May 21, 2026 - A range of professional accomplishments and organizational achievements were highlighted at yesterday’s 2026 Purple Ribbon Awards Celebration, where the awards program’s winners were honored. 2026 marks the sixth year of the Purple Ribbon Awards, presented by Alliance for HOPE International. The Purple Ribbon Awards are designed to honor the dedication, compassion, and hard work of the professionals of the domestic violence field.
69 winners across 44 categories were recognized during the event. Ranging from local shelters to national organizations to dedicated individuals, the hard work, deep compassion and selfless commitment of the hopegivers of the domestic violence field were recognized throughout the Celebration.
“The Purple Ribbon Awards are all about inspiring and celebrating the people who are making a difference in the lives of domestic violence - people who often don’t receive recognition, especially on a national stage,” said Ashley Rumschlag, National Director of DomesticShelters.org, the program that hosts the Purple Ribbon Awards annually. DomesticShelters.org is a program of Alliance for HOPE International.
Five of those winners were awarded grants based on their exemplary nominations, judged by a panel of national experts from the domestic violence field. Four winners received a $5,000 grant, while a fifth received the $10,000 grand prize. All grants are awarded to the winner’s associated non-profit organization.
2026 Purple Ribbon Awards Grant Winners
$10,000
- Alexandria Ruden (Cleveland, OH) - Lifetime Achievement Award
Ms. Ruden’s grant will be awarded to The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.
$5,000
- Joslyn Fisher, Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, TX) - Healthcare Professional of the Year
Dr. Fisher’s grant will be awarded to Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse (AVDA).
- DeafLEAD (Columbia, MO) - Outstanding Local Organization
- Domestic Violence Resource Center (Reno, NV) - Outstanding Local Organization
- Lori Jump (Sault Ste. Marie, MI) - Lifetime Achievement Award
Ms. Jump’s grant will be awarded to StrongHearts Native Helpline.
About the Purple Ribbon Awards
Each year, three Purple Ribbon Awards are given in each of more than 30 categories, while all entries are acknowledged as honorees. Categories include Program or Shelter of the Year, Program/Shelter Employee of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Survivor of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award, and Outstanding Pet Program. Purple Ribbon Award winners receive a trophy, media kit to publicize their win and gifts from DomesticShelters.org and its partners.
Select entries receive grants totaling up to $30,000, awarded at the Purple Ribbon Awards digital celebration.
All entries are judged by a national panel of respected professionals from the domestic violence field. To ensure parity, each entry is additionally classified into one of three groups based on the size of a nominee’s organization: 1) Less than $500,000, 2) Between $500,001 and $2,000,000 and 3) Greater than $2,000,000. Entries in a category and size are always judged, scored and awarded separately from entries in the same category and different size. In other words, there will be three separate competitions within each category to provide organizations the opportunity to be reviewed among their peers.
Learn more about the Purple Ribbon Awards at PurpleRibbonAwards.org.
About DomesticShelters.org
DomesticShelters.org was founded In 2014, by Arizona-based Theresa's Fund, before merging with Alliance for HOPE International in 2023. DomesticShelters.org is the first online searchable database of programs and shelters in the U.S./Canada and a leading source of helpful tools and information for people experiencing and working to end domestic violence. It is also the host of the Purple Ribbon Awards, the first comprehensive awards program honoring the countless heroes of the domestic violence movement, including advocates, programs, shelters, survivors and members of the community support system.
Learn more at DomesticShelters.org.
About Alliance for HOPE International
Alliance for HOPE International is one of the leading systems and social change organizations in the country focused on creating innovative, collaborative, trauma-informed, hope-centered approaches to meeting the needs of survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, and human trafficking. Our programs focus on increasing measurable Hope, Resiliency, Safety, and Well-Being in the lives of children and adults. The Alliance programs serve more than 200,000 adult and child survivors of domestic and sexual violence every year in the United States and around the world.
Learn more about the Alliance at www.allianceforhope.org.
