Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services

What Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services does

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services (SAPARS) is a Maine-based private nonprofit founded in 2011 that delivers free, confidential trauma-informed services to survivors of sexual violence and to communities across Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford Counties, plus the towns of Bridgton and Harrison. Its core offerings include a 24/7 crisis helpline (1-800-871-7741) with TTY and language interpreter access, one-to-one advocacy delivered by phone, Zoom, or in-person, facilitated peer support groups, and multi-disciplinary Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) coordination that accompanies survivors through hospital exams, police interviews, and court proceedings. The organization operates the designated Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) for its three-county region, providing forensic interviews, family advocacy, and monthly case review in coordination with law enforcement, Child Protective Services, and the District Attorney's Office; a facility therapy dog (Boss, graduated May 2025 from Mission Working Dogs) supports child clients during interviews. School-based prevention education programming covers K-12 classrooms across its service area, and a dedicated Sex Trafficking and Exploitation Assistance program provides crisis intervention, safety planning, and Safe House accompaniment.

SAPARS operates three physical county offices (Lewiston, Farmington, Norway) plus an Auburn mailing headquarters, and runs on a hybrid go-to-market that combines community-led outreach (school presentations, tabling events, an annual golf fundraiser), partner-agency referrals (law enforcement, hospitals, CPS, DA's office), and direct survivor access via helpline, online chat through the RAINN partnership, and video support. Its underlying technology is modest and mission-aligned rather than product-driven: a 24/7 answering-service-backed helpline with 20-minute advocate callback SLAs, TTY/interpreter integrations, closed-circuit forensic interview recording systems, the Resource Connect online chat platform, and donation infrastructure on Zeffy and Infinite Giving (the latter supporting donor-advised funds, stock, and crypto gifts). There is no proprietary software product, no mobile app, and no AI/ML capability disclosed.

The organization is funded primarily through a Maine Department of Health and Human Services operational grant, supplemented by three United Way affiliates (Androscoggin County, Oxford County, Tri-Valley Area), individual donations, and emerging non-cash giving channels. Leadership comprises Executive Director Shawna Austin and Associate Director Heather Turner, supported by a volunteer Board of Directors chaired by Kristin Murray James with cross-county representation. All services are provided at no charge to end users, eliminating commercial churn but tying organizational sustainability to grant-cycle continuity and donor diversification.

Name

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services

Legal name

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services

Website

https://sapars.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services (SAPARS) is a Maine nonprofit founded in 2011 that delivers free, confidential 24/7 crisis support, advocacy, school-based prevention education, and Children's Advocacy Center services to survivors of sexual violence across Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford Counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Crisis Intervention and Survivor Advocacy Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Legal Aid) (BPADADAH), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Sexual violence prevention
• Crisis intervention services
• Survivor advocacy support
• Children's advocacy center
• Forensic interviewing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Auburn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: Primary funding from Maine Department of Health and Human Services providing ongoing operational support for sexual violence prevention and response services.
2. United Way Contributions: Funding from United Way of Androscoggin County, United Way of Oxford County, and United Way of the Tri-Valley Area supporting community-based programs.
3. Public and Private Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting SAPARS mission and services. Online donation portal available via Zeffy platform.
4. Donor-Advised Fund and Stock Donations: Accepts donations through donor-advised funds, stocks, crypto, and endowments via Infinite Giving platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SAPARS provides free, confidential crisis intervention, advocacy, and prevention education services to survivors of sexual violence and child abuse in Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford Counties in Maine. Core services include a 24/7 helpline, one-to-one advocacy, support groups, Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) coordination, a Children's Advocacy Center with forensic interviewing, school-based prevention education, and sex trafficking victim advocacy.

