AVANZAR (formerly The Women's Center)

What AVANZAR (formerly The Women's Center) does

AVANZAR is a New Jersey-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1975 and headquartered in Pleasantville, NJ, that delivers crisis intervention, shelter, counseling, and social justice programming to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. The organization operates seven core service programs: a 24-hour crisis hotline and confidential emergency shelter for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors; the Dream Free statewide human trafficking program for youth aged 21 and under; the PALS therapeutic program for children aged 3-17 who have witnessed violence; Fatherhood Services; WorkForce Advancement Services for displaced homemakers; the South Region Grow NJ Kids Technical Assistance Center serving seven Southern New Jersey counties; and Social Justice Services including anti-racism training and the Chat for Change podcast. Services are delivered free of charge to clients through direct crisis response, hospital and police response teams (SART/DVRT), and community education channels.

Name

AVANZAR (formerly The Women's Center)

Legal name

AVANZAR

Website

https://avanzarnow.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AVANZAR is a New Jersey 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1975 that provides crisis intervention, shelter, counseling, and social justice services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking across Southern New Jersey and statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Crisis Intervention and Social Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH), Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Crisis Intervention & Suicide Prevention Services (EDALAFAD)

Keywords

• Domestic violence services
• Sexual assault support
• Human trafficking program
• Social justice training
• Workforce development services

Headquarters

HQ city

Pleasantville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, and community members. AVANZAR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
2. Government Grants and Funding: Federal and state government grants supporting domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking programs. Historical funding includes $115,000 in 1977 from Federal Government for shelter establishment.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Financial and in-kind support from corporate sponsors including M&T Bank, OceanFirst Foundation, AtlantiCare, AT&T, Nationwide, and other local businesses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

AVANZAR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating seven core service programs that provide crisis intervention, emergency shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, and therapeutic services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking in New Jersey. All services are provided free and confidentially to clients through a 24-hour crisis hotline, hospital and police response teams, and a confidential shelter. The organization also delivers workforce advancement for displaced homemakers, early childhood education technical assistance, fatherhood programs, and social justice/anti-racism training.

Product overview

AVANZAR is a nonprofit social justice organization offering a portfolio of seven distinct service programs addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, workforce development, child therapeutic services, early childhood education support, and anti-racism/diversity training. The organization operates as a unified nonprofit delivering these programs independently and in coordination, each serving distinct populations (survivors, children, families, educators, fathers, community organizations) through dedicated staff and volunteer teams. The programs share a common mission of empowerment around physical safety, emotional well-being, individual freedom, and economic equality, but function as separate programmatic arms rather than a modular software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Programs Comprehensive crisis services including a 24-hour hotline, confidential emergency shelter, individual/family/group counseling, legal advocacy, Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), Forensic Nurse Examiner Program, Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT), community education, and an Emergency Cellular Phone Program for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
• Dream Free Human Trafficking Program Statewide holistic services for youth survivors of human trafficking ages 21 and under, offering crisis response, counseling, system advocacy, in-community outreach, and education on healthy relationships and trafficking prevention. Operates from a 4-P perspective (Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, Partnership).
• PALS (Peace: A Learned Solution) Therapeutic Program Therapeutic program for children ages 3-17 and their non-offending parents who have witnessed or experienced domestic violence, offering creative art therapies including art therapy, music therapy, play therapy, family counseling, and support groups. Part of statewide PALS network.
• Fatherhood Services 26-session program equipping fathers with conflict resolution skills, assistance reuniting with children, connections to community supports, and improved co-parent communication. Serves voluntary and court/DCP&P-mandated participants seeking to end the cycle of violence and become strong, nurturing caregivers.
• WorkForce Advancement Services (Displaced Homemaker Program) Assists individuals out of the workforce due to divorce, separation, death, disability of a spouse/partner, or domestic violence. Provides job development, resume writing, interview practice, computer literacy, financial management, career counseling, and connections to social services.
• Grow NJ Kids South Region Technical Assistance Center State-sponsored initiative administered by AVANZAR as the South Region Technical Assistance Center, providing coaching, mentorship, and technical assistance to licensed child care centers, family child care providers, district preschool programs, and Head Start programs across seven Southern New Jersey counties to raise the quality of child care and achieve star ratings.
• Social Justice Services Customized antiracism training, Dismantling Racism Initiative with caucuses and Change Team, Sacred Healing Spaces culturally-specific support groups, Chat for Change podcast, theatrical productions on racism, and partnerships with governmental and nonprofit organizations through the Committee on Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• 306 women and children sheltered in first year of operation (1978)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The Charity League of Atlantic CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner that has witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of AVANZAR on individuals and families throughout Atlantic County.
• Superior Court of NJ Atlantic/Cape May VicinagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVANZAR participates in the Committee on Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement and Community Outreach and Public Education Subcommittee, connecting to governmental and nonprofit partners.
• Coalition Against Sexual ViolencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVANZAR works with this coalition alongside other organizations to tackle social determinants of health in the community to prevent sexual violence by addressing protective and risk factors.
• Local Hospitals and Police DepartmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local hospitals and police departments for Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) and Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT) services.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Safe Horizon: NYC's largest victim-services nonprofit, operating shelters, hotlines, DV and trafficking programs, and counseling across multiple boroughs. Comparable on hotline/shelter/DV/HT core, though significantly larger and broader in scope than AVANZAR.
• Polaris Project (now part of Mains'l Services): The leading national anti-trafficking operator, running the National Human Trafficking Hotline, victim advocacy, and policy work. Comparable to AVANZAR's Dream Free program on trafficking survivor services and 24/7 hotline operations, operating at much larger national scale.
• Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services: A large NYC-based human services nonprofit providing counseling, DV and trauma services, and youth programs. Comparable to AVANZAR on integrated counseling + youth/family services, but operating as a much larger social services incumbent.

