Becky's Fund, Wahington DC

Becky Lee is a leader and catalyst for change in the fight against domestic violence (DV). As the founder and executive director of Becky’s Fund, a national nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., Ms. Lee works tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of individuals and families who are victimized by DV. Becky’s Fund is at the forefront of developing social change and community outreach to address and prevent this silent epidemic. DV currently impacts one in three women in her lifetime. Ms. Lee is steadfast in her commitment to reduce, and one day hopefully eliminate, that statistic.

In 2006, Ms. Lee agreed to compete on the acclaimed CBS prime time television show “Survivor: Cook Islands” to raise national awareness for this cause. The show’s premise was a competition to test the survival skills of 20 people over 39 days on an uninhabited island. Ms. Lee believed that the strengths needed to successfully compete had strong parallels with what DV victims truly need to survive: individual inner strength combined with the ability to adapt to any new obstacle. By using what she learned on the show - balancing individual strength with team success - Ms. Lee developed an innovative method to educate individuals on how to make tough decisions that start to heal families. Ms. Lee was also motivated to successfully compete on the show for another important reason - the prize money she won as second runner up was used to start Becky’s Fund.

Ms. Lee’s expertise on the issues of DV was developed over many years as an advocate and attorney. She brings this expertise not only to her role as Executive Director of Becky’s Fund, but also to the individuals and families whom she strives to help. Ms. Lee first became aware of the tragedies of DV during a college lecture delivered by a criminal attorney, who specialized in acquitting battered women imprisoned for killing their abusers in self defense. The lecture impacted Ms. Lee so significantly that she has since dedicated her career to addressing the social, cultural and legal barriers entrapping DV victims.

The prevention-based mission of Becky’s Fund is to foster awareness of DV, encourage advocacy among peers, promote activism through outreach programs and create support for victims. DV can happen to anyone, regardless of age, background or socioeconomic status. Becky’s Fund openly confronts this issue and tackles it by finding ways to help those who are struggling with DV to find safety for themselves and their children.

Becky’s Fund executes its outreach strategy through national awareness and media campaigns, using radio, print and television public service announcements. The non-profit leverages education, Web 2.0 technology and essential resources to enable critical one-to-one connections between victims and survivors. These crucial resources take aim at the heart of damaging social beliefs that perpetuate a cycle of struggle among so many people in our community. Through its website and programs, Becky’s Fund also connects donors with the specific needs of DV victims. Additionally, Ms. Lee travels extensively as part of her organization’s “DV Awareness College Tour” to educate tens of thousands of students on how to recognize signs of dating violence, how to get help and how to help a friend in need.

Get involved — learn more and help spread the power of prevention. Join the Becky’s Fund community to empower others. Make a donation and forever help change the lives of others now.

Freedom from domestic violence. It’s our right. ®