named programs · 6 · from sources
What they call their work
Corporate Outreach
Workshops for employees on workplace microaggressions, xenophobia, racial bias, and gender-based discrimination.
Empowerment Self-Defense
Workshops teaching physical self-defense techniques, environmental awareness, verbal assertiveness, and de-escalation skills to adults and youth.
Peer Educator Program
Trains high school students to facilitate workshops, lead community conversations, and promote anti-violence tools among peers.
Power, Action, Change for Teens (PACT)
Year-round afterschool program for middle and high school girls and gender-nonconforming youth focusing on empowerment and anti-violence tools.
Training of Trainers
Program to equip facilitators from various organizations to train their staff and communities as Upstanders in culturally specific contexts.
Upstander Training
Programs teaching bystander intervention skills for hate violence, microaggressions, and gender-based violence in public and workplace settings.
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Self-Defense Training Programs 3 activities
- Capacity building through peer educator training and curriculum developmentTrains approximately 20–22 high school peer educators annually who lead safety and self-defense workshops for youth. Develops and disseminates specialized curricula, including a self-defense course for people with disabilities in partnership with Barnard College and the national Action for Safety anti-violence curriculum used with over 21,000 girls aged 9–11 across the U.S.
- Empowerment self-defense and upstander training for adultsOffers empowerment self-defense and Upstander workshops for adults that teach physical techniques (blocks, strikes, footwork), verbal de-escalation, environmental awareness, bystander intervention, consent culture, transgender allyship, and strategies to address microaggressions and xenophobia. In one year, delivered 73 self-defense workshops to 2,734 adults and 67 Upstander workshops to 2,522 adults, with specialized programming on anti-Asian harassment and support for Spanish-speaking immigrant delivery workers.
- Specialized self-defense programs for marginalized communitiesProvides free or sliding-scale self-defense, karate, and tai chi training to survivors of violence, transgender individuals, people living with HIV/AIDS, and immigrant communities—including Arab American, South Asian, and other groups—through culturally responsive and trauma-informed programming. Was the first organization in NYC to serve transgender people and the first in the U.S. to serve people with HIV/AIDS in this capacity.
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Gun Violence Prevention & Intervention 1 activity
- Community-wide violence prevention and safety initiativesConducts community empowerment workshops and large-scale events focused on violence intervention and prevention, equitable group dynamics, social justice, gender-based violence, gun violence, alternatives to policing, immigration safety, and healing. Hosts the annual Community Safety Symposium and develops rapid response workshops addressing emerging threats such as anti-Asian harassment and xenophobia, including “Right to Be Safe” and “Upstander 101: Responding to Xenophobia and Anti-Blackness.”
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Trauma-Informed Community Resilience Initiatives 1 activity
- Healing and skill-building spaces for frontline violence interruptersProvides low-barrier healing spaces and technical assistance for frontline violence interrupters, organizers, and groups working to prevent and heal from violence, including staff training in trauma-informed care, communication, and skill-building.
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Youth Leadership Development Programs 1 activity
- Youth anti-violence education and peer leadership programsProvides in-school and after-school workshops for youth aged 10–18 on consent, healthy relationships, situational awareness, physical self-defense (including voice work, blocks, strikes, and footwork), and activism. Supports youth leadership development by training teen peer educators who deliver anti-violence programming through workshops, protests, marches, and social media, reaching thousands of youth annually. Includes annual events such as Ode to Community: Driven by Joy, held in Prospect Park, where youth groups share resources on anti-violence, reproductive health, restorative justice, and climate justice.
