Asian Women United of Minnesota

What Asian Women United of Minnesota does

Asian Women United of Minnesota (AWUM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1993 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It operates two core programs: the House of Peace (HOP), a 24-hour emergency domestic violence shelter, and the Community Advocacy Program (CAP), a community-based initiative offering violence prevention training, legal advocacy, and assistance with Orders for Protection and Harassment Restraining Orders. AWUM serves women and children experiencing physical, emotional, verbal, or sexual abuse, with a culturally specific focus on the Asian Pacific Islander community while remaining open to all women. Geographic reach is anchored in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul and Twin Cities Metro area but extends across Greater Minnesota, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota, and Iowa.

AWUM's service portfolio is delivered through a 24-hour multilingual crisis hotline (612-724-8823), the House of Peace shelter, the Community Advocacy Program, in-person support groups and individual counseling, safety planning, and legal and financial advocacy. The organization employs 1-10 staff and is governed by a Board of Directors led by Board Chair Hao Nguyen. As of September 2025, Clara Haycraft serves as Executive Director, following Sipra Jha, who now leads the House of Peace as Shelter Director. There is no proprietary technology platform; digital presence is limited to a Squarespace website, social media channels, and an e-newsletter. All services are provided free of charge to clients.

AWUM's revenue model is donations-based, with three documented streams: individual donations, corporate sponsorships (concentrated around the annual "AWUM from the Heart" gala), and in-kind donations of essential supplies. The 2025 service throughput reported on the organization's website — 43 shelter residents, 584 crisis callers, 378 support groups and counseling sessions, 82 training attendees, 450 OFP/HRO resource requests, and 333 advocacy participants — frames the scale of operations. Distribution is entirely direct, with no reseller or partner delivery channel.

Name

Asian Women United of Minnesota

Legal name

Asian Women United of Minnesota

Website

https://awum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Asian Women United of Minnesota is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1993 that operates the House of Peace emergency shelter and the Community Advocacy Program, providing free, multilingual domestic violence services to women and children in the Twin Cities Metro and broader Upper Midwest, with a culturally specific focus on the Asian Pacific Islander community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Domestic Violence Support Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Housing Services (62422), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAD

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPAGAEAB

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPAGAEAH

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

Keywords

• Domestic violence shelter
• Victim advocacy services
• Multilingual crisis helpline
• Emergency housing services
• Community advocacy program

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Relies on generous support of individual donors who contribute financially to support women and children served by the organization.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Annual gala events (AWUM from the Heart) are sponsored by corporate partners including Bronze Level and Community Level sponsors.
3. In-Kind Donations: Accepts donations of essential supplies like toilet paper, laundry detergent, diapers, clothing, and other shelter necessities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Asian Women United of Minnesota provides emergency shelter through the House of Peace program, a 24-hour multilingual crisis helpline, a Community Advocacy Program, legal and financial advocacy, counseling, and safety planning for Asian women and families in Minnesota who are survivors of domestic violence. All services are delivered directly to individual survivors free of charge through trained multilingual advocates and volunteers.

Product overview

Asian Women United of Minnesota (AWUM) operates as a domestic violence shelter and support organization offering a unified portfolio of services centered on two core programs: the House of Peace (HOP) emergency shelter and the Community Advocacy Program (CAP). These are supported by a 24-hour multilingual helpline, legal and financial advocacy, support groups, individual counseling, and safety planning services. AWUM's annual 'AWUM from the Heart' gala serves as a key fundraising event. The organization does not offer technology products or software solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• House of Peace (HOP): Emergency domestic violence shelter providing safe housing for women and children
• Community Advocacy Program (CAP)

Products and services

• House of Peace Emergency Shelter Emergency safe housing program operated for Asian women and families fleeing domestic violence in Minnesota; provides immediate shelter placement as part of the organization's survivor services.
• 24-Hour Multilingual Helpline Around-the-clock telephone crisis line staffed by multilingual advocates to intake survivors, provide crisis counseling, and connect callers to shelter, advocacy, and other support services in their language.
• Community Advocacy Program Community-based advocacy service that supports Asian survivors of domestic violence with case management, referrals, and accompaniment to resources; designed to address culturally specific barriers faced by Asian women in Minnesota.
• Legal and Financial Advocacy Advocacy and support for survivors navigating legal and financial systems related to domestic violence, including order-for-protection issues and economic stability concerns.
• Counseling Services Supportive counseling provided to Asian women and families affected by domestic violence, with multilingual counselors familiar with Asian cultural contexts.
• Safety Planning Personalized safety planning assistance for survivors of domestic violence to help them prepare for and reduce risk of further harm, provided as part of the organization's direct service offerings.

