PLATINUM2023

LIFT UP THE VULNERABLE INC

Preventing human trafficking in warzones.

New York, NY   |  https://liftupthevulnerable.org/

Mission

We exist to prevent the trafficking and oppression of vulnerable children and women and empower them to be changemakers in their communities.

Ruling year info

2019

CEO

Audrey Moore

Main address

PO BOX 22027

New York, NY 10087-2027 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

83-1980124

NTEE code info

Fund Raising and/or Fund Distribution (Q12)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

At its core, human trafficking is the exploitation of vulnerabilities, which is a deep rooted social-tribal equity issue in Sudan and South Sudan. Exploitation due to extreme poverty is perpetuated by a North-South war lasting more than five decades — the longest civil war in Africa. When South Sudan gained its independence in 2011, war re-erupted. This relentless conflict has forced millions to flee and destroyed infrastructure at every level, including education, agriculture, access to medical care, access to clean water, and a lack of bridges and paved roads. To prevent human trafficking, Lift Up the Vulnerable works with local and international partners to identify and address root causes of exploitation and seek solutions for equipping and driving positive change.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Empower vulnerable children & women

Lift Up the Vulnerable (LUV) prevents the trafficking and oppression of vulnerable children and women in warzones.

In conflict zones such as Sudan and South Sudan, which are marked by violence and extreme poverty, the most vulnerable are kidnapped as child soldiers, sold as sex slaves, and trapped in forced labor.

Our solution is a holistic empowerment model that prevents trafficking and empowers children and women to thrive as change agents in their own lives and communities. Since 2005, our leaders have a proven track record of effectively navigating and building partnerships in warzones and lawless lands.

Through the only indigenously directed anti-human trafficking network spanning Sudan and South Sudan, LUV provides protection, education, and economic development to eliminate the exploitation of vulnerabilities, provide freedom, and restore hope. We envision a world where vulnerable children and women are empowered, and, and, through them, war-torn nations are transformed.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Indigenous peoples

Where we work

Affiliations & memberships

ECFA 2021

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of children and youth who have received access to stable housing

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Children and youth, At-risk youth

Related Program

Empower vulnerable children & women

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Context Notes

We provide safe housing, food and nutrition, clean water, and preventative and emergency medical care for vulnerable children who have no other options.

Number of children who have access to education

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Children and youth, Young adults, At-risk youth

Related Program

Empower vulnerable children & women

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Children are provided with formal education from pre-K through high school. Young adults are offered continuing education through literacy, higher education, and vocational training.

Total number of acres of area indirectly controlled under cultivation

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Children and youth, Young adults, At-risk youth

Related Program

Empower vulnerable children & women

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

We support local income generation, agribusiness innovation, and other initiatives to ensure self-sustainability.

Number of indigenous leaders empowered.

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults

Related Program

Empower vulnerable children & women

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

We empower indigenous leaders who are utilizing their experiences, expertise, and resources to care for the vulnerable in our anti-trafficking network.

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Lift Up the Vulnerable (LUV) is an ecumenical Christian mission organization that prevents the trafficking and oppression of vulnerable children and women in warzones. In conflict zones such as Sudan and South Sudan, which are marked by violence and extreme poverty, the most vulnerable are kidnapped as child soldiers, sold as sex slaves, and trapped in forced labor. Our solution is a holistic empowerment model that prevents trafficking and empowers children and women to thrive as change agents in their own lives and communities. Since 2005, our leaders have a proven track record of effectively navigating and building partnerships in warzones and lawless lands. Through the only indigenously directed anti-human trafficking network spanning Sudan and South Sudan, LUV provides protection, education, and economic development to eliminate the exploitation of vulnerabilities, provide freedom, and restore hope. We envision a world where vulnerable children and women are empowered, and, through them, war-torn nations are transformed.

