Stand By Survivors: Help Women Rise & Thrive in Chicago and Beyond.

Every dollar helps provide trauma-informed services to women who are taking their lives back after traumatic experiences

The invisible wounds from domestic violence, sexual assault, and other traumas can take years or even decades to heal. Women experience more severe and more frequent abuse in our lifetimes, and the social stigma we face when we speak up and try to get help slows the process down even more.

It’s unfortunately common for a woman to tough it out and put on a smiling face even though she’s barely holding it together.

&Rise is a group of survivors that decided to break the silence and build our own community. Here, women can come as they are and receive support without feeling judged. As we become our ultimate selves, &Rise is where we can make meaning out of our darkest moments by sharing our hope to help another woman through hers.

Providing counseling, support groups, youth programs and special events in a community setting is our unique approach to filling the trauma-informed care gap—and it’s working. Our programs have grown steadily every year. We have a core community of survivors who keep coming back, and demand is not going away.

This is where you come in. &Rise is truly a grassroots movement, which means that many of our leaders, volunteers, and most loyal donors are women survivors who found us through our support groups or events. Giving back is an incredible source of healing and empowerment, but we can't do it all by ourselves.

To get to our next level, we need to connect with more supporters who want to stand beside us as allies. We made our $10,000 goal last year, so this year we’re aiming for $12,000.

Are you fed up with seeing headlines and news clips about women being abused, silenced, and insulted by institutions that are supposed to be helping us? Us too. We welcome your solidarity, and we encourage you to give out of spite!

Your donations help us pay our facilitators and keep the lights on in our beautiful, cozy space where we host our support groups. Will you give today and help a woman take the next step toward becoming her ultimate self?

GIVING INCENTIVES

We’re grateful for every donation that comes in. Here’s what you’ll receive as a thank-you for each level of support:

Under $100 - &Rise sticker & pen

$100 - &Rise notepad magnet & Seed paper (wildflowers)

$500 - &Rise t-shirt

*Givebutter displays your first name and last initial unless you opt to give anonymously. You can also add a message or a dedication. This information is public, and we may shout out donors on our social media pages. If you don’t want us to share your name on social media, check the box to remain anonymous!

Rise & Thrive 2026 Annual Fundraiser

Help us serve more women trauma survivors and youth nationwide with FREE counseling, support groups, and mental health programs for youth

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