The publication is based on the experiences of the Victim Service Council of St. Louis, Mo., an organization founded in 1977. The first step in the development of a victim assistance agency is to survey witness and victim needs in the community and identify services that are already provided by other local resources. Efforts should focus on complementing programs that already exist. Sources to be checked include hotlines, the district attorney's office, police departments, corrections departments, courts, local government, and community-based groups such as rape crisis centers. Once the survey is completed, basic decisions must be made regarding program operations. General principles must guide the design. For example, it should be decided whether all victims of crime will be eligible regardless of income. Options for type of involvement include establishing a community-based victim service program, working with a criminal justice agency, or administering a volunteer service program for an existing system. Decisions regarding operations will focus on types of responses, referral sources, target populations, types of services, and determining professional staff and volunteer functions. The two main sources of grant funds for such agencies are public and private. Regardless of the targeted source, the centerpiece of the effort to obtain funds must be a salable package, i.e., a proposal. The proposal must reflect a low-budget, high-impact plan. Once funding is obtained, a timetable for the major tasks should be developed. Establishment of the agency involves selecting an appropriate office location, creating a professional atmosphere in the office, hiring the staff, establishing case management procedures and designing forms, and learning the criminal justice system processes applicable to the community. Client service will include the crisis stage of assistance, an intermediate stage, and reintegration of the victim. A glossary, extensive forms and checklists, a bibliography of approximately 17 references, and a training packet for volunteers are included. Guides for determining the target population and other guidelines are appended.