Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Center

What Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Center does

The Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Center (legal name: Domestic Violence Program, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1986 and headquartered in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The organization provides a unified suite of trauma-informed protective and healing services for adult and child survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault across Rutherford County and surrounding counties in Tennessee. Its core service portfolio consists of Emergency Shelter at Bernard House (built 2004), Court Advocacy for Orders of Protection, the SAFE Room for Sexual Assault Forensic Exams (launched 2019), and individual, crisis, and group Counseling using evidence-based trauma modalities (EMDR, TF-CBT, ART, Brain Spotting, DBT). All direct services are provided free of charge to survivors and are accessed through 24/7 crisis hotlines, walk-in availability at the 7,000+ square foot Kensington Square Court office, and referral partnerships with hospitals, law enforcement, and community physicians. The organization operates with approximately 47 employees and an Executive Director (Ericka Downing, appointed December 2019), supported by a Board of Directors chaired by Mitzi Newbill.

The business model is donation-based rather than fee-based: revenue is derived from individual donations (including a "Heroes of Hope" monthly giving program), tiered corporate sponsorships ($1,500-$10,000), foundation grants (Mary Kay Foundation, Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, Predators Foundation, Christy Houston Foundation, Charity Circle), workplace giving campaigns, and fundraising events (Boots & Brews, Costumes for a Cause, Legacy Gala). Service delivery is free at the point of use, and there is no proprietary technology platform; the go-to-market is direct outreach to survivors via crisis lines, referral networks, and community awareness campaigns across website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Geographic scope is regional and intentionally bounded to Rutherford County and adjacent counties, with no global footprint and no app, API, or digital product surface.

Name

Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Center

Legal name

Domestic Violence Program, Inc.

Website

https://dvsacenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1986 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, providing free 24/7 crisis hotlines, emergency shelter, SAFE Room forensic exams, court advocacy, and trauma counseling to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault across Rutherford County and surrounding counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Support Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Temporary Shelters (624221)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

Keywords

• Crisis intervention services
• Domestic violence shelter
• Sexual assault services
• Trauma counseling
• Legal advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Murfreesboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting the mission of protecting victims, preventing violence, and empowering survivors of domestic and sexual assault. Includes monthly giving program (Heroes of Hope).
2. Corporate Sponsorships & Partnerships: Corporate partners provide financial support through tiered sponsorship packages (Hope Sponsor $10,000, Platinum $7,500, Gold $5,000, Silver $3,000, Bronze $1,500) and event sponsorships.
3. Foundation Grants: Grant funding from foundations including $20,000 Mary Kay Foundation grant and $5,500 Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee grant to support shelter operations, SAFE Room services, and 24/7 sexual assault services.
4. Workplace Giving Programs: Corporate workplace giving programs where employees can designate deductions from paychecks to support the organization.

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Center delivers a free, integrated suite of crisis intervention and trauma recovery services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Rutherford County and surrounding Tennessee counties. Core offerings include the Bernard House emergency shelter, a 24/7 SAFE Room for sexual assault forensic exams, court advocacy for orders of protection, individual and group trauma counseling, and round-the-clock crisis hotlines. All services are provided at no cost to survivors and funded through donations, grants, and sponsorships.

Product overview

Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Center is a nonprofit service organization (501(c)3) providing a unified suite of trauma-informed healing and protective services for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors. The core service portfolio centers on Emergency Shelter, Court Advocacy (including Orders of Protection), the SAFE Room (Sexual Assault Forensic Exam services), and Counseling (individual, crisis, and group). These are supported by 24-hour crisis hotlines, volunteer programs, donation/giving initiatives, community events, and the Stories of Hope awareness program. All direct services are provided at no cost to survivors. The organization serves Rutherford County and surrounding counties in Tennessee, operating from Murfreesboro.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Shelter (Bernard House) Safe, confidential emergency housing for victims of domestic violence and their families fleeing abusive situations. Provided at no cost.
• Court Advocacy Legal support services helping survivors obtain Orders of Protection and navigate the court system for domestic violence and sexual assault cases. Provided at no cost.
• SAFE Room (Sexual Assault Forensic Exam) Private specialized room for Sexual Assault Forensic Exams offering evidence collection, medication for STIs and pregnancy prevention, and crisis intervention, completed within 5 days of assault. Provided at no cost.
• Counseling Services Individual, crisis, and periodic group counseling using evidence-based treatments including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, Accelerated Resolution Therapy, Brain Spotting, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. All services provided at no cost.
• 24-Hour Crisis Hotlines Round-the-clock telephone crisis support for domestic violence (615-896-2012) and sexual assault (615-494-9262) victims, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Quantifiable outcome

• All services provided at no cost to survivors
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tennessee CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level coalition supporting domestic violence and sexual assault organizations across Tennessee, providing advocacy and resources.
• Murfreesboro Young ProfessionalsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal young professional organization partnering to support community awareness and engagement.
• Children's Advocacy CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization working together on 19 Days of Activism to address opioid abuse and family trauma, implementing evidence-based interventions, educating the community, and erasing stigmas.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Safe Horizon: Large New York-based nonprofit providing domestic violence shelters, hotlines, counseling, and court advocacy — equivalent integrated crisis response service model at much larger scale.
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 24/7 national crisis line and resource directory for domestic violence victims, directly comparable to the DVSA Center's 24-hour crisis hotline service.
• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): National operator of the Sexual Assault Hotline and the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the U.S. — addresses the same SAFE Room / crisis response and forensic exam category at national scale.
• Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence: Statewide umbrella coalition and existing partner of the DVSA Center, providing advocacy, training, and resource coordination across Tennessee — operates at a broader geographic and policy level than the county-level service provider.

Direct peers

• Center for Family Safety and Healing: Multidisciplinary nonprofit addressing family violence including domestic violence and sexual assault through shelter, advocacy, and clinical services — closely comparable integrated service model.
• Sanctuary for Families: New York-based nonprofit delivering shelter, counseling, and legal/court advocacy for domestic violence and sex trafficking survivors — closely aligned mix of confidential shelter, counseling, and court advocacy services.
• YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee: Regional nonprofit providing domestic violence shelter, advocacy, and sexual assault services in nearby Davidson County — directly comparable service mix (shelter, counseling, advocacy) serving a neighboring Middle Tennessee population.
• Haven House (Nashville): Confidential emergency shelter and counseling provider for domestic violence survivors in Davidson County, sharing the same regional domestic violence service model and referral ecosystem as the DVSA Center.

Regional players

• Children's Advocacy Center (Rutherford County): Local partner organization collaborating on the 19 Days of Activism to address family trauma — operates adjacent child-focused services in the same county with overlapping client population.
• The Refuge Center for Counseling: Middle Tennessee-based nonprofit offering professional, low-cost counseling — comparable clinical/therapy service line in the same geographic corridor, though broader in mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dvsacenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/DVSAcenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/dvsacenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/domestic-violence-program-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Center