Standpoint

What Standpoint does

Standpoint is a Minnesota-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides free legal advice, advocacy, and training to domestic and sexual violence survivors and the professionals who serve them. Founded in 1996 as the Battered Women's Legal Advocacy Project and rebranded to Standpoint in 2023, the organization operates a free Action Line hotline (toll-free 800-313-2666, local 612-343-9842, plus text line) staffed during business hours with no intake requirement, alongside the Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Project that delivers direct legal representation in partnership with Sexual Violence Services of Ramsey County. Standpoint also runs an annual New Laws statewide training program (offering 12 POST and 10 CLE credits across multiple Minnesota locations plus a virtual option), monthly cost-free webinars archived on YouTube, and specialized programs covering protective orders, housing, family law, immigration, and Safe Harbor for trafficked youth. Multilingual outreach is provided in English, Spanish, Somali, and Hmong.

The underlying operating stack is a standard nonprofit technology configuration: Squarespace for website, Neon CRM for donor and event registration (including the New Laws training), PayPal and PayPal Giving Fund for donations, and YouTube for webinar archiving. Standpoint does not employ proprietary technology and has no disclosed AI/ML components; its core "product" is the human expertise of its attorneys and advocates. The organization runs on a non-revenue model — all services to survivors are provided free of charge regardless of income, with no intake process. Funding flows from individual donations (via PayPal, GiveMN, RoundUp, GoodSearch, eBay for Charity), corporate gifts, and grants. The organization reports that 92.5% of donations are directed to survivor services and 7.5% to administrative and fundraising needs. Action Line calls have increased 228% since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating material demand-side growth.

Standpoint serves two primary segments: victim/survivors of domestic and sexual violence anywhere in Minnesota (without restriction on immigration status, religion, race, ability, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or other protected class), and a professional segment comprising advocates, attorneys, judges, court staff, prosecutors, probation staff, law enforcement, law school clinics, and policymakers. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors with representation from legal, finance, and advocacy backgrounds, and is currently led by Executive Director Thi Synavone (appointed July 2023, succeeding Rana Alexander who moved to Director of Finance). Standpoint holds no parent company, has no subsidiaries, and is supported by approximately 15 full-time staff with a sustained organizational budget of $1.2 million.

Name

Standpoint

Legal name

Battered Women's Legal Advocacy Project

Website

https://standpointmn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Standpoint is a Minnesota-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free legal advice, advocacy, and statewide training to domestic and sexual violence survivors and the attorneys, advocates, and justice-system professionals who serve them.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Victim Advocacy and Legal Services for Domestic and Sexual Violence Survivors

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIAFAJ

Victim Services & Witness Assistance (Justice System)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Justice System (Courts, Prosecution & Corrections)

SECONDARYBPADADAH

Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Legal Aid)

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Humanitarian Relief & Emergency Response

SECONDARYBPAGADAM

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

Keywords

• Domestic violence advocacy
• Sexual violence legal services
• Victim legal representation
• Survivor support services
• Professional training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donors contribute via PayPal, credit card processing through PayPal and Neon, and workplace giving programs through GiveMN, RoundUp, and GoodSearch. 92.5% of donations go directly to survivor services.
2. Grants and Foundation Funding: Standpoint operates on grants, gifts, corporate and personal donations. The organization has grown from $200,000 budget in 2016 to $1.2 million sustainable budget.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Standpoint provides free legal advice, advocacy, and representation to victim-survivors of domestic and sexual violence throughout Minnesota via its Action Line hotline and the Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Project. The organization also delivers statewide training and technical assistance to attorneys, advocates, law enforcement, court officials, and policymakers through the New Laws annual training program and monthly webinars. All survivor-facing services are free, confidential, trauma-informed, and offered without an intake requirement, with multilingual support in English, Spanish, Somali, and Hmong.

