Community United Against Violence

What Community United Against Violence does

Community United Against Violence (CUAV) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1979 in San Francisco, operating as the country's oldest LGBTQ anti-violence organization. It delivers direct services, healing justice programming, and leadership development for predominantly low- and no-income LGBTQI survivors of violence, alongside training and policy advocacy. Core programs include Peer Advocacy Counseling (short-term emotional support, safety planning, referrals, and limited case follow-up), Take Care Tuesdays (a weekly support group for LGBTQIA2-Spirit survivors), and the SAF-T (Survivors Advocating for Freedom Today) membership program, which develops member leaders for systemic organizing on deportation, homelessness, and incarceration. The organization also runs a 40-hour Fundamentals of Healing and Community Leadership Training and a catalog of paid workshops (Self-Determination Training, Understanding Violence, Wellness Skills) delivered to external organizations serving LGBTQ populations. CUAV is not a technology company; it does not develop or sell software, and its infrastructure consists of a single headquarters at 427 S Van Ness Ave in San Francisco with phone/email-based remote counseling and weekly in-person programming.

CUAV is funded through a combination of individual donations and institutional grants from a diverse base of approximately eleven disclosed supporters, including Blue Shield of California, California Office of Emergency Services, California Department of Social Services, Horizons Foundation, the San Francisco Human Rights Committee, San Francisco Department on the Status of Women, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, Tikkun Olam Foundation, Vanguard Charitable Fund, The Women's Foundation of California, and Community Thrift Store. Services are provided free of charge to survivors, with no pricing or fee structure. The go-to-market motion is community-led: outreach is driven by peer referrals, coalition partner referrals, and word-of-mouth within Bay Area LGBTQI networks, supplemented by email newsletters, blog content, social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest), and Vimeo-hosted documentary content. Trainings serve as an institutional touchpoint for revenue and influence with external agencies.

The organization operates a shared-leadership governance model with a Co-Executive Director and a small staff team that includes program managers, a peer advocacy and outreach coordinator, a wellness manager, and a bilingual peer advocate, supported by a Board of Directors. CUAV is a member of five coalitions (NCAVP, DVC, CPEDV, No New SF Jail Fight, and Free SF), participates in additional initiatives such as Our Trans Home SF, and was a host site for the Dream SF Fellowship in partnership with the San Francisco Office of Civic Engagement & Immigrant Affairs. Since adopting an anti-oppression framework in the late 1990s and completing a strategic planning process in 2007-2009, CUAV has framed its work around healing justice, transformative justice, and organizing approaches, prioritizing Black and Latinx queer and trans leadership and explicitly centering alternatives to law enforcement intervention.

Name

Community United Against Violence

Legal name

Community United Against Violence

Website

https://cuav.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Community United Against Violence is a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1979, that delivers peer counseling, support groups, and leadership development programs free of charge to low- and no-income LGBTQI survivors of violence in the Bay Area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

LGBTQI Anti-Violence Social Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations (BPAGAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

Keywords

• Violence prevention services
• Survivor advocacy counseling
• Community healing programs
• Trauma-informed support
• Leadership development training

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: CUAV relies on community donations from individuals to fund their programs supporting LGBTQI survivors of violence.
2. Institutional Grants and Support: CUAV receives funding from institutional supporters including Blue Shield of California, California Office of Emergency Services, California Department of Social Services, Horizons Foundation, San Francisco Human Rights Committee, San Francisco Department on the Status of Women, San Francisco District Attorney's Office, Tikkun Olam Foundation, Vanguard Charitable Fund, The Women's Foundation of California, and Community Thrift Store.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CUAV provides free, community-based direct services for LGBTQI survivors of violence, including short-term peer advocacy counseling, weekly wellness support groups (Take Care Tuesdays), a survivor leadership membership program (SAF-T), the Healing Justice Program, and a 40-hour Fundamentals of Healing and Community Leadership Training. It also delivers paid trainings and workshops to external organizations serving LGBTQ populations and publishes annual Hate Violence and Domestic Violence Reports in coalition with NCAVP.

