TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund Announces Grant Application Program to Stop Workplace Sexual Misconduct against Low-Income Workers

Grants will go to nonprofit organizations that support marginalized and low-income individuals who have experienced workplace sexual harassment

(Washington, D.C.) The TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund (TULDF) announced a new grant program today, awarding up to $50,000 per grantee, to support nonprofit organizations serving low-income working people who have experienced sexual misconduct or related retaliation in the workplace. Nonprofit organizations that serve workers in low-wage jobs—and especially those that have deep ties to communities of color, LGBTQ individuals, immigrant populations, or people with disabilities—are encouraged to apply.

The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), which houses and administers the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund, will review proposals and make awards based on such factors as organizations’ community ties, the outreach they plan to target populations, and their demonstrated commitment to advocacy on behalf of workers’ rights. Examples of initiatives that the TULDF grant program might fund include outreach to help people learn how to address workplace misconduct or “know your rights” workshops on sexual harassment and related retaliation. The application process closes on June 29.

Today’s announcement of the grant program builds on the Fund’s foundational commitment to supporting survivors of sexual harassment and retaliation across all industries and connecting them to attorneys and public relations experts.

“For too long, sexual misconduct in the workplace has gone unchecked and too many people – particularly those working in low-wage jobs and women of color – have not known where to turn,” said Fatima Goss Graves, TULDF co-founder and NWLC President and CEO. “This grant program is vital to breaking down those barriers. No person should ever be forced to endure sexual harassment or assault out of fear of retaliation or worse.”

“It’s on all of us to make sure survivors of sexual harassment know their rights,” said TULDF Director Sharyn Tejani. “We’re launching this grant program today because we cannot treat recourse against sexual harassment as a luxury item, and the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund is here to help. We look forward to working with nonprofits across the country to ensure survivors have access to the support they need – especially when they need it most.”

About TIMES UP Legal Defense Fund
The TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund, which is housed at and administered by the National Women’s Law Center Fund LLC, connects those who experience sexual misconduct including assault, harassment, abuse and related retaliation in the workplace or in trying to advance their careers with legal and public relations assistance. The Fund will help defray legal and public relations costs in select cases based on criteria and availability of funds. Donations to the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund are tax deductible through the Direct Impact Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or through the National Women’s Law Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The initiative was spearheaded by actors and others in the entertainment industry, attorneys Tina Tchen and Roberta Kaplan, and top public relations professionals. Women in Hollywood came together around their own experiences of harassment and assault, and were moved by the outpouring of support and solidarity against sexual harassment from women across sectors. This inspired them to help create a Fund to help survivors of sexual harassment and retaliation in all industries—especially low-wage workers. They worked together in an historic first to design a structure that would be both inclusive and effective.

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For immediate release:  May 16, 2018
Contact:  Maria Patrick ([email protected]) and Olympia Feil ([email protected])