Founded: 1994

RAINN manages and operates two national hotlines; the National Sexual Assault Hotline (NSAH) and the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline. The NSAH (1-800-656-HOPE) is a 24/7 phone hotline service to victims of sexual assault. Through RAINN’s national partnership of more than 1,100 local rape crisis centers, victims of sexual assault are provided with free, confidential services on the phone hotline. The phone hotline helps nearly 140,000 victims each year and has helped more than one million people since it began in 1994. The Online Hotline at RAINN.org, is the nation's first secure web-based crisis hotline. It provides victims with live online crisis intervention, informaiton and referrals to local support services, all the while operating on a secure and completely confidential user interface. Victims who need help, but are reluctant or unable to call the telephone hotline, have the option of communicating securely online, through a familiar instant messaging style of user interface, with trained crisis intervention volunteers, to help them take steps toward recovery.

Helping Policymakers and the Media

RAINN is a frequent resource for television, radio and print news outlets — as well as local, state and national policymakers, law enforcement and rape treatment professionals — on the issues related to rape and sexual assault.

Educating America to Prevent Sexual Assault

Extensive entertainment industry relationships allow RAINN to reach millions of Americans each month with important information about sexual assault prevention, recovery and prosecution. In addition, RAINN uses its community partnerships to put critical information into the hands of young women and men at concerts, on campus and in communities. Through these efforts, RAINN educates more than 120 million Americans each year about sexual assault.

In addition to these education efforts, RAINN also publicizes the hotlines' free, confidential services and leads national efforts to improve services to victims and ensure that rapists are brought to justice.