Direct peers

• Sanctuary for Families: NYC-based nonprofit operating DV shelters, anti-trafficking programs, counseling, and legal advocacy, including a dedicated anti-trafficking program for foreign-national survivors. Highly comparable on the DV + human trafficking + legal advocacy portfolio and free, confidential service model.
• Center for Family Services: A New Jersey-headquartered human services nonprofit offering DV counseling, youth programs, fatherhood services, and workforce development across the state. Compares to AVANZAR on the multi-program social services mix (DV + youth/fatherhood + workforce) and NJ footprint.
• Womanspace Inc. A New Jersey-based 501(c)(3) that operates the state's designated DV Response Team and a 24-hour hotline, emergency shelter, and counseling services in Mercer County. Directly comparable to AVANZAR as a regional NJ domestic violence and sexual assault provider with similar hotline, shelter, and SART/DVRT capabilities.
• Covenant House New Jersey: A Newark/Atlantic City-based nonprofit operating shelter and crisis services for youth experiencing homelessness and trafficking. Comparable to AVANZAR's Dream Free program on youth-focused shelter, trafficking survivor services, and NJ footprint.
• GEMS (Girls Educational & Mentoring Services): A NYC-based nonprofit providing counseling, housing, and education for commercially sexually exploited and domestically trafficked girls and young women. Closely matches AVANZAR's Dream Free program in age range, trauma-counseling model, and survivor-services orientation.
• Alternatives to Domestic Violence: A Rockland County, NY-based nonprofit providing shelter, hotline, counseling, and advocacy for DV survivors. Directly comparable to AVANZAR on shelter-plus-counseling service model, though serving a neighboring state/region rather than NJ itself.

Regional players

• The Network for Family Life Education (NJ PEACE): NJ-based prevention and education organization providing sexual-violence prevention, healthy-relationship programming, and bystander training. Closely aligned with AVANZAR's community-education/primary-prevention arm and Social Justice services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCf4xMbQ6A_eETSSyyJYPk3Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/avanzarnow.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/avanzar-formerly-the-women-s-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/avanzarnow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 AVANZAR (formerly The Women's Center)