Northwest Center Against Sexual Assault

What Northwest Center Against Sexual Assault does

Northwest Center Against Sexual Assault (NWCASA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1978 and headquartered in Arlington Heights, Illinois, that provides free, confidential services to survivors of sexual violence and their loved ones across Cook and McHenry counties. Its service portfolio is organized around four operational pillars: a 24/7 confidential crisis hotline (888-802-8890, with a separate McHenry County line at 800-892-8900), hospital-based medical advocacy at emergency rooms of approximately ten partner health systems (Advocate Lutheran General, Ascension Alexian Brothers, Ascension St. Alexius, NorthShore Evanston/Glenbrook/Skokie, Northwest Community, and three Northwestern Medicine McHenry County facilities), legal advocacy at police departments and courthouses, and trauma-informed individual, family, and group counseling. A fifth pillar, prevention education, encompasses the NOPE Youth Ambassadors program for Cook County high schoolers, a tiered zine library spanning PreK through college, and a 40-hour Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention Training program offered externally to community members and professionals. Most direct services are available in both English and Spanish.

Name

Northwest Center Against Sexual Assault

Legal name

Northwest Center Against Sexual Assault

Website

https://nwcasa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Northwest Center Against Sexual Assault is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1978 that provides free 24/7 crisis hotline, hospital medical advocacy, legal advocacy, trauma counseling, and prevention education to survivors of sexual violence across Cook and McHenry counties in Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sexual Assault Victim Services & Crisis Intervention

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Protection, Child Protection & Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Response (BPAGAAAG), Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Legal Aid) (BPADADAH), Trauma-Informed Care & Crisis Response (School-Based) (EDAKAMAF)

Keywords

• Sexual assault services
• Crisis intervention hotline
• Medical advocacy services
• Trauma counseling
• Prevention education

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington Heights

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, NWCASA is funded through individual donations, corporate and foundation grants, and government funding at state and local levels. Services are provided free of charge to survivors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NWCASA provides free, trauma-informed services to survivors of sexual violence and their loved ones, including a 24/7 confidential crisis hotline, medical advocacy at hospital emergency rooms, legal advocacy at police departments and courthouses, and individual, family, and group trauma counseling. The organization also delivers professional training, school- and community-based sexual abuse prevention education, the NOPE Youth Ambassadors program, and prevention education zines, with many services available in English and Spanish across Cook and McHenry counties in Illinois.

Product overview

Northwest Center Against Sexual Assault (NWCASA) is a non-profit victim services organization offering a coordinated suite of free services to survivors of sexual violence and their families. The core service portfolio includes a 24/7 Confidential Crisis Hotline providing immediate emotional support and referrals, Medical Advocacy at partner hospital emergency rooms, Legal Advocacy at police departments and courthouses, and Trauma Counseling through individual, family, and group sessions. The organization also provides Prevention Education services including the NOPE Youth Ambassadors program for high school students, and Prevention Education Zines covering topics from body safety for young children to consent education for college students. All services are available in both English and Spanish, and are provided free of charge.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 24/7 Confidential Crisis Hotline A 24/7 confidential, non-judgmental telephone hotline (888-802-8890) providing emotional support, advocacy, information, and referrals to survivors of sexual violence, their significant others, and community members; available in English and Spanish.
• Medical Advocacy 24-hour advocacy provided at hospital emergency rooms across 10 partner hospitals in Cook and McHenry counties, offering emotional support, information about medical visits and evidence collection kits, and referrals to survivors presenting for treatment.
• Legal Advocacy Advocacy services provided at local police departments and courthouses to assist survivors of sexual violence with understanding their legal rights and options in Illinois.
• Trauma Counseling Individual, family, and group trauma counseling services provided to survivors of sexual violence and their loved ones at NWCASA locations.
• Education and Training Professional training and sexual abuse prevention education for the community, including a 40-hour Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention Training (40HR SAIT) and tailored presentations for schools, organizations, and community groups.
• NOPE Youth Ambassadors A teen ambassador program for Cook County high school students that includes a mandatory summer training and a one-year commitment, engaging youth in community building while supporting the NWCASA mission to prevent sexual violence.
• Prevention Education Zines Published educational zines covering Body Safety (PreK-4), Online Safety (4th-8th), Teen Dating Violence Awareness, Love Shouldn't Hurt, and Consent (College), distributed as part of NWCASA's prevention education resources.

