Human trafficking charities do some of the most important work imaginable – freeing enslaved people and moving us toward a world with no slavery. In this article, we'll walk through 10 of the most impactful human trafficking charities, including their missions and notable initiatives.
The fight against human trafficking has a long history. Many people assumed slavery was a thing of the past, but nonprofits like those listed below have helped bring the reality women and children face into the public eye. Many of these organizations work closely with churches, synagogues, mosques, and other faiths.
We have chosen these 10 organizations because of their unique missions, successes, and recognition of survivors’ stories. Use this list to inspire your own missions or make decisions about which organizations you’d like to donate to.
Mission: “Supports survivors as they rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society.”
Reintegra was founded by Lorena and German Villar in 2012. The organization has offices in Colorado, Texas, Mexico City, and Costa Rica. They educate the public and advocate for survivors by sharing survivor stories and providing scholarships and grants for two safe houses. The safe houses in Mexico City and Costa Rica help rehabilitate survivors and provide financial, emotional, and psychological support.
Reintegra gives supporters several opportunities to help the organization. People can donate, attend, or volunteer for events, share information with students, partner with businesses, host their own events, etc. Their Take Action webpage puts some of the power into supporters’ hands by asking how they want to get involved.
People can donate one-time or monthly through their Donorbox donation form on the Donate page.
Mission: “To end human trafficking by creating pathways to safe employment, empowering women and girls to break cycles of slavery in their families and communities.”
According to Nomi Network, 38% of trafficked women are forced to marry without their consent. 62% are victims of forced labor, including bonded labor and debt bonds, domestic servitude, commercial sexual exploitation, and child labor. Nomi Network was named after a girl from Cambodia who had been trafficked and abused by eight. The organization’s goal is to give girls like Nomi a future.
They do this by:
Supporters for this organization can donate to provide survivors with:
Mission: “Identifying human trafficking activities, documenting the key information, and developing it into intelligence that can be used as evidence for law enforcement.”
This organization is different from the others on this list. It is a 501c3 organization but also provides security for executives, celebrities, dignitaries, and domestic violence victims and probation services like drug testing, pretrial release, home and work visits.
Adaptive Ops was founded in 2019 by Aros Artimus Mackey, a now-retired Secret Service Agent who worked for three different presidents. They also search for missing adults and children with community searches, safely transport the child to their home or a youth center, and use techniques and licensing to hunt down wanted pedophiles.
Supporters can become Adaptive Ops Allies and receive mentoring from the founder. People can choose to donate to the organization one-time, monthly, and yearly on their donation page.
Mission: “We strive to prevent conditions that foster sex trafficking, restore victims of sex slavery, and bring justice to vulnerable women and children.”
Shared Hope uses a three-pronged approach to end human trafficking.
Supporters for this organization can donate, host events, attend conferences, advocate, request a speaker, pray, or sign up to receive training to combat child trafficking. They also provide resources to help report trafficking.
Mission: “To protect people in poverty from violence by rescuing victims, bringing criminals to justice, restoring survivors to safety and strength, and helping local law enforcement build a safe future that lasts.”
International Justice Mission is a group of advocates, donors, investigators, social workers, lawyers, and government leaders that works with local governments to rescue victims and throw the oppressors in jail. Their focus on disrupting business models that fostered slavery, prosecuting slave owners, and dramatically increasing the legal, financial, and opportunity costs make this organization stand out.
International Justice Mission works with low to middle-income countries to protect women, children, and men from violence in 13 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
This organization is one of the nonprofits that provide detailed ways for churches to support their efforts. Churches can hold Freedom Sundays that inform parishioners about modern slavery and visit office locations to see the work firsthand. They also work with students to include efforts in their schools and churches with prayer, bible study, and ways to educate and take action.
Mission: “Polaris is leading a data-driven social justice movement to fight sex and labor trafficking at the massive scale of the problem.”
Polaris Project’s goal is to reduce sex trafficking in 25 United States cities by building social safety nets, shifting accountability from victims to traffickers, and changing the norms about prostitution.
They assist victims and survivors through the US National Trafficking Hotline and help ensure traffickers are held responsible. They also use survivor stories to improve the way trafficking is identified, how victims and survivors are assisted, and how communities, businesses, and governments can prevent it.
Supporters of this organization can become a North Star Guide with a monthly donation. They can also join the Freedom Circle, a group of supporters who dedicate their time, talent, and philanthropic resources to help the nonprofit.
Mission: “To serve as a resource center for law enforcement, families, and the public to help find missing children, reduce sexual exploitation, and prevent child victimization.”
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children works on a macro level. This organization came into existence in 1984 by John and Reve’ Walsh to serve as the national clearinghouse and resource center for information about missing and exploited children. Their offices in Florida, New York, and Texas have received five million calls, circulated billions of photos of missing children, and assisted law enforcement and recovery of more than 376,000 missing children in the last 37 years.
In addition to the hotline, this nonprofit provides:
Supporters can volunteer, donate, purchase items, hold events, become corporate or program partners.
Mission: “We provide survivors of sex trafficking and trauma a “safe house” in the wilderness where both mental health and wilderness professionals journey with them into deeper healing and freedom.”
Wilderness therapy has become a popular choice for addiction, behavioral problems, and trauma processing. Logos Wilderness Therapy has used this concept to support victims of trafficking and sexual abuse. Their programs last seven days and six nights and provide a combination of therapies and wilderness training by professionals. Costs for the treatment include:
The price for these programs is around $1,000, with scholarships available for up to 70% of the cost. Supporters can donate, sponsor a survivor, host a fundraiser, or participate in the Commit 12 Challenge. This campaign includes a recurring donation of $12 a month and a promise to get outside and share your commitment with your friends and family online through peer-to-peer fundraising.
Mission: “Deliver fund was founded and is operated by a group of uniquely qualified and trained individuals. We leverage cutting-edge technology into the ultimate weapon against human trafficking.”
Deliver Fund was another nonprofit founded by individuals with backgrounds in CSI, NSA, Special Operations, and law enforcement. This organization focuses on using technology to combat human trafficking. They pride themselves on taking over the office space of Backpage.com in Dallas, Texas. It was the largest website marketplace to buy and sell women and children. The website was shut down in 2018.
Deliver Fund uses their time and effort to equip, train, and advise law enforcement partners with state-of-the-art technology and artificial intelligence platforms.
People, companies, and law enforcement can help by donating, starting and campaign, and purchasing products from the organization.
Mission: “Changing the conditions that allow modern slavery to exist.”
Free the Slaves was founded in 2000. Since then, 14,000 people exited the state of slavery. 650,000 communities in high trafficked areas have received education on their rights, and more than 300 traffickers have been arrested.
This organization’s approach to ending human trafficking is to provide education, tools, and resources for vulnerable areas. They do this by:
Supporters for Free the Slaves can share their videos, fact sheets, teacher, and student guides with their communities. The organization has also provided a helpful link to Senators and House members so people can advocate for the nonprofit.
The nonprofits fighting against human trafficking have taken on a difficult mission but have already informed and inspired the world to take action in a short time. These 10 organizations stand out in their field, but many more nonprofits are doing similar work. The goal of each of these organizations is to permanently end human trafficking and slavery.
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Kristine Ensor is a freelance writer with over a decade of experience working with local and international nonprofits. As a nonprofit professional she has specialized in fundraising, marketing, event planning, volunteer management, and board development.
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Kristine Ensor