Cupid's Sting Non-Profit

What Cupid's Sting Non-Profit does

Cupid's Sting Non-Profit is a community-based charitable organization founded in 2015 by Criminologist Dr. Laurie Samuel in response to escalating interpersonal violence against women. The organization operates as an interpersonal violence reduction program that delivers in-person self-defense classes and educational workshops covering dating abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, and street harassment. Its core product is women's self-defense training, supplemented by targeted programs including Safe Black Sis™ (for young Black women in the Greater Toronto Area), Empowered in Any Space (Q&A and empowerment initiative), and My Community, My Safety (neighborhood safety initiative). Educational resource materials in the form of fact sheets and videos extend the organization's reach beyond in-person delivery.

The organization serves women and girls across the US, Canada, and the Caribbean, with secondary segments including youth/teens, Black women in the GTA, and women with disabilities. Its technology footprint is minimal — a Wix-hosted website, social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube), an email newsletter, and downloadable PDF resources — with no proprietary platform, mobile app, or digital product. The go-to-market is community-led, relying on grassroots partnerships with community organizations and educational institutions rather than paid acquisition or institutional sales channels.

The revenue model is entirely donation-based, with the organization offering all services free of charge to beneficiaries. There are no fee-based programs, no disclosed grants, no corporate sponsorships, and no earned revenue streams documented in the available data. The organization is founder-led with no disclosed management team beyond Dr. Laurie Samuel, no parent company, no subsidiaries, no funding rounds, and no disclosed headcount or financial figures. Its operating structure is that of a small, mission-driven nonprofit dependent on individual donor contributions.

Name

Cupid's Sting Non-Profit

Legal name

Cupid's Sting Non-Profit

Website

https://cupidssting.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cupid's Sting Non-Profit is a charitable organization founded in 2015 by Criminologist Dr. Laurie Samuel that delivers self-defense training and violence prevention workshops to women and girls across the US, Canada, and the Caribbean.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Violence Prevention Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Individual and Family Services (6241)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADADAH

Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Legal Aid)

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Humanitarian Relief & Emergency Response

SECONDARYBPAGAAAG

Protection, Child Protection & Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Response

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Humanitarian Aid & Disaster Relief

SECONDARYBPADAGAF

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Human Rights, Democracy & Governance

Keywords

• Violence prevention education
• Women's self-defense training
• Personal safety workshops
• Community safety programs
• Interpersonal violence reduction

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Relies on financial contributions from donors to fund self-defense programs, educational opportunities, and critical information distribution. No fee-based services mentioned.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cupid's Sting Non-Profit is an interpersonal violence reduction program that delivers in-person women's self-defense classes and educational workshops on dating abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, and street harassment. Programs are offered free of charge to beneficiaries across the US, Canada, and the Caribbean, and are supported by fact sheets, educational videos, and targeted initiatives such as Safe Black Sis™.

Product overview

Cupid's Sting Non-Profit operates as an interpersonal violence reduction organization offering a portfolio of self-defense training programs, educational workshops, and community resources. The core offerings include Women's Self-Defense Classes that teach practical safety skills, Educational Workshops covering topics like dating abuse, domestic violence, and street harassment, and various community programs including Events, Empowerment Challenges, and the Safe Black Sis™ initiative. The organization supplements its direct service programs with Resource Materials including fact sheets and educational videos on violence prevention topics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Safe Black Sis™: Self-defense program designed for young Black women to help disrupt violence against women and girls and prevent potential victimization. With empowerment and encouragement, young Black women will gain the confidence they need to respond to danger in their communities and their homes.

Products and services

• Women's Self-Defense Classes In-person and workshop-based self-defense training programs designed to teach women life-saving skills to reduce their victimization from interpersonal violence. Offered to women in community settings across the US, Canada, and the Caribbean.
• Educational Workshops Workshops covering dating abuse, interpersonal violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and street harassment topics, delivered to women and youth in community settings.
• Events and Community Programs Community events including Q&A sessions, empowerment challenges, documentary screenings, and youth self-defense workshops held to raise awareness and engage beneficiaries.
• Resource Materials
• Safe Black Sis™
• Empowered in Any Space
• My Community, My Safety Initiative

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): The largest US anti-sexual violence organization operating the National Sexual Assault Hotline and providing prevention education. Directly comparable mission of sexual assault prevention and survivor support, but operates at a far larger scale as an established incumbent.
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: The leading US resource for domestic violence victims offering 24/7 crisis intervention and education. Overlaps with Cupid's Sting on dating abuse and domestic violence education but is primarily a crisis-response service rather than a proactive self-defense training program.
• National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV): US advocacy organization dedicated to supporting victims of domestic violence and effecting policy change. Comparable educational and resource-distribution activities, but oriented toward policy advocacy rather than direct self-defense training.

Emerging players

• A Call to Men: US-based organization working to prevent violence against women by engaging men through education and awareness. Comparable prevention-first mission in the GBV space, complementing Cupid's Sting's women-focused self-defense approach.
• End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI): International nonprofit providing training and resources to professionals responding to sexual and domestic violence. Overlaps with Cupid's Sting's education mission but focuses on professional responders rather than direct community self-defense training.

Direct peers

• White Ribbon: Canada's leading effort to engage men and boys in ending violence against women, focused on primary prevention education. Comparable prevention-first orientation and Canadian footprint, though its model centers on male allyship rather than women's self-defense.
• Women Against Abuse: Philadelphia-based nonprofit providing crisis intervention, advocacy, and prevention education for victims of domestic violence. Directly comparable service model combining direct support with community education on interpersonal violence.
• Black Women's Blueprint: US-based organization addressing sexual violence and intersectional issues specifically impacting Black women and girls. Directly comparable to Cupid's Sting's Safe Black Sis™ program, with similar culturally tailored education and community engagement.
• Battered Women's Support Services (BWSS): Vancouver-based nonprofit serving women experiencing violence, with educational programming and community outreach. Highly comparable Canadian operating context and direct overlap on violence prevention education and self-empowerment programming.

Regional players

• METRAC (Metro Toronto Action Committee on Violence Against Women): Toronto-based nonprofit focused on violence prevention and safety for women and girls, including accessibility-focused resources. Highly comparable to Cupid's Sting's GTA-based work on gender-based violence and women with disabilities programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/cupids_sting
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=won5P_Gv2eU
• Facebookfacebook.com/cupidssting
• Instagraminstagram.com/cupidssting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cupid-s-sting-non-profit-organization

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 Cupid's Sting Non-Profit