Washington, DC. – The National Center for Victims of Crime, in close collaboration with Equality Florida, the state’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, has opened the National Compassion Fund Orlando to support victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando. The Fund was established as a safe and transparent way to give to victims directly and is the only straight-to-victim fund of its kind in the country. 100% of the donations are distributed directly to the established victim base.

The Fund is working with victims of this horrific event to meet their emergency needs and established a framework for an initial distribution of funds. “We understand that there are immediate and complex needs and are in contact with the authorities in Orlando to verify the victims and their families so that no fraud occurs,” commented Mai Fernandez, Executive Director of the National Center for Victims of Crime.

The National Compassion Fund is advised by a specially constituted Expert Panel, with experience in mass crime victim compensation and the needs of crime victims. The panel also includes victim representatives from past mass casualty crimes to ensure that the voices of the victims are heard and essential to the distribution process. The Fund is completely transparent and will inform the public of its deliberations in the distribution of funds. Additionally, the Fund in partnership with Equality Florida is creating a local steering committees comprised of leaders from the LGBTQ and Latino communities.

Victims of the events in Orlando are encouraged to submit their contact information through the National Compassion Fund website http://nationalcompassionfund.org. Information submitted will only be used to distribute applications for funding and all victims, regardless of immigration status, are eligible for funding.

The National Compassion Fund is overseen and administered by the National Center for Victims of Crime and is designed, first and foremost, to serve victims as they recover and rebuild their lives in the aftermath of a mass casualty event. The National Center has the experience to help victims navigate this process, and to treat victims with the respect and dignity they deserve.