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState coalition providing funding, resources, training, and coordination for sexual assault centers across Illinois.
• Advocate Lutheran General HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner Cook County hospital where NWCASA provides medical advocacy services when survivors present for treatment.
• Ascension Alexian Brothers Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner hospital in Elk Grove Village where NWCASA provides medical advocacy services.
• Ascension St. Alexius Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner hospital in Hoffman Estates where NWCASA provides medical advocacy services.
• NorthShore Evanston HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner hospital where NWCASA provides medical advocacy services.
• NorthShore Glenbrook HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner hospital where NWCASA provides medical advocacy services.
• NorthShore Skokie HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner hospital where NWCASA provides medical advocacy services.
• Northwest Community HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner hospital where NWCASA provides medical advocacy services.
• Northwestern Medical Hospital McHenrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner McHenry County hospital where NWCASA provides medical advocacy services.
• Northwestern Medical Hospital HuntleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner McHenry County hospital where NWCASA provides medical advocacy services.
• Northwestern Medical Hospital WoodstockcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner McHenry County hospital where NWCASA provides medical advocacy services.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Howard Brown Health: Chicago LGBTQ-focused health organization that also provides sexual violence response and counseling services. Partial overlap with NWCASA's counseling and advocacy offerings, particularly for a survivor population NWCASA does not explicitly specialize in.

Regional players

• Between Friends: Chicago-based nonprofit providing 24-hour crisis line, counseling, and advocacy for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Comparable service model but focused on Chicago city limits rather than the suburban counties NWCASA serves.
• Center for Prevention of Abuse: Peoria-based Illinois nonprofit providing sexual assault services, domestic violence services, and prevention education. Comparable service portfolio but geographically distinct (central Illinois) and therefore a regional rather than direct competitor.
• A Safe Place (Lake County): Zion, Illinois-based nonprofit serving Lake County with domestic violence and sexual assault crisis, advocacy, and counseling. Operates in a directly adjacent service area to NWCASA, making it a regional peer rather than a direct competitor.
• Mutual Ground: Aurora, Illinois-based nonprofit providing sexual assault and domestic violence services in Kane and Kendall counties. Comparable service portfolio to NWCASA, serving adjacent suburban Chicago counties that border NWCASA's territory.

Broad incumbents

• Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA): Statewide coalition of which NWCASA is a member, providing funding, training, and standards across all Illinois sexual assault centers. Comparable as the institutional framework governing NWCASA's operations rather than a competing provider.
• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): National umbrella operating the National Sexual Assault Hotline and providing training and public education. Not a direct service competitor but the most visible national brand in the same mission space and a key referral pathway for callers outside NWCASA's geographic range.

Direct peers

• YWCA Metropolitan Chicago: Operates sexual violence and domestic violence crisis response, advocacy, and counseling across Chicagoland. Comparable to NWCASA on core advocacy and counseling services and on serving a similar urban/suburban Illinois survivor base.
• Resilience (formerly Rape Victim Advocates): Chicago-based nonprofit providing medical advocacy, legal advocacy, counseling, and 24/7 crisis support to sexual violence survivors. Most directly comparable to NWCASA by service mix, with overlapping hospital-partnership model in the Chicago metro area.
• Pillars Community Health: Illinois nonprofit operating sexual assault services, domestic violence programs, and behavioral health across suburban Cook County. Directly comparable by service overlap and suburban Chicago service area, though it operates within a broader health-services umbrella.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NorthwestCASA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northwest-center-against-sexual-assault

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Northwest Center Against Sexual Assault