What Sarah's Inn does

Sarah's Inn is a community-based 501c3 nonprofit organization headquartered in Forest Park, Illinois (mailing address Oak Park), founded in 1980 by a group of concerned women in River Forest and Oak Park to address unmet domestic violence service needs. It operates as one of the largest and most comprehensive domestic violence agencies serving Chicago and 22 surrounding West Cook County suburban communities, providing a full continuum of services from crisis response through prevention education and perpetrator accountability.

Its core service portfolio includes: (1) Support & Crisis Intervention via a 24-hour crisis hotline ((708) 386-4225) and text line ((708) 669-6149), with crisis intervention, safety planning, emergency shelter navigation, and long-term recovery support; (2) Legal Advocacy assisting survivors with orders of protection and court navigation; (3) Child and Family Counseling plus adult individual/group counseling; (4) Safe Bridge Housing / emergency shelter coordination; (5) the Partner Abuse Intervention Program (PAIP) for perpetrators; (6) Training & Education programs for professionals and community members; and (7) Violence Prevention & Youth Committee programs delivered directly in middle and high schools. Complementary programs include a podcast, the Youth Voice Award, volunteer and internship pipelines, and signature annual events such as Stand Tall with Sarah's Inn.

The revenue model is donation-dependent with no paid pricing—services are free to clients. Funding streams are: individual donations (one-time and recurring, including online, mail, and stock); corporate matching gifts; donated securities coordinated by the Executive Director; and fundraising events such as Stand Tall. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on referrals from hospitals, clergy, police, and schools, organic social media, a podcast, email newsletters, community events, and word-of-mouth. Leadership comprises Executive Director Carol Gall and Development & Communications Manager Kelly Mitchell, with no parent company, subsidiaries, or external investors; the organization is governed by a Board of Directors and Associate Board.

Name

Sarah's Inn

Legal name

Sarah's Inn

Website

https://sarahsinn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sarah's Inn is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 1980 that provides free domestic violence crisis intervention, advocacy, counseling, legal advocacy, and violence prevention education across Chicago and 22 West Cook County suburban communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Oak Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Sarah's Inn relies on individual donations from the community, including one-time gifts and monthly recurring donations. Donations can be made online, by mail, or through stock donations.
2. Corporate Matching Gifts: The organization encourages donors to maximize their impact through employer-matched charitable contributions.
3. Fundraising Events: Annual events such as Stand Tall with Sarah's Inn raise critical funds. Sponsorships and ticket sales to events at venues like Oak Park Country Club generate revenue.
4. Donated Securities: Stocks and mutual fund donations are accepted, with the Executive Director coordinating with brokers to process these gifts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sarah's Inn is a community-based nonprofit domestic violence agency that provides free crisis intervention, safety planning, legal advocacy, counseling, emergency housing navigation, violence prevention education, and a perpetrator accountability program to survivors and families across Chicago and West Cook County. Services are delivered through a 24-hour crisis line, text line, on-site counseling at its Forest Park office, school-based prevention workshops, and community outreach.

Product overview

Sarah's Inn is a comprehensive domestic violence agency providing a coordinated set of support services rather than a technology product platform. The organization offers crisis intervention and support services through its 24-hour crisis hotline, combined with violence prevention and youth education programs including the Youth Committee and Youth Voice Award. Core services encompass legal advocacy, the Partner Abuse Intervention Program (PAIP), safe bridge housing, and child and family counseling. Additional programs include training and education for professionals, volunteer opportunities across multiple areas, and a podcast series. The organization serves Chicago and 22 West Cook County suburban communities, having been founded in 1980.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Crisis Intervention & Support Services 24-hour crisis hotline (708) 386-4225 and text line (708) 669-6149 providing immediate, confidential crisis intervention, advocacy, emotional support, resources, and safety planning for survivors of domestic violence.
• Safe Bridge Housing Emergency shelter navigation and housing support services for domestic violence survivors and their families, helping them access safe housing.
• Child and Family Counseling Individual and group counseling services for adult and child survivors of domestic violence, addressing trauma, emotional support needs, and recovery.
• Legal Advocacy Services Legal advocacy assistance helping survivors navigate the court system, obtain orders of protection, and access legal resources related to domestic violence situations.
• Partner Abuse Intervention Program (PAIP) Group program working with individuals who perpetrate intimate partner violence to develop non-violent behaviors, accountability, and skills for healthy relationships.
• Training & Education Programs Workshops and training for professionals, educators, and community members on recognizing signs of domestic violence, trauma-informed care, survivor advocacy, and abuse prevention.
• Violence Prevention & Youth Committee Education and prevention programs delivered in schools and youth organizations that empower young people with skills to foster healthy relationships through interactive workshops and peer-led initiatives focused on dating violence, bullying, and abuse prevention.
• Volunteer Programs Structured volunteer opportunities including crisis line advocates, meal makers, front desk volunteers, childcare volunteers, and behind-the-scenes support roles, contributing more than 13,300 service hours annually.
• Internship Program Internship opportunities for students and emerging professionals across Intervention/Counseling and Advocacy, Training and Education, and Together Strong Prevention Programs at Sarah's Inn.
• Sarah's Inn Podcast Podcast series providing education on domestic violence topics including self-care, consent, trauma, youth dating violence, LGBTQ relationships, children's issues, and Spanish-language content.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,230 adult survivors received free advocacy and counseling services; 135 children and teens received services; 10,371 youth educated in violence prevention; 85 perpetrators completed PAIP program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WINGS Program: Suburban Chicago-area nonprofit delivering emergency housing, counseling, and advocacy for DV survivors. Operates in overlapping West Cook / collar-county territory with a comparable continuum-of-care model.
• A Safe Place: Illinois-based DV agency providing crisis intervention, shelter, legal advocacy, and counseling in Lake County. Directly comparable as a regional mid-sized DV nonprofit serving suburban Illinois communities.
• Family Shelter Service: DuPage County DV nonprofit offering crisis intervention, counseling, and education programs. Directly comparable as a suburban Chicago-area DV agency with adjacent geographic reach.
• Between Friends: Chicago-based nonprofit providing domestic violence services including crisis intervention, counseling, and legal advocacy. Directly comparable peer given the shared geography, mission, and similar service mix in the Chicago DV ecosystem.

Others

• Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation: Chicago-based nonprofit addressing sexual violence through direct services, policy, and education. Ecosystem peer in the broader intimate-partner violence space, partially overlapping training and prevention programming.

Broad incumbents

• Metropolitan Family Services: Chicago-area social services agency offering counseling, case management, and crisis support across multiple programs. Comparable as a broader incumbent operating in West Cook County with overlapping behavioral health and case-management services.
• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago: Large faith-based nonprofit delivering counseling, family services, and crisis support across the Chicago region. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing for similar foundation, corporate, and individual donor dollars.
• YWCA Metropolitan Chicago: Large regional social services nonprofit operating domestic violence programs alongside housing, workforce, and youth services across Chicago. Comparable as a broader incumbent with overlapping DV work and shared donor pool.

Regional players

• Pillars Community Health: Western Cook County nonprofit offering behavioral health, domestic violence, and family services. Comparable as an adjacent service provider in overlapping West Cook County geography with family-services overlap.

Emerging players

• The National Domestic Violence Hotline: National 24/7 DV crisis hotline with chat and text capabilities, supported by federal and private foundation funding. Comparable for crisis-line operational model and digital reach, though they do not deliver direct in-person services in Sarah's Inn's territory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sarahs_inn
• Facebookfacebook.com/sarahsinntogetherstrong
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sarah's-inn
• Instagraminstagram.com/sarahs_inn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sarah's Inn