FIRST STEP A RESPONSE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INC

What FIRST STEP A RESPONSE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INC does

First Step: A Response to Domestic Violence Inc is a private, nonprofit social services organization founded around 1980 and headquartered at 129 Franklin Street in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The organization provides a comprehensive continuum of services to adult survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence and their children in the City of Harrisonburg and County of Rockingham, including a 24-hour crisis hotline, emergency shelter, advocacy, legal advocacy, rapid re-housing, individual and group counseling (with telehealth delivery), children's services, bilingual Spanish advocacy, and community outreach and education. First Step is the only local nonprofit providing comprehensive domestic violence services including safe shelter in its service area and has operated continuously for over 40 years.

The organization's business model is donation- and grant-funded. All services are provided free of charge and kept confidential; no fees are assessed to survivors regardless of ability to pay or background. Revenue streams consist of charitable contributions from individuals, organizations, and community members, alongside government funding accessed via its accreditation as a domestic violence agency through the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. The organization employs 17 staff and reaches clients through a community-led go-to-market model consisting of outreach events, presentations, training, referrals, and a 24-hour intake hotline, supplemented by a Squarespace-hosted website and MailChimp mailing list.

First Step holds no proprietary technology product, no patents, and no AI/ML capabilities. Its service delivery relies on human counseling staff, established relationships with landlords and community partners for housing placement, and standard web and social media channels for awareness. The organization's competitive position rests on its regulatory accreditation, its four-decade community footprint, and its exclusive local role as the sole comprehensive DV shelter provider in its service area.

Name

FIRST STEP A RESPONSE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INC

Legal name

First Step: A Response to Domestic Violence

Website

https://firststepva.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

First Step: A Response to Domestic Violence Inc is a private nonprofit founded in 1980 in Harrisonburg, Virginia, providing free, confidential emergency shelter, crisis hotline, counseling, advocacy, and rapid re-housing services to adult survivors of domestic violence and their children in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Domestic Violence Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Community Housing Services (62422), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

Keywords

• Domestic violence services
• Emergency shelter
• Crisis intervention
• Survivor advocacy
• Nonprofit counseling

Headquarters

HQ city

Harrisonburg

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. Donations and Charitable Contributions: First Step operates as a private nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations from individuals, organizations, and community members who support their mission to help survivors of domestic violence.
2. Government Grants and Funding: As an accredited domestic violence agency through the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, First Step likely receives government funding and grants to support operational costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

First Step provides free, confidential emergency shelter, crisis intervention, advocacy, legal advocacy, rapid re-housing, individual and group counseling (in-person and via Telehealth), inclusive language services, children's services, and community outreach for adult survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence and their children in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, Virginia. All services are provided at no cost to survivors regardless of race, ethnicity, language, or background.

Product overview

First Step: A Response to Domestic Violence is a nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive suite of domestic violence support services in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, Virginia. The organization provides emergency shelter, crisis intervention through a 24-hour hotline, advocacy services, legal advocacy, rapid re-housing assistance, and domestic violence counseling (both individual and group). Additional services include inclusive language services, children's services and referrals, and community outreach. All services are provided free of charge and kept strictly confidential. The organization has served the community for over forty years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Crisis Intervention Services
• Emergency Shelter
• Advocacy Services
• Legal Advocacy
• Rapid Re-Housing
• Inclusive Language Services
• Children's Services & Referrals
• Domestic Violence Counseling
• Community Outreach & Engagement
• Telehealth Counseling
• Teen Dating Violence Resources

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

Integration3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Landlords and Property OwnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Step collaborates with landlords and property owners who are willing to provide rental units to survivors transitioning out of emergency shelter. Property owners benefit from reduced vacancies, financial assistance through rental support, case management for tenants, and a streamlined placement process.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• YWCA (local chapters): Many local YWCA chapters operate domestic violence shelters, crisis hotlines, and advocacy programs with similar community-led, donation-funded models, making them directly comparable mission-aligned peers.
• The Julian Center: Indianapolis-based nonprofit providing emergency shelter, advocacy, counseling, and re-housing services for DV survivors, closely mirroring First Step's integrated continuum-of-care model at a similar scale.
• Turning Point (various U.S. chapters): Community-based DV nonprofits offering shelter, advocacy, and counseling with similar scope; many Turning Point affiliates operate at a comparable small-team, single-region scale to First Step.
• Harbor House of Central Florida: Central Florida DV nonprofit offering emergency shelter, advocacy, counseling, and outreach in a defined regional catchment, comparable in mission, funding structure, and service mix.

Broad incumbents

• National Domestic Violence Hotline: The NDVH operates the national 24/7 DV hotline and resource referral services, providing a broader-scale analog of First Step's crisis intervention and referral capabilities.
• Safe Horizon: Safe Horizon is one of the largest U.S. organizations addressing DV, sexual assault, and related trauma, operating multiple shelters, hotlines, and counseling programs across New York; comparable in service breadth though far larger in scale.

Emerging players

• Mary's Center: Community health and social services nonprofit serving the D.C. region with wraparound family support including DV-related services; overlaps with First Step on bilingual wraparound support, though broader in scope.
• love is respect (Break the Cycle): National DV-prevention and youth-relationship-violence resource focused on teens and young adults; comparable to First Step's teen dating violence educational programming.

Others

• Virginia Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance: Statewide umbrella and policy/training organization for Virginia DV and sexual violence programs; a key ecosystem partner supporting accredited agencies like First Step through training and advocacy.

Regional players

• Shelter House (Fairfax): Northern Virginia DV and homelessness service provider operating shelter and re-housing programs in a different but nearby jurisdiction; relevant for cross-regional benchmarking within Virginia.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-step-a-response-to-domestic-violence-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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