Product overview

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services (SAPARS) is a non-profit organization providing a unified portfolio of free, confidential advocacy and support services across Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford Counties in Maine. The core offerings include a 24/7 Helpline, one-to-one support (by phone, Zoom, or in-person), and support groups. The Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) provides forensic interviews and family advocacy for child abuse victims. The Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) coordinates multi-disciplinary response for adult survivors. School-Based Prevention Education delivers age-appropriate programming across K-12 schools. Sex Trafficking and Exploitation Assistance provides specialized advocacy services. The CAC Therapy Dog program offers emotional support during interviews. Services are available regardless of gender identity and include hospital, police, and court accompaniment, with locations in Lewiston, Norway, and Farmington.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 24/7 Helpline

Quantifiable outcome

• Advocate callback within 20 minutes of initial helpline contact
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Mission Working Dogs (MWD)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Training partner for Boss, the CAC therapy dog. Boss began training with MWD in October 2024 and graduated in May 2025 to join the CAC team providing comfort to child abuse victims.
• National Children's AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational governing body for Children's Advocacy Centers. SAPARS CAC is accredited/affiliated with NCA standards for child-focused abuse response programs.
• Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MECASA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide network partner for Survivor Alliance program connecting Maine survivors to share experiences, build community, and lead change in sexual violence prevention efforts.
• Law Enforcement Agencies (Local)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-disciplinary team partners for CAC forensic interviews and SART coordination. Officers refer cases to CAC and partner on investigations of sexual assault and child abuse.
• Child Protective Services / DHHScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-disciplinary team partners for CAC referrals and investigations involving suspected child abuse and neglect.
• District Attorney's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-disciplinary team partners for CAC investigations and SART prosecution support. DA staff attend CAC MDT meetings and receive forensic interview recordings for case prosecution.
• Medical Professionals / HospitalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for survivor accompaniment during forensic medical exams. SART coordinators coordinate and support survivors through medical examination process.
• RAINN (National Sexual Assault Online Hotline)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partnership providing online chat option connecting Maine survivors to National Sexual Assault Online Hotline advocates via hotline.rainn.org.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Safe Voices: Maine nonprofit providing domestic and sexual violence crisis services in Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford counties (overlapping geographic footprint). Direct peer in the same service area offering similar helpline, shelter, and advocacy services.
• New Hope for Women: Maine nonprofit providing domestic and sexual violence services in Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, and Waldo counties. Direct peer in the same sector with similar service model and rural Maine footprint.
• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): National sexual violence organization operating the National Sexual Assault Hotline. SAPARS routes online chat to RAINN, making it the closest national counterpart and direct service peer in survivor crisis support.
• YWCA Central Maine: Regional YWCA providing domestic and sexual violence services, including emergency shelter and advocacy, in central Maine. Comparable service mix (helpline, advocacy, prevention education) in the same state.
• Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MECASA): Statewide coalition of sexual violence service providers in Maine; SAPARS is a member and partners through the Survivor Alliance program. Direct peer in coordinated statewide advocacy and prevention.

Others

• AEquitas: National resource organization providing prosecutorial training and support on violence against women and child abuse cases. Becomes a peer context for the SART and prosecution-facing work SAPARS performs with the DA's office.
• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC): Adjacent nonprofit focused on missing and exploited children, including child sex trafficking. Thematically related to SAPARS's sex trafficking and child advocacy work but operates nationally and within a different mandate.

Regional players

• Family Violence Project: Maine-based domestic violence service provider serving Kennebec and Somerset counties. Comparable rural Maine peer with overlapping service lines (helpline, advocacy, shelter coordination).

Broad incumbents

• NSVRC (National Sexual Violence Resource Center): National resource center providing information and technical assistance on sexual violence prevention and response. Broad incumbent in the same thematic space with a national resource and training role.
• National Children's Alliance: National accrediting body and umbrella organization for Children's Advocacy Centers. SAPARS is an accredited/affiliated CAC; NCA is the broader industry incumbent setting standards across the CAC network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SAPARSmaine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sexual-assault-prevention-and-response-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services