Executive Summary

Crisis Center North (CNN) is a non-profit counseling and educational resource center that
provides a full range of free and confidential services to victims of domestic violence and their
loved ones in the northern and western communities of Allegheny County. The mission of CCN
is to empower victims of domestic violence and cultivate the necessary community attitudes and
behaviors to break the cycle of domestic violence.

Since 1978, CCN has supported over 82,000 victims, averaging out to 2000 individuals
benefiting from its services every year for the past four decades. CCN has received recognition
for being innovative with the programs and services they offer to the community; it is due to this
innovative mindset that CCN is currently in the process of expanding its programs and services
to better serve the growing needs of the community.

Along with the growing needs of the community, CCN is growing as well, such as; the annual
budget of CCN has risen from $200,000 in 1999 to 1.4 million dollars in only two decades; the
size of the staff has grown from having 12 staff members to 17. In fact, the size of CNN’s
operation has expanded so rapidly, that CCN has outgrown their current building and is currently
searching for a larger work site to properly accommodate the entire staff.
As CCN undergoes this rapid expansion, the crucial role of the development team is only
becoming a more critical factor; the simple fact is, as the size of the organization increases, the
strain on the development team grows as well since it will be their responsibility to find the
additional funds to finance its growth.

CCN needs to incorporate more administrative infrastructure so that the development team has
the support they require to effectively manage and support the rapid growth it is currently
experiencing. By having a stronger infrastructure in place, CCN can continue to ensure the
sustainability of their offered services and programs, and maximize their organizational capacity
to ensure that more victims of domestic violence are given the help they need.

With the size of CCN’s programs expanding, more personnel will be needed and additional
funds will be required to assist in the ongoing growth of CCN; all of these goals can be
accomplished by hiring a development assistant and improving the overall administrative
infrastructure of the organization.

It is for this reason, that CCN is requesting $38,500 in funding from the Leenath Foundation T.S.
Netzer-Managing Trustee to hire a part-time development assistant who can provide additional
support to the development team as the organization experiences this transitional phase of
expansion.

History
In 1978, after the passing of her husband, Paul Walk, Dee Walk decided to take on the reigns of
her husband’s passion for helping victims of domestic violence.
Along with 12 other women, Dee joined forces with volunteers from the community to create the
North Hills Women’s Center (NHWC).

Having only $13.78 between them, NHWC developed a comprehensive list of counseling and
educational services that were designed to help victims of domestic violence and their loved ones
that lived within the northern and western communities of Allegheny County.

From that point on, CCN made steady progress, such as becoming a member of the Pennsylvania
Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV), an organization of domestic violence programs
that span across the entire state of Pennsylvania. It was this very same organization, NHWC, that
would officially change its name to Crisis Center North in 1982.

Ever since that first step was taken by Dee Walk on that fateful day in 1978, CCN has provided
aid to over 82,000 victims of domestic violence, and the impact the organization has had on the
community can be felt throughout Allegheny County to this day.

Current Services and Populations Served

Serving an area that encompasses more than 400,000 residents, CCN offers a wide-spectrum of
resources, services, and programs that include: A 24-hour hotline, individual and group
counseling for adults and children, legal and medical advocacy, case-management services,
community education programs, primary prevention programs, animal assisted therapy and
canine court services, a brand-new rapid re-housing program, and the state’s first domestic
violence text line is scheduled to become active by the end of this year.
In the past fiscal year of 2018-2019, CCN offered over 15,000 services to 1700 victims of
domestic violence, impacted over 10,000 students through the prevention education program,
and aided over 2,500 adults with the organization’s training services.

Recent Accomplishment and Honors

CCN has been branded as the most innovative victim service provider as the awards that CNN
has received recognizes the achievements of the organization, the creation and expansion of
various programs, and the team behind it.

These program expansions include launching the Rapid Rehousing Program, establishing the
state’s first domestic violence text line, creating a mobile advocacy program designed to improve
the accessibility of CCN’s services, developing the first micro-loan program for victims of
domestic violence in the state of Pennsylvania, and creating the PAWS FOR EMPOWERMENT
PROGRAM, (the first canine advocacy program in Pennsylvania’s domestic violence
movement).
Starting with only a budget of $13.78, CCN has made significant strides over the past 41 years to
become a 1.4 million-dollar organization. Considering that Charity Navigator found Pittsburgh,
PA to be the largest metropolitan market for nonprofit organizations in the United States, it
exemplifies that it is highly due to the devotion of the development team and the generous
support of foundations and donators that CCN has been equipped with the necessary means to
stand out as a leader of innovation within the domestic violence community.

In just 2017, alone, CNN was recognized by the Governor with two awards; Governor’s Victim
Service Pathfinder Program Award for the PAWS FOR EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM; and an
Individual Prevention, Education & Outreach Award to Leon Strimel, a CCN Prevention
Educator.

Additionally, Charlene Woods, CCN’s Data Specialist, was given the Luminary Award by the
PCADV. Grace Coleman, the current Executive Director of CNN, was recognized by the
PCADV as well when she received a Gender & Sexual Justice Caucus and Women of Color
Caucus Diversity Award in 2017.

Problem Statement
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, for every minute that passes,
approximately 20 people will encounter domestic abuse in the United States; this results in more
than 10 million people being victimized annually.

Nationally, 50% of abusers who victimize their intimate partner also abuse their children,
according to a recent case study that was published by The Center for Violence-Free
Relationships.

