Not Abandoned
Empowering freedom from exploitation
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Human trafficking is the fastest-growing form of crime in the world and involves the transport or trade of people for a variety of work. Sex trafficking also known as sex slavery involves exploitation for the specific purpose of sex work. Unlike drugs, vulnerable boys, girls, men, and women are a reusable commodity. However, unlike a pill or powder, these human beings have souls, families, and emotions. Sex trafficking is modern-day slavery.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Discover
Defense is the best offense. Instead of merely waiting for people to be exploited Not Abandoned is actively working to discover vulnerable peoples before they are victimized. In addition to this preventative work, we are continually increasing our network of strategic and like-hearted partners. This issue of slavery is simply too large and complex to tackle without an all-hands-on-deck attitude from every sector of society.
Some examples of our Discover programming includes: Research and identification of vulnerable communities, Strategic partnerships with organizations and individuals globally to support programs, Government and agency alignment where these vulnerable communities exist
Reach
We reach out to those in slavery in their place of need; we do not expect them to come to us. It’s hard enough to be in an abusive environment concerned each day with mere survival. It’s harder still to find the extra strength needed to reach out to someone for help. Understanding this, it is a core value of Not Abandoned to have direct contact with those in need.
Some examples of our Reach programming include: outreach into brothels and on the streets of exploited communities; ongoing education for staff, interns and volunteers on safe, appropriate, effective and relevant outreach methods; the building of long-term, emotional deep relationships with those in need; and focused intervention efforts on identified strategic trafficking hubs.
Heal
“Show up and love” is a refrain often repeated by Not Abandoned’s staff and volunteers. This is our job, show up and love. What this looks like in the everyday world is very practical. Often those in a trafficking situation, or those who have recently gotten out of the “life,” come to us with a myriad of emotional and physical wounds. Our first priority is to provide resources that create a new environment of stability, healing and most importantly, safety.
Some examples of our Heal programming includes: provision of basic necessities such as emergency housing, food, clothing and hygiene products; trauma sensitive counseling and art-therapies; personal life coaching and spiritual mentorship by staff and community volunteers; financial counseling and emergency assistance.
Grow
People who have been trafficked become experts at survival. The girls, boys and women we work with are eager to regain their financial independence and begin providing for their families in healthy ways. Once they have rested, stabilized and sunk their metaphorical teeth into the process of healing, then it is time for the real dreaming to begin. To not address the very real need of financial sustainability would be to unlock the door of freedom but then to never open it.
Some examples of our Grow programming includes:
Computer, English, budgeting and other types of cohort-style classes; soft skills training in preparation for entering the workforce; vocational-specific training in industries such as cosmetology, jewelry, culinary arts, barista and food services; business start-up training and continued mentorship; micro-loans; job placement services; and intensive business training internships.
Launch
The sign of freedom after trafficking is commonality. When a woman is able to launch out in a brand new life, working a job of her choosing, bringing in money to support her family and eating and sleeping in healthy patterns, then a sense of normalcy has been restored. It is important to note that the achievement of normalcy is an ongoing process and not necessarily a one-time and final stage to complete. Launching-out and reintegrating to a home community means that ultimately the bad guys have lost and the good guys have truly won.
Some examples of our Launch programming includes: re-education for families and communities; continued spiritual and emotional mentorship of recovering individuals; continued mentorship of new business owners; and “Give Back” opportunities that invite those women who are healthy enough to participate in outreach and mentorship to others with similar experiences.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
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Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people, Victims and oppressed people, Sex workers
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This number reflects the specific individuals reached by direct programming, as well as friends and family members that are also reached, trained and impacted by Not Abandoned.
Number of overall donors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people, Victims and oppressed people, Sex workers
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Number of overall donors giving to the work of Not Abandoned.
Number of new programs/program sites
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people, Victims and oppressed people, Sex workers
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Not Abandoned strives to continually expand the services we offer in accordance with current needs of our clients. This also includes expansion into other geographic areas of need.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The primary goal of Not Abandoned is to reach those victimized by sex trafficking. This will continue to be accomplished by two supporting goals: to see a 50% increase in the numbers of individuals reached over the previous year and to increase the number of geographical ares of operations.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Are goals are accomplished by dividing our strategic programming into five pillars of operations. These pillars have been determined necessary to produce a healthy and effective trafficking recovery model. Those components are as follows: Discover (identify the most vulnerable populations), Reach (direct intervention with victims of trafficking), Heal (provide trauma-informed resources for emotional and physical needs), Grow (equip with business and employment opportunities) and Launch (support the achievement of economic and emotional self-sufficiency). These five pillars should exist either as direct Not Abandoned programming or through partnership programming with other non-profit organizations and government agencies.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Not Abandoned thrives in the equipping of nationals and implementing proven strategies in pioneering environments. Because of the methods developed as a pilot in Pattaya, Thailand and supporting regions there now exists a model for trafficking recovery operations that has been proven successful. These methodologies will be transported and expanded into other at-risk and impacted geographic areas taking into consideration the necessary adjustments for cultural differences.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In 2008 Not Abandoned established a trafficking-recovery and prevention program based in Pattaya, Thailand. Since that time the programming has developed into a successful pilot model which encompasses not only projects in the original city but also supporting cities. A couple of these projects include the Employment Education Center, a training and equipping center for counseling, skills-training and job placements services and the Freedom Stones jewelry project, a social enterprise which trains and employs at-risk communities and individuals recovering from trafficking.
The next stages for Not Abandoned includes largely expanding our bases of operation into other geographic areas both within Southeast Asia as well as into other continents. As an organization our vision is to help recover the hardest hit communities that have been infiltrated by sex trafficking. This expansion also includes the development of new and relevant project services in accordance with community needs and cultural nuances.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Not Abandoned
Board of directorsas of 08/22/2023
Lynne Ellis-Grey
Overlake Christian Church
Term: 2018 -
Lynne Ellis
Overlake Christian Church
Elaine Morse
Girl Scouts of Western Washington
Grant Monson
The Monson Group
Jeff McKinley
Not Abandoned
Jamie Nelson
Red Telescope Ventures, LLC and Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington
Craig Little
Speed Pro Imaging
Leigh Sarti
Sarti Creative Designs
Jana Sarti
Communications Consultant
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 06/14/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.