its-kind, national leader in military survivor support—one that is independent, resilient, and survivor-driven.
We will operate a fully staffed support center, lead high-impact advocacy campaigns, and educate thousands annually. We will change policy. We will change culture. And we will change lives.
In a few short years, we have already built something powerful. Imagine what we can do—together—with the proper support.
A Call to Stewardship: Why This Work Matters Now
Together, we have the power to stand at the intersection of justice and compassion.
When donors ask, “Why Safe Waters?”, the answer is simple: because we are doing the work no one else will. We are standing in the gap. We are amplifying voices others silenced. We are restoring dignity. And we are creating a future where survivors no longer have to survive alone.
This is a rare and urgent opportunity to align your resources with your values. To become a founding partner in a movement defined by courage, truth, and transformation.
Let this be part of your legacy.
Join Us
Together, we can turn the tide.