LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Concerns are mounting over how SafeNest, Nevada's largest domestic violence organization, is managing its government grant money.
Our ongoing investigation reveals spending that raised alarm bells for a former insider whose role at SafeNest centered on transparency and accountability.
As we dig deeper into the non-profit's financial practices, we’ll also shine a spotlight on leadership decisions that are now under scrutiny, and what it means for the future of this critical service in our community.
WATCH | Our investigation exposes mounting concerns about SafeNest's leadership and financial dealings:
Jennifer Wolsey says she got "a lot of resistance from different levels, primarily leadership," when pushing for change in her short time at SafeNest.
She served as the organization's grant manager from October 2024 to January 2025. She says the final straw came when she witnessed SafeNest CEO Liz Ortenburger "asking for money for one thing and then trying to spend it on something that is not an eligible expense."
It's what prompted Wolsey to write a resignation letter to the SafeNest board of directors in January, raising financial concerns for a big project which Ortenburger spoke about in a Facebook video, saying, "In October, thanks to an incredible investment from the State of Nevada, we're opening One Safe Place."
One Safe Place aims to bring together private, non-profit and government agencies to serve victims, children and abusers on one centralized campus.
The state gave SafeNest $9 million in federal (American Rescue Plan Act) funds to help purchase SafeNest's corporate office and two surrounding buildings on Meadows Lane that would make up the campus. The total building purchase price was around $13 million.
"That $9 million was slotted, per the contract, per the executed agreement, to go toward that property purchase," Wolsey said.
According to the budget narrative, no money is allocated for anything else, but Wolsey says, "Liz started wanting to use that money for other things. And one of those things would have been the Nashville trip."
A trip that was positioned as a way to learn more about the model that One Safe Place would be based on.
"It was at least 20 individuals that went to Nashville, and their airfare was paid for, transportation was paid for, food was paid for, their lodging was paid for," Wolsey said. "She (Liz Ortenburger) phrased it as scholarships. That's how she phrased it to community partners because some of these community partners are government-paid employees, and of course, there's rules on what they can accept."
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The receipts began coming in shortly before Wolsey resigned: $5,000 for airfare, $3,000 for transportation from Nashville Chauffeur, $1,300 for food, and $15,000 for hotel stays.
"I knew there were limitations on what I was able to see because things were still coming in," Wolsey said. "It would probably be fair to say at least $50,000 was spent for that trip."
A Nov. 25 email from Ortenburger to SafeNest's bookkeeper and to the vice president of finance and grants discusses the "scholarships" for travel expenses for employees of other non-profits. Ortenburger wrote, "A check should be mailed to the non-profit to reimburse for the expenses. This should get billed against the state $9M as education/training."
But Wolsey says that's not allowed.
"It's not. Again, the only allowable expenses was for the property. And it's stated very plainly in the (government grant award) contract. There is no money set aside for salaries, no money set aside for fringe, no money set aside for travel, or any (other) categories," including education and/or training.
SafeNest's vice president of finance, who also resigned in January, supported that in an email provided to 13 Investigates.
"You have to reach out to the grantor — which again would've been the governor's office — and you would have had to make a request to move that money around to be able to pay for travel, training, education, whatever she was going to try to slot it under. But she didn't do that," Wolsey said.
We took her concerns directly to Gov. Joe Lombardo.
"If it involves funds that were provided by the state, which ARPA [American Rescue Plan Act] funds are, then the oversight and the audit of those funds need to be conducted," Lombardo said. "I mean, that's a regular part of business, especially if a complaint comes in, it needs to be followed up on."
The governor's finance office now has the records for further review. In those records, they'll see that SafeNest's plan was to get more money from a Clark County block grant and use it to replace the ARPA funds they technically weren't allowed to spend on travel.
"Every single time money is mismanaged or misspent, the agency is at risk of not only potentially losing future opportunities for funding, but also potentially having to pay this funding back," Wolsey said.
13 Investigates recently learned the county chose not to give SafeNest the block grant, writing, "Other projects took priority for funding. The county currently funds the Family Justice Center through LVMPD which provides services to victims of domestic violence."
Wolsey had shared her concerns with county leaders after detailing them to the SafeNest board in her January resignation letter, writing:
"It is time... we start to hold leadership of SafeNest accountable. My belief is survivors seeking and receiving services from SafeNest deserve better. The talented, caring staff of SafeNest deserve better. The community who continually shows up to graciously donate to SafeNest deserve better."
"Where's the oversight from the board?" I asked Wolsey.
"What I've seen thus far in just the response to everything — not just this letter, but everything that's come out — there doesn't appear to be much oversight at all," Wolsey told me. "It's absolutely detrimental! The board of directors is in place for that oversight."
The board has denied all of our previous interview requests, referring us back to a Nov. 5 statement, saying the board "stands unified in its unwavering support for SafeNest's mission, and the impactful work led by our CEO, Liz Ortenburger."
We asked again to speak to Ortenburger and board members for this story, but through SafeNest's public relations team, they declined our repeated requests.
"The board of directors were hand-picked by the CEO, so they are her friends. They never really questioned anything," said a former employee who asked for anonymity.
That person is among dozens of current and former employees and SafeNest clients we've spoken to over the course of our investigation, who all share a similar sentiment.
Former employee Jayna Knight believes the root of SafeNest's problems is "Liz Ortenburger. (She) took the shelter from the way it was ran before and changed it to what it is now."
"There are employees that work at SafeNest that are committed to this mission and that definitely care," said Wolsey. "Where the issue lies, in my opinion, based upon everything I saw, was with the leadership. I would try to remind (Ortenburger) of what SafeNest's mission was, and that this work is about the survivors and not about her."
Another former employee told us, "I think that SafeNest needs someone who's willing to lead with compassion for the survivors and have empathy."
Ortenburger does not have a background in the domestic violence space. She came to SafeNest from Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada, where she served as CEO. Numerous people with knowledge of the situation say that after staffers at Girl Scouts petitioned the board to investigate Ortenburger, the board hired an outside firm to do so. We're told that as a result, she was separated from Girl Scouts, and board members were required to sign non-disclosure agreements.