What FreeFrom does

FreeFrom is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 47-5033123), founded in 2016 and headquartered in Los Angeles, that targets the intersection of gender-based violence and financial insecurity. It operates a portfolio of interconnected programs: the Safety Fund (direct cash assistance) and Savings Match program for survivors; the National Survivor Financial Security Policy Map and Scorecard covering all 50 states and DC across 20 policy categories; the Survivors at Work employer initiative; and the GIFTED social enterprise supporting survivor-owned businesses. The organization's thesis is that economic abuse affects 92–99% of survivors and that the average survivor needs roughly $1,567 to escape an unsafe situation while reporting only about $10 in personal savings.

The business model is philanthropic, not commercial: FreeFrom generates operating support through charitable donations, grants, and a 500+ partner network of nonprofits, corporates, government agencies, and philanthropies, and delivers services free of charge to beneficiaries. Reported impact includes $7.5MM+ disbursed to survivors across all 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico; influence over a $4MM Biden-Harris FY23 VAWA direct-cash-assistance funding commitment; and survivor-supportive legislation enacted in 20 states. Go-to-market is community-led and survivor-led, distributing through direct service, employer partnerships, policy advocacy (with a coalition of nine pro bono AmLaw firms backing the Policy Map), and storytelling channels including a national press footprint and the SURVIVOR MADE documentary.

Operationally, FreeFrom runs with 1–10 employees and a small leadership team under founder/CEO Sonya Passi. The organization monetizes attention and policy influence rather than product revenue, which limits conventional revenue scaling but creates a distinctive position as a reference authority on survivor financial security policy in the United States.

Name

FreeFrom

Legal name

FreeFrom

Website

https://freefrom.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FreeFrom is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2016, that provides direct cash assistance, savings programs, employer resources, and policy tools to build financial security for survivors of gender-based violence across all 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Survivor Advocacy and Economic Security Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Survivor advocacy services
• Gender-based violence prevention
• Direct cash assistance
• Economic security programs
• Policy advocacy tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: FreeFrom is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 47-5033123). All donations are tax deductible. The organization generates revenue through charitable donations and philanthropic grants. Funders and donors can contact the organization at [email protected].

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

FreeFrom is a national survivor-led nonprofit that delivers direct cash assistance (Safety Fund), matched savings (Savings Match), a survivor social enterprise (GIFTED), a workplace survivor-support initiative (Survivors at Work), and a national Policy Map and Scorecard to help survivors of gender-based violence build long-term economic security. Services are provided free of charge to survivors and free to institutional Changemakers (employers, banks, policymakers) engaging with the advocacy tools.

Product overview

FreeFrom is a national survivor-led nonprofit organization focused on building economic security for survivors of gender-based violence. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs: the core Policy Map and Scorecard tool for tracking state-level survivor financial security policies; the Survivors at Work workplace initiative; direct cash assistance through the Safety Fund; the Savings Match Program; and the GIFTED social enterprise. Together, these offerings provide direct financial support, workplace resources, policy advocacy tools, and economic empowerment opportunities for survivors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gifted by FreeFrom: Social enterprise brand operated by FreeFrom for survivor-created products
• Survivors at Work
• National Survivor Financial Security Policy Map and Scorecard

Products and services

• Safety Fund (Direct Cash Assistance) The Safety Fund is FreeFrom's direct cash assistance program that provides survivors of gender-based violence with immediate, unrestricted cash to help them safely leave an unsafe situation and stabilize their finances. It is targeted at individual survivors, is delivered free of charge, and is one of the core Survivor-facing offerings in FreeFrom's three-audience model.
• Savings Match Program The Savings Match Program helps survivors of gender-based violence build long-term financial security by matching their personal savings. It is targeted at individual survivors, complements the direct cash assistance of the Safety Fund, and is delivered free of charge as part of FreeFrom's Survivor-facing programs.
• GIFTED Social Enterprise GIFTED is FreeFrom's survivor-led social enterprise that provides survivors of gender-based violence with paid work, skills development, and economic mobility through the creation and sale of products. It is targeted at survivors seeking employment pathways and operates under the giftedbyfreefrom.org brand.
• Survivors at Work Survivors at Work is FreeFrom's workplace initiative that engages employers and HR/DEI leaders to adopt survivor-informed workplace policies, benefits, and cultures. It is targeted at employers and HR decision-makers (a Changemaker audience), and is delivered free of charge as an advocacy and consulting-style engagement rather than a paid product.
• Policy Map and Scorecard The Policy Map and Scorecard is FreeFrom's national interactive platform that tracks and benchmarks state-level economic security protections for survivors of gender-based violence across the United States. It is targeted at policymakers, advocates, journalists, and researchers (Changemaker and Movement audiences) and is positioned as the only national tool of its kind, supporting evidence-based state policy reform.