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financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$855K
Contributions & grants$885K104%
Program service revenue$33K4%
Investment income$-4K-0%
Other revenue$-59K
expenses
Total expenses$1.09M
Program expenses77%
Admin / overhead12%
Fundraising11%
Salaries & benefits$947K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$632K
Cash$79K
Investments$4K
Liabilities$55K
Net assets$577K
Liquid reserves0.9 mo
4 years on record · 2019–2023 · YoY revenue -8.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOREN MILLER | FMR EXEC DIR. | 40 | $98K |
| RAMA ISSA-IBRAHIM | Executive Dir. | 40 | $43K |
board members · 11
- BIANCA WEST — BOARD MEMBER
- CAITLIN HEFFERNAN — Secretary
- DAVID BARBEE — BOARD MEMBER
- FRED KRIEGER — BOARD MEMBER
- KATE BUTLER — CO-CHAIR
- LIZ MICHAUD — BOARD MEMBER
- MARCUS WILSON — BOARD MEMBER
- MONICA REYES-GRAJALES — BOARD MEMBER
- NICK MOLLOY — Treasurer
- SIMON RICE — CO-CHAIR
- Shelia Wellington — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 21
Who they work with
- 32BJ Service Employees International Union Partner — Partner organization in the Training of Trainers program to equip union facilitators with culturally specific Upstander training skills.
- ACRONYM Partner — Partner organization collaborating with The Center for Anti-Violence Education on community safety initiatives.
- Arab American Association of New York (AP) Partner — Partner organization collaborating with The Center for Anti-Violence Education on community safety initiatives.
- Asian American Federation Partner — Collaborated to create multilingual training videos, illustrated safety tips, and workshops distributed to hundreds of AAF members.
- Barnard College Office for Disabled Students Partner — Collaborated to develop a self-defense course and curriculum for people with disabilities.
- CAE Network — Referenced as a prior provider of Upstander or De-escalation workshops for participants in advanced programming.
- Doctors Without Borders Partner — Partner organization in the Training of Trainers program to equip facilitators with Upstander skills tailored to specific cultural contexts.
- Girls, Inc. Partner — Requested and collaborated on the development of the national anti-violence curriculum Action for Safety.
- Grady Health System Partner — Integrated food prescriptions into primary care
- Jasmín Partner — Contact person for organizing youth group participation in the Ode to Community event.
- Jumaane Williams Partner — Public official collaborating with The Center for Anti-Violence Education on community safety programming.
- N.Y.C. nonprofits Partner — Provides free workshops to qualifying NYC nonprofits.
- NYC Against Hate Coalition Coalition — Founding member of the coalition focused on preventing and responding to hate violence.
- NYC Commission on Human Rights Partner — Partner organization in the Training of Trainers program to equip facilitators with Upstander skills tailored to specific cultural contexts.
- NYC Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project Partner — Partnered to deliver the first self-defense programs in the nation for people living with HIV/AIDS.
- Nadia Telsey Partner — Co-founder of Brooklyn Women's Martial Arts alongside Annie Ellman
- New York Community Trust (NYCT) Partner — Partner organization supporting The Center for Anti-Violence Education’s community safety work.
- The Center for Knowlege (TCK) Partner — Youth partner organization collaborating with CAE on the Ode to Community event.
- YAYA Partner — Youth partner organization involved in the Ode to Community event.
- community-based organizations Partner — Provides free workshops to qualifying community-based organizations in NYC.
- public schools Partner — Provides free workshops to NYC public schools.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Care-Centered Community Safetymethodology: care-centered-violence-interruptionBy replacing reliance on law enforcement with community-built safety structures rooted in mutual support, care, and trauma-informed practices, the organization interrupts cycles of violence because collective responsibility and relational trust create sustainable protection and resilience.
- Empowerment Self-Defense Modelmethodology: empowerment_self-defenseBy teaching integrated physical, verbal, and emotional self-defense skills through an empowerment-based approach, individuals—especially women, LGBTQ+, and survivors—develop greater personal safety and agency, because building confidence and skill reduces vulnerability and shifts power dynamics.
- Intersectional Gender Justice Frameworkmethodology: intersectional-gender-justiceBy centering the safety and experiences of women, non-binary, and trans people through a queer feminist, intersectional lens, the organization addresses root causes of gender-based violence, because systemic oppression must be confronted to achieve lasting safety and equity.
- Joy-Centered Healing and Resistancemethodology: joy-centered_community_healingBy creating spaces grounded in joy, celebration, and connection, the organization counters trauma and systemic harm, because positive emotional experiences build resilience and sustain long-term community resistance and healing.
- Youth-Led Peer Education and Activismmethodology: youth-led_peer_educationBy training youth as peer educators and activists, the organization expands community violence prevention and healing, because youth-led workshops increase relevance, trust, and engagement while fostering leadership and intergenerational change.