A Window Between Worlds

What A Window Between Worlds does

A Window Between Worlds (AWBW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Los Angeles, founded in 1991 by Cathy Salser, who continues to serve as Executive Director. The organization supports individuals and communities affected by violence and trauma through trauma-informed healing arts programs that have reached 250,000+ adults and children since inception. AWBW's model relies on training staff at partner organizations—"Windows Facilitators"—to deliver structured, arts-based workshops within their own service environments, serving populations including survivors of domestic violence, veterans, children, and older adults.

The organization's technology stack is centered on a custom partner and facilitator portal platform developed in collaboration with Ruby for Good, a pro bono software development group. The portal supports program partner onboarding, facilitator management, and program data collection across a network of 500+ partner organizations and 1,200+ trained facilitators operating in 29+ U.S. states. AWBW runs multiple program lines including Warrior Women, Survivor Art, Restoring the Mother, Sets of Support, Future Is Now, Summer Camp, Porch Light Project, and Healthy Aging. The 2025 Impact Report notes 25% year-over-year growth in active facilitators.

AWBW operates as a grant- and donation-funded nonprofit, with no product pricing model or commercial revenue stream. Funded sources include individual donations, corporate partnerships, annual fundraising events, foundation grants, and government support. The organization does not publicly disclose detailed financials; 11-50 employees are reported, consistent with a mid-sized nonprofit operations team that supports the national facilitator and partner network.

Name

A Window Between Worlds

Legal name

A Window Between Worlds

Website

https://awbw.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

A Window Between Worlds is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1991 that delivers trauma-informed healing arts programs by training facilitators embedded across 500+ partner organizations in 29+ U.S. states, serving survivors of violence and trauma.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trauma-Informed Arts Programs (Nonprofit Social Services)

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trauma-Informed Care & Crisis Response (School-Based) (EDAKAMAF), Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Programs & Supports (EDAJAIAC), Crisis Response & Threat Assessment (Suicide Prevention, Violence Prevention) (EDAJAIAH), Staff Training, Coaching & Professional Development (SEL/Mental Health) (EDAKAMAL)

Keywords

• Trauma-informed art
• Healing arts curriculum
• Facilitator training
• Nonprofit capacity building
• Survivor support programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and monthly recurring donations from individual supporters through the website portal and monthly giving program
2. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsorships and partnerships including percentage of sales donations (e.g., Ryze Project), matching gift programs, and event sponsorships
3. Annual Events: Annual fundraising events including Art in the Afternoon and heART gala food and wine tasting event
4. Foundation Grants: Support from foundations including California Community Foundation, Liberty Hill Foundation, and Fidelity Charitable through Donor-Advised Funds
5. Government Support: Support from Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

A Window Between Worlds trains and supports staff at partner human-service agencies to deliver the Windows Program, a structured set of trauma-informed art workshops designed to help survivors process violence, abuse, and other traumatic experiences. The organization provides a standardized curriculum, in-person and virtual facilitator training, and an online portal where trained partners access program resources and materials for use with survivors in domestic violence shelters, homeless youth programs, and similar settings.

Product overview

A Window Between Worlds operates as a nonprofit training organization offering a unified ecosystem of trauma-informed healing arts programs. The core offering is the Windows Program, supported by the AWBW Portal platform (for facilitators), Windows Facilitator Training (2-day program), a Curriculum Library, and thematic frameworks like Themes in Healing. Additional programs include Story Share for community narratives, a Community of Practice network, The Creative Compass toolkit for foster care, and Durational Art projects. The organization builds capacity at partnering human service agencies by training their staff to facilitate art workshops with trauma survivors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Windows Program A standardized set of trauma-informed art workshops designed to help survivors process violence, abuse, and other traumatic experiences, delivered by trained facilitators at AWBW partner agencies.
• Windows Facilitator Training Program Training program that prepares partner-agency staff to facilitate the Windows Program with survivors in their own organizational settings, covering curriculum delivery and trauma-informed facilitation.
• Art Programs Network A nationwide membership-style network of partner agencies that have been trained and supported to deliver AWBW's Windows Program on-site with survivors in their local communities.
• AWBW Online Portal An online portal through which trained facilitators and partner agencies access AWBW program resources, curriculum materials, and ongoing organizational support for workshop delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trauma survivors can reduce distress and build resilience through art creation in a safe community environment
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

