Like every organization, ADKF has a set of core values. However, what sets us apart is that we choose to uphold these beliefs in everything we do, specifically our dedication to service. Through the relationships we build with our non-profit 501(c)(3) clients, we are able to service not only the client, but the community they serve as well!
ADKF is proud to share the story and mission of one of our non-profit clients: The Rape Crisis Center. Beginning as a volunteer advocacy group in 1975, the organization has always been about the survivor. With advocacy services and partnership with law enforcement agencies, the Rape Crisis Center (RCC) grew in success. In 1982, the center received their IRS Determination Letter which declared the Rape Crisis Center to be an official 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization.
Help, Hope, and Healing are the pillars of the RCC.
Through their advocacy services, they aim to help those affected by sexual violence. The RCC has a dedicated team of advocates who are with a survivor from the very beginning. Each case is different, but advocacy services offered by the RCC includes accompaniments at hospital appointments, law enforcement interviews, and court appearances; assistance with applications for programs such as Crime Victim’s Compensation, Address Confidentiality, Medicaid, and Food Stamps; and human trafficking support. Just as each case is different, each person is different. The RCC provides the space for each victim to have the autonomy to choose which services they would like to utilize. A person may use one, all, or none of the advocacy services, but they are always empowered to make that decision for themselves.
Through their education efforts, they hope to see a safe and nonviolent community. With the implementation of prevention led educational presentations, the RCC sets out to create a community free of sexual violence. With presentations ranging from healthy relationship curriculum, survivor sensitivity, sexual assault victimology, bystander intervention, and sexual harassment policies, the RCC is able to spread awareness, teach warning signs, and educate people on the aftermath of sexual violence. Many of their learning presentations can be adjusted for different age groups and are ideal for school and work settings.
And through their counseling sessions, they strive to provide healing. The goal is “to help clients heal from issues stemming from the trauma of sexual violence, cope with the immediate crisis and regain a sense of control and trust.” All counseling sessions are free. Additionally, there are no limits to how many sessions a person can have. This accessibility to mental health care is of the utmost importance to the RCC. By providing therapy and support to victims, as well as their friends and family, the RCC is able to facilitate a community in which the healing process can begin and thrive within.
Audra Atzger was named the CEO of The Rape Crisis Center in 2020. She was brought in to correct financial missteps and eventually expand the center’s services. In her efforts to begin the rebuild, Atzger enlisted the help of the ADKF audit department. As the ADKF team uncovered findings, they always proposed solutions. It was more than an audit, it was a “true commitment to excellence.” The guidance, honesty, and total transparency between ADKF and the RCC made this client relationship one of our strongest and most successful. Atzger is preparing the RCC for the third audit season with ADKF and she is actually looking forward to it! She is confident that the processes put into place and the dedication from the RCC staff will result in zero findings this year.
Atzger, and her loyal staff of 26, have big plans for the RCC in the next few years. And though “it was not always pretty,” Atzger credits ADKF for the RCC’s current financial stability which, by extension, has allowed their mission and reach to continue to grow. Currently, the RCC is preparing to launch their new Planned Giving Platform which will continue to solidify the organizations financial stream. With this platform put into place, they hope to expand services by offering structured group therapy sessions, growing the counseling staff, and expanding their reach to be more inclusive of every person that sexual violence affects including men, LGBTQ+ members, those living with disabilities, and many more.
We are so proud to work with people and organizations like Audra Atzger and the Rape Crisis Center. By servicing and ensuring they are in the best financial position possible, we are able to broaden their reach into the community. For Bexar County, The Rape Crisis Center is the only organization of its kind. They are a beacon of help, hope, and healing to the community and the work they do is invaluable!