Preventing human trafficking in warzones requires an agile, integrative approach — addressing extreme poverty, instability, lack of infrastructure and resources, which leave millions in Sudan and South Sudan vulnerable or exploited. Women and children are at the highest risk. We take a holistic approach by extending practical training, tangible support, and spiritual care to empower change agents in their own lives and worlds. The following essential resources are critical components to addressing vulnerabilities and preventing exploitation and trafficking:

1) Protection: We provide safe housing, food and nutrition, clean water, and preventative and emergency medical care for vulnerable children, women, and the elderly who have no other options. We understand that these basic necessities establish a foundation for life and serve as vital resources for building community.

2) Education: Children are provided with formal education from pre-K through high school. Adults are offered continuing education through literacy, higher education, and vocational training. Spiritual mentoring is available for all to encourage, support, and inspire. Through each aspect of this program, it is our goal to see bodies protected, minds expanded, and hearts transformed.

3) Economic Empowerment: Grassroots economic development is a game-changer for transitioning aid-dependent and insecure communities toward empowerment. Investing in children and women to be independent and innovative is a key requirement to help transform communities and reduce vulnerabilities.

LUV goes where trafficking of the vulnerable is high and little to no other help is available. Since 2005, our leaders have a proven track record of effectively navigating and building partnerships in warzones and lawless lands. Through the only indigenously directed anti-human trafficking network spanning Sudan and South Sudan, LUV provides protection, education, and economic development to eliminate the exploitation of vulnerabilities, provide freedom, and restore hope.

LUV’s core competency is to provide total infrastructure support to the most vulnerable children and women in the warzones of Sudan and South Sudan. This infrastructure includes: housing, healthcare, education, mentorship, clean water, food, agriculture and community development opportunities. In addition, the following core competencies demonstrate how we approach our unique mission:

a) Warzones: LUV goes specifically to conflict zones and lawless places where there are little to no other organizations offering care; where there are little to no other resources; and where basic infrastructures are not available (food, water, roads, education, etc). LUV provides total care for the most vulnerable children and women in wartime.

b) Indigenous Leadership: To participate in effective change-making in lawless lands, LUV builds partnerships with indigenous directors and their local staff to creatively address the issues affecting the vulnerable in culturally appropriate ways. Together, we determine specific steps and strategies to provide consistent, sustainable care for the children and women under our care. LUV offers much ‘boots-on-the-ground’ time at each location to deepen trustworthy relationships with these vital human resources and experts in their areas.

Throughout 2021, our partners helped us make an incredible difference in advancing our mission to prevent trafficking and empower changemakers in warzones. Together, we:

Protected 553 Children
Educated 1,491 Students
Equipped 166 Local Leaders

Education is LUV's largest trafficking prevention program and provides academic excellence, spiritual mentorship, and practical tools that equip students to transform their own lives and communities.

1,184 pre-school-8th grade students
255 high school students
53 continuing education students (34 in university and 19 interns)
199 high school graduates since 2016; including 49 in 2021.

In the next five years we will take strategic steps to scale up our farming initiatives to over 400 acres. At each of our sites LUV’s partnership will enable the entire community to restore hope and tear down exploitative cycles by building their own income-generating systems. At maximum capacity, we anticipate our farm project will serve approximately 24,500 individuals. This replicable program produces crops that are both nutritional and diverse and also includes beekeeping, animal husbandry and nutrition education.

In 2021:

70 community women trained in farming and nutrition
120 acres cultivated at two school farms
30+ plant varieties harvested for diet diversity

Financials

LIFT UP THE VULNERABLE INC
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

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Build 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.

LIFT UP THE VULNERABLE INC

Board of directors
as of 02/28/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board co-chair

Louise Coggins


Board co-chair

John Van Rens

Dr Linnea Smith

Rev. Lauran Bethell

Joann Hsieh

Gustavo Quintero

Mary Boney Clark

Elika Dadsetan-Foley

Marilyn Dixon

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • 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

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 2/28/2023

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:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 02/28/2023

GuideStar 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

Policies and processes
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.