Two Successful Years of the Ring Donation Program

For the second year in a row, Ring has successfully collaborated with the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) and TechSoup to enhancing safety planning for domestic violence survivors and their families by donating Ring Doorbells and Stick-Up Cams to survivors throughout the United States and US Territories. To date, Ring has donated 20,000 devices to survivors through the domestic violence organizations that serve them.

Ring first launched a community donation program focused on domestic violence in 2021, after the Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council (HCDVCC) in Texas told the company about the success and positive feedback they received after incorporating Ring devices into their survivor safety planning. HCDVCC’s program grew into a statewide initiative and the Texas Council on Family Violence (one of NNEDV’s member coalitions) created guidance documents that help programs and advocates prioritize survivor safety and privacy. 

This all led to Ring’s interest in scaling the program nationally. Ring approached NNEDV in 2022 to coordinate the donation program along with TechSoup, the leading nonprofit network facilitating distribution and adoption of technology solutions. Donated devices are sent directly to domestic violence advocacy organizations to be provided to survivors who want to use them as part of their safety planning. Along with the device itself and the cost of shipping, Ring donates a free Ring Protect Plan subscription for the life of each device. To support the donation program, Safety Net created and gathered resources for advocates to help them use camera devices in safety planning. You can access those resources here. 

Many survivors who use camera devices feel a greater sense of security and control over their property and their home. Notifications of movement at a front door, for example, can prompt survivors to check the cameras before coming home. Some survivors use recordings to document violations of protective orders, and being able to monitor the outside of their homes can help ease concerns about stalking. 

Over the years, we have received a great deal of positive feedback from advocates about the Ring donation program: 

“The Ring donation program has been so valuable to the survivors we serve in rural Kansas. Survivors have used the Ring as an extra security measure when remaining in their own homes or after they have moved into a new residence. They can monitor their home during the day while they are away and feel a bit safer in their residence. We can’t put a price on the feeling of safety for our survivors. This program has been life-changing and lifesaving.”

“It has been a wonderful resource to have on hand and ready for our participants. It was a tremendous cost savings to the agency and participants.  It makes access swift and reduced delays to getting cameras in place.”

“Our clients have been so incredibly grateful for the additional sense of security knowing that they will be alerted to activity inside or outside of their home. I had folks tell me that they will be able to sleep a bit easier.”

“We've shared Ring equipment with clients who, otherwise, wouldn't have had the reassurance that a tool like this brings. Batterers seem to be reluctant to continue to harass, trespass, [and] generally offend against survivors once they see Ring equipment around the house. These cameras and doorbells give such peace of mind!”

Ring is currently considering a third round of donations for the end of this year or early 2025. Any updates on the Ring donation program will be posted here in our blog.