The Second Step
The Second Step is a Newtonville, Massachusetts-based nonprofit founded in 1992 that delivers free legal, advocacy, shelter, and prevention education services to survivors of domestic violence across Greater Boston and MetroWest.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersNewtonville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Second Step does
The Second Step, Inc. is a private nonprofit organization headquartered in Newtonville, Massachusetts that provides a wraparound continuum of free services to survivors of domestic violence across Greater Boston and MetroWest. Founded in 1987 and incorporated in 1988, the organization opened its first shelter in 1992 and currently operates two family residential shelters alongside direct legal, advocacy, and prevention education programming. Its core service portfolio is organized around three pillars: Steps to Justice (free legal representation in restraining orders, divorce, custody, child support, immigration, and housing matters), Intervention & Advocacy (safety planning, case management, housing assistance, and emotional support), and Prevention Education (community outreach and healthy-relationship programming). Specialized programs include an LGBTQ+ Survivor's Drop-In Space and youth support groups led by a Youth Advocate. There is no technology platform; the organization delivers services via staff attorneys, community advocates, and educators using standard administrative systems including a website, donor management tools, case management software, phone, email, and video.
The organization is funded primarily through donations (over two-thirds of annual budget) supplemented by government contracts and grants (approximately one-third). All services are provided at no cost to survivors. Revenue diversification includes individual and corporate donations, an annual Celebrating Success gala, the Step Up to the Plate dinner series, Boston Marathon charity runners, planned giving (bequests, charitable remainder trusts, gift annuities, gifts of stock), donor advised funds, qualified charitable distributions, matching gifts, and in-kind donations. The 2024 Celebrating Success gala raised approximately $300,000, and a $2 million unrestricted gift from MacKenzie Scott's Yield Giving Open Call in March 2024 represented a significant one-time capital infusion. Effective February 15, 2025, the organization entered a strategic partnership with FamilyAid Boston under which FamilyAid operates the organization's shelter while The Second Step focuses on specialized survivor-centered services.
Operations are led by Executive Director Sue Ross (J.D., former Middlesex County Assistant District Attorney in the domestic violence unit) with a staff of 11-50. Governance is provided by an independent Board of Directors chaired by Heather Mack. The organization has accumulated multiple recognitions including the 2024 Access to Justice Award from the Massachusetts Office of Victim Assistance and selection of a staff attorney to the Boston Bar Association's 2025-2026 Public Interest Leadership Program. Customer outreach is delivered through community referrals, court-based advocacy, healthcare and social service partnerships, and direct self-referral via website and hotline, with no resellers, channel partners, or fee-for-service revenue model.
The Second Step firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Second Step
- Legal name
- The Second Step, Inc.
- Website
- https://thesecondstep.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Second Step is a Newtonville, Massachusetts-based nonprofit founded in 1992 that delivers free legal, advocacy, shelter, and prevention education services to survivors of domestic violence across Greater Boston and MetroWest.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Second Step industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Domestic Violence Support Services
- NAICS
- Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Housing Services (62422), Child and Youth Services (624110)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)
Keywords
Where The Second Step is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Newtonville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Second Step business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual and Corporate Donations: Over two-thirds of the organization's annual budget comes from individual donors, corporate donors, and community fundraising events (Celebrating Success gala, Step Up to the Plate dinner series, Boston Marathon charity runners). Donations are the primary revenue source.
- Government Contracts and Grants: Approximately one-third of the annual budget is funded by government contracts and grants, including federal and state domestic violence prevention and victim services funding.
- Planned Giving and Legacy Gifts: The organization accepts planned gifts including bequests in wills, beneficiary designations on retirement or donor advised accounts, charitable remainder trusts, charitable gift annuities, and gifts of stock. These represent a legacy revenue stream from long-term donor relationships.
- In-Kind Donations: The organization accepts in-kind donations, as listed under Ways to Give on its website.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Free services for domestic violence survivors |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
The Second Step product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Second Step delivers free, trauma-informed services to survivors of domestic violence across Greater Boston and MetroWest. Its three core programs are Steps to Justice (legal representation in restraining orders, divorce, custody, immigration, and housing), Intervention & Advocacy (safety planning, case management, emotional support, and housing assistance), and Prevention Education (community outreach on healthy relationships), supplemented by two family residential shelters and specialized LGBTQ+ and youth programming.
Product overview
The Second Step is a non-profit domestic violence support organization offering a continuum of comprehensive services for survivors. The core service portfolio includes three main programs: Steps to Justice (Legal Services), providing free legal representation for restraining orders, divorce, custody, and related matters; Intervention & Advocacy services offering case management, safety planning, emotional support, and housing assistance; and Prevention Education delivering community outreach and education. The organization also operates emergency shelter and transitional housing for survivors and their children, and runs specialized support programs including an LGBTQ+ Survivor's Drop-In Space and youth support groups. All services are provided at no cost to survivors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Steps to Justice: Legal services program providing legal assistance and representation for survivors of domestic violence regardless of complexity of needs or ability to pay.
Products and services
- Legal Services (Steps to Justice Program) Free legal services provided by staff and volunteer attorneys to survivors of intimate partner domestic violence, including representation in restraining order hearings, divorce, custody, child support, immigration, and housing matters. Available to adult survivors in Greater Boston and MetroWest.
- Intervention & Advocacy Advocacy and case management services helping survivors build skills, develop resilience, and heal from trauma. Includes safety planning, crisis intervention, emotional support, help finding basic needs, and assistance securing permanent housing.
- Prevention Education Community outreach and education programs providing information on domestic violence, healthy relationships, and prevention strategies for audiences including schools, workplaces, and community groups.