Product overview

Standpoint is a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization providing free legal advice, advocacy, and support services to domestic and sexual violence survivors. The organization operates a suite of interconnected services centered on its Action Line (a free legal hotline), the Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Project (legal representation for sexual violence survivors in Ramsey County), and comprehensive training programs (New Laws annual training and monthly webinars). Supporting services include the Housing Program (eviction defense, lease termination assistance), Protective Orders Assistance, Family Law Resources, Technical Assistance for professionals, Immigration Program, and Safe Harbor resources for trafficking victims. Standpoint also provides educational materials in multiple languages and hosts two annual fundraising events (Spring Trivia Night and Stand with Standpoint Fall Event) to sustain operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Action Line Free, confidential legal advice and advocacy hotline for domestic and sexual violence survivors in Minnesota, staffed by attorneys and advocates during business hours via toll-free phone (800-313-2666), local line (612-343-9842), and text (612-743-7397). No intake process is required, and callers can share as little or as much as they want.
• Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Project
• Advocacy Services
• Protective Orders Assistance
• Housing Program
• Family Law Resources
• Technical Assistance
• Training Programs
• New Laws Training Program
• Webinars
• Safe Harbor Program
• Immigration Program
• Find Help Resource Navigation

Quantifiable outcome

• 228% increase in Action Line calls since COVID-19 pandemic
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, minor and core.

• GiveMNsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorkplace giving platform allowing donors to support Standpoint through workplace giving programs.
• RoundUp AppsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMobile app that rounds up purchases to donate to Standpoint.
• GoodSearchsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSearch engine and shopping portal that donates a portion of proceeds to Standpoint.
• eBay for CharitysupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPlatform allowing sellers to donate a percentage of sale proceeds to Standpoint.
• Smartphone RecyclingminorOthersPartner for cell phone donation program - accepts used cell phones to support Standpoint operations.
• Sexual Violence Services of Ramsey County (SOS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLAV (Legal Assistance for Victims) grant partnership providing direct legal services to non-intimate-partner sexual violence survivors in Ramsey County. Standpoint provides attorney and advocates while SOS provides complementary services.
• Day One Crisis HotlinecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMinnesota's 24/7 crisis hotline (1.866.223.1111) serves as primary referral source for Standpoint services outside business hours and for immediate crisis needs.

Scale indicators4 records

Direct peers

• Domestic Abuse Project: Minneapolis-based nonprofit offering intervention programs, advocacy, and education for DV perpetrators and survivors. Operates within the same Minnesota ecosystem with overlapping survivor services.
• Tubman: Formerly Chrysalis, Tubman is a Minnesota-based nonprofit providing DV and sexual violence services including shelter, legal advocacy, and youth services — directly comparable in service mix and geography.
• Sexual Violence Center: Minnesota-based organization providing crisis intervention, advocacy, and counseling for sexual violence survivors. Directly comparable in mission, geography, and survivor-services model.
• Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA): Statewide coalition in Minnesota focused on sexual violence prevention and advocacy. Direct peer given overlapping DV/SV survivor services, professional training, and statewide policy advocacy in the same geography.
• Victim Rights Law Center: National nonprofit providing legal representation specifically to sexual violence survivors. Comparable in survivor-focused legal services model, although operating nationally rather than in Minnesota.
• Violence Free Minnesota: Minnesota's domestic violence coalition. Direct peer: both organizations operate as statewide legal/policy/advocacy resources for DV survivors and professionals in Minnesota, frequently appearing on shared referral pathways.

Broad incumbents

• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): National sexual violence hotline and advocacy organization. Comparable in operating a toll-free survivor helpline and national training programs, although at significantly larger scale than Standpoint.
• National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV): National advocacy organization for DV survivors. Comparable mission (DV advocacy and policy) but operating at federal/state-policy level rather than as a direct legal services provider.
• Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis: Broader incumbent legal aid organization serving Minnesota low-income clients across civil matters. Comparable in that both provide free legal advice to vulnerable populations but operates across a much broader substantive scope.

Regional players

• Minnesota Alliance on Crime: Minnesota statewide crime-victim services alliance. Directly comparable in serving crime-victim professionals through training, TA, and resource navigation in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxsDtCuwAa0uOYQ9VszqOGQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/standpointmn
• Xx.com/standpointmn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/standpoint-mn-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 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 Standpoint