Product overview

Community United Against Violence (CUAV) is a community-based organization offering a suite of direct service programs for LGBTQI survivors of violence. The core offerings include Peer Advocacy Counseling providing short-term emotional support and safety planning, Take Care Tuesdays weekly support groups, and the SAF-T (Survivors Advocating for Freedom Today) membership program for leadership development and systemic change organizing. CUAV also delivers training programs including the 40-hour Fundamentals of Healing and Community Leadership Training, workshops on Understanding Violence and Supporting Queer & Trans Survivors Self-Determination, and Wellness Skills Workshops. The organization publishes annual Hate Violence and Domestic Violence Reports and maintains a Community Resources Directory connecting survivors to counseling, legal, medical, and housing services. CUAV also produces the documentary video 'Determined to Survive' as an advocacy and education tool. These programs work together to provide a comprehensive continuum of healing, advocacy, leadership development, and community education services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Peer Advocacy Counseling Short-term counseling service providing emotional support, safety planning, referrals, and limited case follow-up for LGBTQ people dealing with violence or abuse. Available by appointment Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm, with crisis support via phone and email.
• Take Care Tuesdays Support Group

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCAVP is a coalition focused on empowering LGBTQ communities to end all forms of violence through organizing and education. CUAV participates in producing annual hate violence and domestic violence reports as part of this coalition.
• San Francisco Domestic Violence Consortium (DVC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDVC emerged from the movement to end violence against women and is dedicated to eliminating domestic violence and ensuring rights of safety, self-determination and well-being to victims and survivors of domestic violence.
• California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (CPEDV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPEDV promotes the collective voice of a diverse coalition of organizations working to eliminate all forms of domestic violence.
• No New SF Jail FightsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of organizations, residents, and community members joining together to fight the construction of a new jail in San Francisco's SOMA neighborhood.
• Free SF (Full Right, Equality + Empowerment Coalition San Francisco)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition representing joining of San Francisco Immigrant Rights Defense Committee and San Francisco Progressive Criminal Justice Network, advocating for community safety, transformative justice, immigrant rights, and self-determination.
• Our Trans Home SFsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition campaign calling for city leaders to address the crisis of transgender homelessness and housing instability in San Francisco.
• San Francisco Office of Civic Engagement & Immigrant Affairs (OCEIA)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCUAV partnered with OCEIA as a host site for Dream SF Fellows, a paid leadership and professional development program for immigrants in the Bay Area. Two fellows (Jade Mora Gutierrez and Dani Amador) were hosted in 2021.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Galop: Galop is the UK's specialist LGBTQ+ anti-violence charity providing helpline, advocacy, and casework services. Comparable to CUAV as a direct LGBTQ anti-violence service provider offering counseling, safety planning, and survivor support, though it operates in the UK rather than the US.
• San Francisco LGBT Center: The San Francisco LGBT Center is a community hub in the same city as CUAV, offering programs, services, and resources for LGBTQ communities. Both organizations serve overlapping Bay Area LGBTQ populations, though the SF LGBT Center operates broader cultural, economic, and community programming rather than a specific anti-violence focus.

Direct peers

• FORGE: FORGE is a national transgender anti-violence organization providing direct services, training, and advocacy for transgender and gender non-conforming survivors of violence. Comparable to CUAV because both serve transgender survivors of violence and provide trauma-informed training to external organizations.
• Anti-Violence Project: AVP is a New York-based LGBTQ anti-violence organization providing counseling, advocacy, and survivor support services, and is a core NCAVP coalition partner alongside CUAV. It is the most direct functional peer — both organizations share the mission of supporting LGBTQ survivors of hate violence and intimate partner violence through counseling, advocacy, and community organizing.
• Northwest Network of Bi, Trans, Lesbian and Gay Survivors of Abuse: Northwest Network is a Pacific Northwest LGBTQ domestic violence and sexual assault organization providing advocacy, support groups, and community organizing. It is a direct peer to CUAV because both provide LGBTQ-specific intimate partner violence services and share membership in national anti-violence coalitions.

Broad incumbents

• The Trevor Project: The Trevor Project is a national LGBTQ youth crisis organization providing 24/7 crisis intervention via phone, text, and chat. Comparable to CUAV in mission focus (LGBTQ crisis support), but operates at national scale via a digital-first delivery model rather than in-person community services.
• Los Angeles LGBT Center: The LA LGBT Center is one of the largest LGBTQ community organizations in the world, offering a broad portfolio of services including anti-violence, mental health, housing, and legal services. Comparable to CUAV because both provide direct services and advocacy for LGBTQ survivors, though LA's center operates at much greater scale and scope.
• National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR): NCLR is a national legal advocacy organization advancing the rights of LGBTQ people and families through impact litigation and policy advocacy. Comparable to CUAV in mission space (LGBTQ rights and safety), though NCLR operates primarily through legal channels rather than direct survivor services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/cuav
• Facebookfacebook.com/cuav.bayarea
• Xx.com/cuav
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cuav-community-united-against-violence

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Community United Against Violence