Quantifiable outcome

• 43 shelter residents served in 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Alexandra HouseminorOthersReferral partner providing domestic violence and sexual assault resources to AWUM clients.
• Bridges to Safety (Ramsey County)minorOthersReferral partner in Ramsey County for domestic violence services.
• CornerstoneminorOthersDomestic violence services referral partner.
• Day OneminorOthersReferral partner for domestic violence and sexual assault services.
• Domestic Abuse Project (DAP)minorOthersReferral partner for domestic abuse services.
• Domestic Abuse Service Center (DASC)minorOthersHennepin County domestic abuse service center referral partner.
• Esperanza UnitedminorOthersReferral partner for gender-based violence resources.
• Love is RespectminorOthersNational referral partner for relationship safety resources.
• Sexual Violence CenterminorOthersReferral partner for sexual violence services.
• Women of NationsminorOthersReferral partner serving women in need.
• NLJ & Associates (Bronze Level Sponsor)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze level corporate sponsor for AWUM from the Heart 2026 Spring Gala.
• RBC Wealth Management (Community Level Sponsor)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity level corporate sponsor for AWUM from the Heart 2026 Spring Gala.
• Lumen Technologies (Community Level Sponsor)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity level corporate sponsor for AWUM from the Heart 2026 Spring Gala.
• Xcel Energy (Community Level Sponsor)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity level corporate sponsor for AWUM from the Heart 2026 Spring Gala.
• Blaze Credit Union (Community Level Sponsor)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity level corporate sponsor for AWUM from the Heart 2026 Spring Gala.
• Sunrise Banks (Community Level Sponsor)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity level corporate sponsor for AWUM from the Heart 2026 Spring Gala.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Women of Nations: Minnesota-based nonprofit serving Native American women and children experiencing domestic violence. Listed AWUM referral partner providing a culturally specific DV shelter model directly parallel to AWUM's API-specific mission.
• Cornerstone: Minneapolis-based domestic violence services organization and listed AWUM referral partner. Directly comparable as a regional DV shelter and advocacy provider serving the Twin Cities, with overlapping service lines including shelter, advocacy, and legal support.
• Domestic Abuse Project (DAP): Minneapolis-based nonprofit providing domestic abuse intervention, counseling, and education. Listed AWUM referral partner with directly overlapping therapeutic and advocacy services for DV survivors.
• Domestic Abuse Service Center (DASC): Hennepen County's designated domestic abuse service center providing shelter and advocacy. Listed AWUM referral partner; directly comparable as a county-contracted DV provider in the same Twin Cities geography.
• Esperanza United: National organization addressing gender-based violence in Latinx communities. Listed AWUM referral partner with a near-identical culturally-specific DV service model targeting a different ethnic community.
• Sexual Violence Center: Minnesota-based nonprofit addressing sexual violence through crisis response, advocacy, and counseling. Listed AWUM referral partner serving a complementary population (sexual violence survivors) with overlapping service models.
• Alexandra House: Minnesota domestic violence and sexual assault shelter serving the north metro. Listed AWUM referral partner; comparable scope (emergency shelter, advocacy, legal services) and identical target population of DV survivors.
• Day One: Minnesota-based organization providing crisis intervention and support services for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors. Listed AWUM referral partner operating in the same regional service area with overlapping service offerings.

Broad incumbents

• YWCA Minneapolis: Large regional nonprofit providing DV shelter, housing, and broader women's empowerment programming in Minneapolis. Operates a much larger DV shelter ( Harriet Tubman Center) and competes for the same donor and government funding pool.
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: Nationwide 24/7 crisis hotline for domestic violence survivors. Comparable in offering a multilingual crisis intervention line and resource referral, but operates at national scale rather than as a shelter-based regional provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@asianwomenunitedofmn9824
• Facebookfacebook.com/asianwomenunitedmn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/awum
• Instagraminstagram.com/awum_mn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Asian Women United of Minnesota