Nonprofit of the Year | Midsize: The Victim Center Inc.

Even as The Victim Center Inc. nears a landmark 50th anniversary in 2026, Executive Director Tara Benson says the organization likely is not helping everyone who needs its services. That’s not due to lack of desire from its staff but rather a feeling of fear from those who are victims of violent or sexual crimes to seek help.

“There’s always a level of fear,” Benson says. “The most dangerous time for someone to leave is within the first 24 hours that they’re trying to leave an unsafe situation. And I think there’s repercussions of people coming forward now in different ways, and so they may be scared of their situation.”

The nonprofit, which employs 19, has over 20 volunteers and an operating budget exceeding $1.4 million, provides free, trauma-informed services to people of all ages who have experienced violent or sexual crime. Services include counseling, a 24-hour crisis hotline, personal advocacy and court support.

The Victim Center served nearly 2,800 victims last year by responding to over 2,500 hotline calls and providing 3,760 trauma counseling services. Still, Benson says some people may not be aware of the depth of services the nonprofit offers.

“If you were a witness to a violent crime or you are a sibling or parent of a child who has been abused or assaulted, or if you were a child who witnessed a homicide or things like that, then we’re also able to offer those services to secondary victims,” she says.

The Victim Center has had changes to its location and its leadership in recent years.

Benson succeeded Brandi Bartel, the organization’s 19-year leader, in March 2024. While Benson had been involved with the nonprofit since 2020 as a volunteer and served a two-year term on its board, the new role was a professional shift. She previously worked 16 years at Missouri State University, most recently as associate director of Plaster Student Union and director of student engagement.

“I had to learn quite a bit as far as grants go, grant tracking and how the finances work,” Benson says. “But a lot of it came easy in that I care a lot about The Victim Center.”

The nonprofit nearly doubled its footprint upon moving in 2021 to a 9,000-square-foot facility at 815 W. Tampa St. Benson says the former Volt Credit Union location is an upgrade for those who visit the facility for services, as well as for staff, who previously were spread out within a three-story building.

“When people get here, they know they’re going to be in a safe and confidential space,” she says.