Quantifiable outcome

• $7.5MM+ disbursed to survivors across all 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico through direct cash assistance, savings support, and social enterprise.
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.

• Alston & Bird, LLPsupportingOthersPro bono legal research partner that contributed to the National Survivor Financial Security Policy Map and Scorecard, providing legal research support across state policies impacting survivors' financial security.
• DLA Piper, LLPsupportingOthersPro bono legal research partner that contributed to the National Survivor Financial Security Policy Map and Scorecard, providing legal research support across state policies impacting survivors' financial security.
• Foley and Lardner, LLPsupportingOthersPro bono legal research partner that contributed to the National Survivor Financial Security Policy Map and Scorecard, providing legal research support across state policies impacting survivors' financial security.
• Lex Mundi Pro Bono FoundationsupportingOthersPro bono legal research partner that contributed to the National Survivor Financial Security Policy Map and Scorecard, providing legal research support across state policies impacting survivors' financial security.
• Morrison & Foerster, LLPsupportingOthersPro bono legal research partner that contributed to the National Survivor Financial Security Policy Map and Scorecard, providing legal research support across state policies impacting survivors' financial security.
• Proskauer Rose, LLPsupportingOthersPro bono legal research partner that contributed to the National Survivor Financial Security Policy Map and Scorecard, providing legal research support across state policies impacting survivors' financial security.
• Seyfarth Shaw, LLPsupportingOthersPro bono legal research partner that contributed to the National Survivor Financial Security Policy Map and Scorecard, providing legal research support across state policies impacting survivors' financial security.
• We the ActionsupportingOthersPro bono legal research partner that contributed to the National Survivor Financial Security Policy Map and Scorecard, providing legal research support across state policies impacting survivors' financial security.
• Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLPsupportingOthersPro bono legal research partner that contributed to the National Survivor Financial Security Policy Map and Scorecard, providing legal research support across state policies impacting survivors' financial security.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV): U.S. national umbrella organization working to end domestic violence through policy, advocacy, and survivor support. Highly comparable as a national GBV advocacy and direct-service nonprofit, though NNEDV operates at significantly larger scale.
• Futures Without Violence: Long-standing national nonprofit focused on domestic and sexual violence prevention, health, and policy. Comparable in combining direct services, research, policy advocacy, and employer/health-sector engagement, but with a broader health-systems lens.
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 24/7 national hotline and resource hub for survivors of domestic violence. Comparable as a survivor-facing national GBV nonprofit providing direct support and referrals, but operating a service hotline model rather than FreeFrom's cash-assistance + policy model.
• Sanctuary for Families: New York-based nonprofit providing shelter, legal, and economic-empowerment services to survivors of GBV. Comparable in its economic-justice orientation toward survivors and combination of direct services with advocacy, though more shelter-heavy than FreeFrom.

Broad incumbents

• YWCA USA: National federation of YWCAs offering domestic violence services, housing, economic empowerment, and advocacy across the U.S. Comparable as a broad-incumbent GBV and women's-economic-empowerment nonprofit with national reach, though much larger and more diversified than FreeFrom.

Emerging players

• No More Foundation: National nonprofit focused on ending domestic violence and sexual assault through awareness campaigns and bystander intervention. Comparable as a GBV-focused advocacy nonprofit, but oriented more toward awareness than direct financial assistance.
• Chayn: Global survivor-led nonprofit providing trauma-informed resources, tech tools, and support for survivors of gender-based violence. Comparable as a survivor-led organization leveraging technology and resources for survivors, but operating globally rather than U.S.-only.
• Safe & Together Institute: U.S.-based organization working to improve child welfare and domestic violence systems through training and practice change. Comparable as a GBV systems-change nonprofit but more focused on practitioner training than survivor cash assistance.

Regional players

• Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence: National U.S. resource center addressing gender-based violence in AANHPI communities through research, advocacy, and technical assistance. Comparable as a GBV-focused nonprofit with national footprint and policy focus, but with a specific AANHPI community orientation rather than FreeFrom's broad survivor base.
• Refuge (UK): UK-based national charity providing specialist services for women and children experiencing domestic violence. Comparable in mission and combination of direct services with policy advocacy, but operating in the UK rather than the U.S.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/freefrom
• Xx.com/freefromorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FreeFrom