- Emergency Shelter & Transitional Housing Two family residential shelters providing safe housing for survivors of domestic violence and their children, staffed to support healing and rebuilding independence. Operated in partnership with FamilyAid Boston as of February 15, 2025 for low-income survivors experiencing homelessness.
- LGBTQ+ Survivor's Drop-In Space A non-clinical, peer-oriented group for LGBTQ+ survivors focusing on empowerment and community building, providing affirming resources for LGBTQ+ survivors of domestic violence.
- Youth Support Services Support groups for young people exposed to domestic violence and at heightened risk of repeating violent behaviors, led by a Youth Advocate.
Quantifiable outcome
- Thousands of survivors supported since 1992, including thousands of adults and children served through shelter, legal services, advocacy, and prevention education.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Second Step
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Second Step technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Second Step partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- FamilyAid BostoncoreEffective February 15, 2025, The Second Step entered a strategic partnership with FamilyAid Boston to enhance housing support for domestic violence survivors. Under this collaboration, FamilyAid operates The Second Step's shelter for low-income survivors experiencing homelessness, while The Second Step focuses on delivering specialized, survivor-centered services. This partnership leverages FamilyAid's housing expertise to complement The Second Step's direct service capabilities.
- Harvard Business School Association of Boston — Community Action Partners (CAP)minorThe Second Step was selected from a competitive pool of over 25 applicants to receive a pro bono consulting engagement from Harvard Business School Association of Boston's Community Action Partners (CAP) program. CAP is a volunteer organization of Harvard Business and Kennedy School alumni who help Boston-area nonprofits apply management skills to business challenges. CAP volunteers provide an estimated 13,000+ hours of consulting annually, equivalent to approximately $3.4 million in pro bono services. This engagement helps The Second Step address organizational management and strategic challenges.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Second Step competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Network/La Red: Boston-area domestic violence organization with a leadership focus on LGBTQ+ and kink/poly-affirming survivor services, overlapping The Second Step's LGBTQ+ Drop-In Space work. Directly comparable in mission, geography, and culturally responsive programming.
- A New Way of Life: Los Angeles-based organization providing housing, reentry support, and advocacy for women survivors of DV, trafficking, and incarceration. Comparable in mission focus on wraparound survivor services and a heavy emphasis on housing/transition support.
- Casa de Esperanza: National Latin@ domestic violence organization operating shelter, advocacy, and community education in Minnesota with national training/technical assistance reach. Comparable as a culturally responsive DV peer with a wraparound service model mirroring The Second Step's continuum.
- Jane Doe Inc. Massachusetts statewide domestic violence coalition that trains and advocates across the state, including co-leading the White Ribbon Day Campaign referenced in The Second Step's history. Directly comparable as a Massachusetts DV-sector peer with overlapping service geography and a statewide policy/lobbying function TSS lacks.
- HarborCOV: Boston-area domestic violence and sexual assault agency providing shelter, advocacy, and counseling across Greater Boston — a direct service-area peer to The Second Step with overlapping programs and competing for the same regional donor and government funding pools.
- Transition House: Cambridge, MA-based domestic violence services organization serving Greater Boston with emergency shelter, counseling, advocacy, and community education — a direct service-area and service-mix peer to The Second Step. Often the most immediate local competitor for survivor referrals and donor dollars.
Regional players
- Womanspace: New Jersey-based domestic violence services organization providing shelter, counseling, advocacy, and prevention education across Mercer County. Comparable in service mix (shelter, advocacy, prevention) and mid-sized nonprofit profile, but serving a different geography.
- Renewal House: Nashville-based nonprofit providing shelter, counseling, case management, and recovery services for women and children affected by domestic violence and substance abuse. Comparable in the integrated DV + trauma service model but operating in a different regional market.
Broad incumbents
- Safe Horizon: New York-based, one of the largest U.S. victim-services organizations offering shelter, legal, counseling, and advocacy across multiple crime categories. A broad incumbent whose scale and service breadth dwarf TSS but whose model — particularly the legal services component — parallels Steps to Justice.
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: Nationally funded 24/7 hotline, resources, and referral service for DV survivors, with The Second Step routing through the hotline for after-hours access. A broad incumbent that competes for national-level funder attention and sets the standard for digital DV intake.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Second Step social profiles
Digital presenceThe Second Step financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Second Step leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
The Second Step funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Second Step M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Second Step
What does The Second Step do?
The Second Step delivers free, trauma-informed services to survivors of domestic violence across Greater Boston and MetroWest. Its three core programs are Steps to Justice (legal representation in restraining orders, divorce, custody, immigration, and housing), Intervention & Advocacy (safety planning, case management, emotional support, and housing assistance), and Prevention Education (community outreach on healthy relationships), supplemented by two family residential shelters and specialized LGBTQ+ and youth programming.
Is The Second Step a public or private company?
The Second Step is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Second Step founded?
The Second Step was founded in 1992. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Second Step based?
The Second Step is headquartered in Newtonville, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Second Step make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual and Corporate Donations are the primary driver. The others are government Contracts and Grants, planned Giving and Legacy Gifts and in-Kind Donations.
Who are The Second Step's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Network/La Red, A New Way of Life, Casa de Esperanza, Jane Doe Inc., HarborCOV and Transition House. Regional players are Womanspace and Renewal House. Broad incumbents are Safe Horizon and National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Does The Second Step have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Second Step.
What industry is The Second Step in?
The Second Step's product category is Domestic Violence Support Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAD, Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services, with a secondary code of BPAGADAM, Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 6241 and its SIC code is 8300.