Long Island nonprofit for domestic violence victims faces uncertain future, as state funding dwindles

From dusk till dawn and back again, a small group of hotline staffers handle potentially high-stake calls. The voices on the other end: Long Island abuse victims reaching out for help, sometimes while in harm’s way.

Such calls may soon slip into silence or become fewer as ECLI-VIBES — an Islandia-based nonprofit that staffs the hotline and serves victims of domestic violence, human trafficking and sexual assault — is one of several such organizations in New York due to see a reduction in state funding.

Jennifer Hernandez, executive director of ECLI-VIBES, said the potential loss of funding amounts to a broken trust for clients who are often confronting a porous social safety net.

“The worst thing that you can do is promise something that you can't deliver on, and we've learned that because trust is broken so much with our community, and it's like, you know, ‘Yeah, you're another person who says you're going to help me and can't?’ ” she said in a phone interview, adding: “That's what keeps me up."

The state Office of Victims Services, which doles out the money, said it received more requests for funding than it had earmarked for its two-year budget cycle that starts this year, resulting in a loss of funding for some organizations. The office also said fluctuations in federal funding from the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) contributed to the cuts. For instance, the state received about $70 million from VOCA in 2025 and $43.9 million in 2024, the agency said.

“OVS cannot provide preferential treatment to currently funded programs or consider current funding when making award decisions," the state agency’s spokeswoman, Janine Kava, said in an email. “The incredible demand, the state’s competitive procurement process, and federal rules and funding uncertainty, required us to make difficult decisions."

At ECLI-VIBES, the loss would be seismic. The organization has received $1.3 million annually from the Office of Victims Services. But in a July letter, the nonprofit found its funding would drop to about $637,000, a 50% cut.

The cut, which the Office of the State Comptroller must still review, will hit the nonprofit’s direct services, including the hotline, as well as its licensed social workers and mental health counselors. The organization may have to cut seven employees if it doesn’t secure additional funding through fundraising and other avenues.

Each year, the organization ends up following up on about 6,000 domestic violence reports filed with the Suffolk County police. After that, the nonprofit's client care clinicians, licensed mental health counselors or social workers do safety planning and work with shelters, hospitals and other providers.

The nonprofit also manages the county’s sexual assault forensic examiner program, which sends a healthcare provider to collect scientific evidence of assaults at hospitals.

Some of those areas could be affected by the financial pinch, raising concerns among Suffolk officials.

“ECLI‑VIBES has been a reliable partner in serving the residents of Suffolk County," said Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney in a statement. “The organization’s community support and outreach efforts complement our shared public safety goals, and we hope that work continues."

Suffolk Sheriff Errol D Toulon, Jr. urged the state and federal government to factor in the impact of ECLI-VIBES’ critical services and restore funding.

“We have worked with them for many years, particularly in providing essential services and support to victims of human trafficking and domestic violence," he said in a statement. “Cutting funding for these critical services puts vital support at risk for some of the most vulnerable members of our communities."

The state Office of Victims Services said in an email that it never received so many applications seeking so much funding.

This year’s requests for applications to allocate resources to victim services in New York amounted to 316 submissions for roughly $625 million across two years, the state said. They added that figure outpaced the earmarked support by $373.1 million.

For ECLI-VIBES, the change has left the group scrambling. The organization had other federal contracts ranging from about $200,000 to $350,000 a year. It also receives some Suffolk County and Brookhaven Town grants, but overall, it relies heavily on state funding.

“We've taken the last 10 years in building this coordinated community response that is working so well, and now ... this funding gets cut," said Hernandez.