Connections for Abused Women and their Children (CAWC)

What Connections for Abused Women and their Children (CAWC) does

Connections for Abused Women and their Children (CAWC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1977 and headquartered at 1116 N. Kedzie Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. It provides direct services to adult and child survivors of domestic violence through a portfolio of programs: the Greenhouse Shelter (the first domestic violence shelter in Chicago), the Humboldt Park Outreach Program offering bilingual Spanish/English walk-in services, the Hospital Crisis Intervention Project embedded at John Stroger Hospital and Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and domestic violence counseling at Haymarket Center. Supporting services include a 24-hour crisis hotline, individual and group counseling, court advocacy, children's services, education and training, police relations, and substance abuse support, with the Safe Night Fund providing emergency hotel placements when shelter capacity is exceeded.

CAWC operates an integrated single-entity service model rather than a technology platform. Its core technology footprint is limited to its website, blog, and email communications — there is no proprietary software, AI, or API product. Services are delivered free of charge to survivors, with no pricing model applied to clients. Revenue is generated from a diversified mix of individual donations (including monthly recurring gifts), local, state, and federal government grants, corporate and foundation grants (including United Way), and special event revenue such as the annual Sounds of Silence Gala. The organization reports an annual operating budget of approximately $2.1 million, is governed by a Board of Directors, and is staffed by a multi-cultural team of employees, volunteers, and interns. CAWC is a member of the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Metropolitan Chicago Battered Women's Network, and in 2025 established partnerships with the North Americas Building Trades Unions and TradesFutures to extend its outreach.

Name

Connections for Abused Women and their Children (CAWC)

Legal name

Connections for Abused Women and their Children (CAWC)

Website

https://cawc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CAWC is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1977, that provides shelter, counseling, court advocacy, hospital-based crisis intervention, and a 24-hour hotline to adult and child survivors of domestic violence in the Chicago metropolitan area, operating with a $2.1 million annual budget.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Domestic Violence Social Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

Keywords

• Domestic violence services
• Emergency shelter services
• Crisis intervention
• Survivor advocacy
• Trauma-informed counseling

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago, IL

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Monthly giving programs and one-time donations from individuals supporting domestic violence survivors and their children.
2. Government Funding: Support from local, state, and federal government sources.
3. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Support from corporations, foundations, and United Way.
4. Special Event Revenue: Revenue from events such as the annual Sounds of Silence Gala, restaurant industry nights, and other fundraising events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CAWC provides emergency shelter, counseling, court advocacy, education, and a 24-hour crisis hotline to survivors of domestic violence and their children in the Chicago metropolitan area. Through programs such as Greenhouse Shelter, the Humboldt Park Outreach Program, the Hospital Crisis Intervention Project, and Domestic Violence Services at Haymarket Center, the organization delivers bilingual, bicultural, trauma-informed services free of charge. CAWC also pursues social change through community education, service collaboration, and institutional advocacy.

Product overview

CAWC is a nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive suite of domestic violence services through multiple programs. The organization operates as a single integrated service model rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core programs include: Greenhouse Shelter (the first domestic violence shelter in Chicago), Humboldt Park Outreach Program (bilingual/bicultural services), Hospital Crisis Intervention Project (at John Stroger and Northwestern Memorial hospitals), and Domestic Violence Services at Haymarket Center. Direct services encompass a 24-hour crisis hotline, counseling (individual and group), court advocacy, children's services, education and training, police relations, and substance abuse support. The Safe Night Fund provides emergency hotel stays when shelter capacity is reached.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Humboldt Park Outreach Program (HPOP) Bilingual and bicultural (Spanish/English) core domestic violence services provided to adults on a walk-in or appointment basis in the Humboldt Park community.
• Greenhouse Shelter Safe refuge and vital support to help adult and child victims take steps to ending abuse. Greenhouse Shelter was the first domestic violence shelter in Chicago.
• Hospital Crisis Intervention Project Direct crisis intervention services for domestic violence victims at the critical time they seek health care, housed at John Stroger Hospital and Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
• Domestic Violence Services at Haymarket Center Domestic violence education and group/individual counseling for survivors at Haymarket Center, a comprehensive substance abuse facility.
• Children's Services Counseling and guidance to help children break the cycles of domestic violence.
• Counseling Services Individual and group counseling sessions with trained professionals for domestic violence survivors.
• Court Advocacy Legal advocacy services to help survivors protect themselves and understand their rights in court proceedings.
• Education and Training Educational programs and training that work with hospitals and other groups to understand domestic violence.
• Police Relations Collaborative services working with police to protect survivors and their rights.
• 24-Hour Domestic Violence Hotline Crisis hotline available 24 hours a day at 773.278.4566 for immediate support, safety planning, and referrals for people affected by domestic violence.
• Safe Night Fund Emergency hotel stays program providing immediate temporary shelter along with food, transportation, and advocacy services for survivors and families when shelters are at capacity.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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.