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

• Ryze ProjectminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2014Ryze Project donates a percentage of sales to AWBW. Founded by Pascale Cardozo and Eva Zachova who serve on event committee for Art in the Afternoon.
• Habitat for Humanity - SF/SCVcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Partnership began September 2013 to add transformative art workshops to enrichment services for disabled and low income veterans and families of the fallen. AWBW adapted curriculum to address invisible wounds of war for veterans and active military members, including PTSD and military sexual trauma.
• Skirball Cultural CenterflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Special anniversary exhibit 'Pearls of Wisdom: End the Violence' presented at Skirball Cultural Center in partnership with 'Half the Sky' exhibit. Viewed by over 400,000 people during 8-month run.
• G HanneliusminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2011Disney actress and celebrity advocate who co-hosted, then hosted AWBW's annual Art in the Afternoon event starting 2011. Raised thousands of dollars and provided invaluable visibility.
• Koi Designer ScrubscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2010Annual warehouse sales have raised over $300,000 since 2010. Initial event in 2010 raised $42,571, surpassing goal of $25,000. Koi's support helped AWBW programs grow by 77% in five years.
• National Coalition Against Domestic ViolenceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1994Partnership for national tour bringing workshops to domestic violence shelters across the country.
• Kashi CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1993Kashi Company partnered with National Coalition Against Domestic Violence to sponsor a second national tour bringing over 100 workshops to 18 shelters and communities.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• The Trevor Project: National nonprofit providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth, including a 24/7 hotline, digital tools, and training for educators. Comparable as a digitally enabled, training-focused nonprofit supporting at-risk youth, though with a different population focus.
• Crisis Text Line: Nonprofit providing 24/7 crisis support via text and a technology-enabled volunteer counselor network. Comparable as a modern, technology-amplified nonprofit serving trauma-impacted populations with a distributed volunteer/facilitator base.

Broad incumbents

• Sesame Workshop: Global nonprofit behind Sesame Street, with significant trauma-informed programming (e.g., 'Sesame Street in Communities' for children experiencing adversity). Comparable in delivering trauma-informed curricula through partner organizations to vulnerable children, though with vastly greater brand and distribution.
• Americans for the Arts: Largest US nonprofit advancing the arts and arts education through advocacy, research, and capacity-building for arts organizations. Comparable as an arts-sector umbrella, though broader in scope than AWBW's trauma-specific lens.
• Futures Without Violence: National health and social justice nonprofit working to end violence against women and children through policy, training, and curricula. Comparable mission scope (DV and trauma prevention, partner training) at significantly larger scale and broader programmatic footprint.

Direct peers

• Safe Horizon: Large NYC-based victim-services nonprofit providing shelters, counseling, and community programs for survivors of DV, sexual assault, and trafficking. Directly comparable mission and trauma-informed program delivery, though Safe Horizon operates its own direct services rather than training partner staff.
• Give an Hour: Nonprofit that mobilizes mental health professionals to provide free counseling to veterans, service members, and survivors of trauma. Directly comparable to AWBW's work with veterans and military families, though delivered through volunteer clinicians rather than arts-based facilitators.
• National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV): National 501(c)(3) advocacy and resource organization for domestic violence survivors and partner agencies. AWBW has actually partnered with NCADV since 1993; both serve as umbrella capacity-builders for the DV-services ecosystem.
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: National 501(c)(3) providing crisis intervention, safety planning, and resource referrals to domestic violence survivors. Directly comparable to AWBW's mission focus on DV survivors and trauma-informed support, though delivered via hotline rather than art-based workshops.
• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): Largest US anti-sexual-violence organization, operating the National Sexual Assault Hotline and training programs for survivor-serving professionals. Directly comparable to AWBW's work with sexual-assault survivors and trauma-informed partner training, though at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/awbworg
• Facebookfacebook.com/awbworg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/a-window-between-worlds

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 A Window Between Worlds