Beating the Odds: Rise & Thrive Fundraiser Benefits Women Survivors
Help &Rise continue to fill support gaps for women abuse and trauma survivors
CHICAGO, Ill. Oct. 30, 2025 — The community that we’ve built at &Rise has become a vital support system, especially during the challenges of this past year. With help from individual donors, local businesses, and grantors, we provide free support groups, counseling, special events, and more to women trauma survivors. This week, we’re kicking off our annual fundraising campaign, Rise & Thrive 2025. Small donations from Chicagoland locals are the lifeblood of our organization and mission-critical for the work that’s cut out for us in 2026.
We’ve set an ambitious goal of $10,000 for the campaign, which runs October 30 through December 31. That’s about $6,000 more than what we raised last year, but it’s what we need to move 10 women off of our wait list for counseling and fund 10 weeks of free support groups in 2026. There are 42 women on our wait list right now, so we have a long way to go.
How does &Rise impact the survivors who join our community? Take it from a regular at our Sexual Abuse Survivors support group:
“&Rise has provided a supportive environment where I can share my experiences of sexual violence without fear of judgment, humiliation, or stigma. Through the Sexual Abuse Survivors group, I have not only been able to articulate my story but also form meaningful connections with fellow survivors, significantly aiding my healing process. One poignant moment was when I expressed feelings of worthlessness; a fellow survivor reminded me of my resilience and strength, reinforcing the bonds we share in this journey toward healing.”
We know that budgets are tight, so we worked hard on an end-of-year fundraising strategy that taps into our existing community, focuses on small donations, and offers plenty of engaging ways to get involved.
Here’s your campaign preview and some ideas on how you can take action to help us Rise & Thrive:
Oct. 30 - Campaign kickoff - Share the fundraiser with your friends and family and tell them why it’s important to you
Nov. 13 - Peer-to-peer campaign begins - Support a specific board member or volunteer who’s raising money on Givebutter
Nov. 21- Phone bank - Our board members and volunteers will be sending out personalized reminders to make donations
Thanksgiving and Christmas - Give donations in honor as holiday gifts or pay what you can to join us for special holiday support groups
Dec. 2 - Giving Tuesday - $5,000 milestone & $10 Tuesday donation drive - Come to our virtual yoga event, share our social media posts, and text your friends
Anytime - See if your employer offers donation matching (you can do this through Givebutter), look out for progress updates, and keep sharing
Dec. 31 - New Year’s Eve - Last day of campaign - $10,000 milestone
Chicago and the near suburbs have been hit hard in 2025, in more ways than one. Women of color, single mothers, low-income women, and those who have already survived traumatic experiences are being targeted. These are the people we work with every day. As a grassroots Latina-founded organization with several survivors on our leadership team, we’re keenly aware of what’s happening and well-positioned to fill the gaps where other community supports are failing.
Supporting &Rise is a way to promote healthy social connections and mental wellness on a local level, and it helps rekindle a sense of hope in these challenging times. As always, our goal is to provide free counseling and support groups to as many women as possible.
Any contribution to &Rise, no matter how small, tells a trauma survivor that she’s not alone. Sending that message is one of the most powerful ways you can help change the narrative for one woman and for all of us.
We can do this — with your support. The official campaign kicks off October 30, and our Givebutter page is live and ready for donations. We’ll be sending updates and reminders through the end of the year.
About &Rise
&Rise's mission is to empower women to be the ultimate versions of themselves no matter what adversities they’ve faced. They offer free and accessible counseling, support groups, coaching and other educational resources and community experiences to help women in recovery from trauma, abuse and addiction.
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