Along with having an increased risk of contracting sexual diseases like HIV, there is a high
correlation of depression and suicidal ideation in regard to domestic abuse victims. Domestic
abuse victims are also far more likely to be victims of homicide.
According to the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, in Pennsylvania, 39% of all
female victims of homicide lost their lives due to incidents related to domestic violence last year
alone; the estimated total annual medical cost of domestic violence in PA was over $326 million.

According to the PCADV, 123 victims died last year from domestic violence incidents, with 71
being shot, 30 being stabbed, and the remaining majority dying from being beaten, strangled or
suffocated to death.

The PCADV recorded that in regards to all of its Lethality Assessments - a screening instrument
that is used to asses a victim’s risk of homicide or severe re-assault- that have been filed since
2012, 63% of the 9,761 victims that were identified as being in high-danger situations in PA
were able to access services to help them. This demonstrates that as prevalent and lethal as
domestic violence is in PA, non-profit organizations like Crisis Center North offers hope.
Looking over an area that contains more than 400,000 residents, CCN has served 1,700 people
last year alone and helps contribute to this uplifting statistic.

As a non-profit organization, CNN provides all of these life-changing services and programs for
free and it is a priority for the organization to keep these services accessible to the public, but
with that accessibility comes a price; the development and outreach team has a responsibility to
consistently fundraise to keep the organization running, to keep the services available and
obtainable to those who need it.

In the past year, the number of victims that contacted CCN has risen, and the organization is in
the process of expanding its programs and services to better the demand of the community. This
includes offering a brand-new rapid re-housing program and an expansion of the innovative
Mobile Advocacy program. There are also additional plans in place to launch the state’s first
domestic violence text line by the end of this year

As CCN undergoes this rapid program expansion, the development and outreach team will need
to fundraise to support this surge of growth within the organization. With the additional strain on
the development team, sustaining these programs will only require more time, energy,
dedication, and labor.

In fact, program sustainability is becoming a growing concern for nonprofits across the country,
now more than ever. A research publication called Sustainability of social programs: A
comparative case study analysis. estimates that nearly 40% of all new social programs do not last
beyond their initial funding. Without giving the proper support to the development team who can
address this issue, the services and programs that improve the welfare of a community can be at
risk of being lost or cancelled.

According to a report published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD), one of the most effective ways to ensure program sustainability within a nonprofit
organization is to strengthen their organizational capacity.

According to the report, an effective method to building organizational capacity within a

nonprofit is by prioritizing and aiding the development staff with additional personnel and
resources; such as hiring a development assistant who could aid in carrying out day-to-day tasks,
as well as investing time and energy into long-term projects.

The report states that having this additional support leads to a higher turnover rate of resources
and strengthens the administrative infrastructure of growing organizations like CCN.

Additionally, for the size of the organization, the current amount of staff members working for
the administration department of CCN is relatively small when compared to other 1-million-
dollar nonprofit organizations. According to a comprehensive survey published by the TSNE
Mission Works, the average number of full-time equivalent employees in the administrative
section of nonprofits that made between 1 million to 2.5 million dollars was 15 FTE. Being a
1.4-million-dollar non-profit organization, CCN only has a total of 4 FTE for the administrative
department.

By adding a part-time development assistant, the strain on the administration infrastructure will
be lessened substantially since this additional staff member would contribute their time, energy
and knowledge to the overall labor pool, enabling CCN to continue the expansion of the
organization’s programs and services.

The development assistant will be able to provide support to CCN’s administrative department as
an additional staff member would contribute to CCN’s overall fundraising campaigns; enabling
CCN to reach out to more victims of domestic violence with more services, to save, ultimately,
more lives.

Project Description and Evaluation

Incorporating an additional part-time administration staff member would help to strengthen the
foundational base for the organization; the development assistant, also known as a development
associate, will provide additional support to the administration staff and will enable CCN to
continue perusing the path of growth and expansion it is currently experiencing.

The development assistant, also known as a development associate, will be responsible for
providing administrative services for the organization and assist in executing a variety of tasks
that are dedicated to fundraising and development purposes. Day-to-day tasks include a wide-
spectrum of various responsibilities such as: establishing and fostering relationships with current
and potential donors, research ways to bring in additional funds, record and track pledges and
contributions, conduct research and utilize data to compile comprehensive reports on potential
donors, and draft proposals or grants that can potentially bring in additional funds. Other duties
include managing social media outlets, working on newsletters, promoting special events,
maintaining databases and creating other content that advocates and promotes CCN and the
organization’s agenda.

As far as requirements pertaining to education, the candidate should have a bachelor’s degree is
communication, public relations, or a related field. Additional expectations include that the
candidate has strong customer service skills, strong research skills, a high degree of
professionalism and strong communication and writing skills.

The primary area that will be measured is the total additional funds that the development
assistant was able to generate within the established year of their employment with CCN. In
order to achieve acquiring accurate and useful data, the amount of money that the development
assistant raises will be recorded and compiled throughout the year of their employment to
analyze the total funds raised by the development assistant.
Ultimately, the evaluation goal of this project is for the developmental assistant to raise $50,500
dollars over the course of the year. With the total request of the budget equaling $38,500, the
development assistant will work towards earning an additional revenue that equals three times
the amount requested; this benchmark goal ensures a net gain of revenue for CCN and justifying
the process of hiring and training a development assistant.
Crisis Center North
Leenath Foundation T.S. Netzer-Managing Trustee
Proposed Budget - Expansion of Development and Outreach Department

Item Project Cost

Salary for Personnel $ 35,000
Additional Overhead Expenses: $ 3,500
Total 38,500