Our Mission

We create equitable healing and dignified experiences for survivors of crime by providing free, trauma-informed advocacy, therapeutic, and legal services in conjunction with strategic litigation, policy advocacy, and education to transform existing responses to harm. 

 

Guiding Principles

1. The belief that survivors of crime must have a welcoming place to go in order to learn of their rights and enjoy a supportive and empowering environment as they process their experiences and determine how to respond to the crime;

2. The commitment to a holistic model of victim services to assist victims of all types of crime; and

3. The understanding that research has affirmatively shown that legal services provided with supportive counseling and case management services provide a greater benefit to survivors who are participating in the civil or criminal justice process.

NVRDC doesn’t do this alone. The staff reaches out to community-based organizations, faith-based communities, law firms, businesses, government agencies to get assistance. By strengthening DC’s safety net for crime victims, NVRDC assists in rebuilding families, communities, and the nation’s capital.

 

Our Core Values

Innovation
NVRDC values community-driven innovation and resourcefulness. Seeking input from the community, we support our staff in ventures to think “outside of the box” to better serve our clients and community members. We recognize that staff, clients, and communities are pools of resources and catalysts for change.

Equity and Allyship
NVRDC values diversity in its many forms. We are committed to reflecting the community within and tailoring our services to meet the unique needs of all crime victims, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, immigrant status, sexual orientation, or ability.

Sustainable Passion
NVRDC runs on the energy of our mission-driven services and passion. We actively promote self-care among our clients and with our clients. We dedicate ourselves to operating sustainable and efficient programs by collaborating with partner organizations, being fiscally sound, and building and maintaining community support.


Learn more about the Theory of Change that provides the foundational approach to everything we do!