• North Americas Building Trades UnionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CAWC partners with the North Americas Building Trades Unions for the 2025 Tradeswomen Build Nations Conference. The partnership empowers women through CAWC's trauma-informed services while inspiring future leaders in trades professions. CAWC provides support services while gaining visibility with the trades community.
• TradesFuturescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CAWC partners with TradesFutures for the 2025 Tradeswomen Build Nations Conference to provide domestic violence awareness and resources to women in the building trades community. The partnership combines CAWC's expertise in supporting survivors with TradesFutures' mission to advance women in nontraditional careers.
• Illinois Coalition Against Domestic ViolencecoreOthersCAWC is a member of the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, a statewide organization working to end domestic violence through advocacy, education, and services. Membership provides access to statewide resources, training, and collaborative advocacy efforts.
• Metropolitan Chicago Battered Women's NetworkcoreOthersCAWC is a member of the Metropolitan Chicago Battered Women's Network, a local coalition working to address domestic violence in the Chicago metropolitan area. Membership supports coordination with other local service providers and advocacy efforts.
• John Stroger HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAWC's Hospital Crisis Intervention Project is housed at John Stroger Hospital, providing direct services to domestic violence victims at a critical time when they seek health care. The hospital partnership enables CAWC to reach survivors who may not otherwise access services.
• Northwestern Memorial HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAWC's Hospital Crisis Intervention Project is housed at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, providing quality direct services to domestic violence victims when they seek health care. This partnership allows CAWC to intervene at a critical moment in survivors' lives.
• Haymarket CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAWC provides domestic violence services at Haymarket Center, a comprehensive substance abuse facility. Services include education about domestic violence and group/individual counseling to survivors dealing with both substance abuse and intimate partner violence.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• KAN-WIN: Chicago-area nonprofit serving Asian American survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault with culturally specific shelter, counseling, and advocacy. Comparable mission and service model with a distinct cultural-linguistic focus.
• Apna Ghar: Chicago-based nonprofit providing shelter, counseling, and advocacy for survivors of domestic violence in South Asian and immigrant communities. Comparable in service mix but differentiated by its cultural focus, similar to CAWC's bilingual/bicultural positioning.

Broad incumbents

• YWCA Metropolitan Chicago: Large Chicago-based social services organization that includes domestic violence programming alongside broader women's empowerment and family services. Comparable in mission focus on DV services but operates at a much larger scale and scope.
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: National 24/7 crisis hotline and referral resource for domestic violence survivors. Comparable in operating the kind of national hotline service that CAWC runs locally, and serves as an upstream referral partner.

Direct peers

• Resilience (formerly Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation): Chicago-based nonprofit addressing sexual exploitation, domestic violence, and human trafficking through crisis intervention, counseling, and advocacy. Comparable in program mix and target population within Chicago.
• The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence: Chicago-area domestic violence service and advocacy organization offering counseling, safety planning, and shelter referrals. Directly comparable in mission, geography, and service offerings.
• Sarah's Inn: Chicago-area (Oak Park) domestic violence nonprofit offering emergency shelter, counseling, advocacy, and prevention education. Closely comparable in scope and funding model to CAWC's portfolio.
• A New Direction: Chicago-based domestic violence organization providing counseling, court advocacy, and crisis intervention across Cook County. Directly comparable in target population, services, and geographic footprint.
• Between Friends: Chicago-based nonprofit providing domestic violence counseling, court advocacy, and a 24-hour help line. Operates in the same Chicago service area as CAWC with a comparable program mix, making it the most direct local peer.
• WINGS Program, Inc. Metropolitan Chicago nonprofit delivering emergency shelter, housing, and counseling to domestic violence survivors. Closely comparable service model, scale, and Chicago-area focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cawc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Connections for Abused Women and their Children (CAWC)