My favorite non-profits

I’ve known that I wanted to be a philanthropist since I was a fairly young kid. Starting about 2009, I started to read a lot about the atrocities of modern-day slavery (otherwise called human-trafficking). Most Americans think of slavery as a thing of the distant past. But slavery and sex-slavery are alive and well all around the world. Including inside the US. And it’s more insidious, sad, and scary than you can imagine. Here’s a list of some great non-profits that I’ve donated to who are making a big impact with their limited resources.

Not For Sale

Not For Sale is an awesome charity fighting modern-day slavery. They’ve done incredible work combating human-trafficking in the past several years all over the world. They work with local governments to bust trafficking rings, setup safe houses to house and rehabilitate survivors, and setup profitable local businesses to help sustain survivors and prevent further exploitation. I had the pleasure of meeting its founders in this Charity’s infancy, David Batstone and Mark Wexler back in 2009. I read through the Not For Sale book shortly after. It is eye opening, gut wrenching, entertaining, fascinating, and most of all enabling on how to help.

As with investing in stocks, I always review non-profits financials before giving money. You can do so here: 2012 Not For Sale Form 990

Annual report here: 2012 Not For Sale Annual Impact Report

Donate here: Not For Sale Donation Page

Transitions Global

Transitions Global is a safe home and rehabilitation center setup by an amazing American family in Cambodia for survivors of sex trafficking. Sex trafficking meaning the young survivors at Transitions Global were sex slaves who were forced into prostitution in their early teens.

I had the pleasure of meeting one of Transitions Global’s founders, James Pond back in 2010 when he was able to bring two of his survivors back to The States. It was hard to keep myself together hearing these two very young girls (14 and 16) tell their stories on stage. It was even harder when I got to shake their hands afterwards. As a six foot tall, 180 pound white American guy, I was bewildered facing these two young girls who were a full foot shorter than myself, half my weight, and had endured far more suffering than I could begin to imagine. It was inspirational, though, seeing them growing into their new happy, healthy lives.

View their financials here: 2012 Transitions Global Financials

Donate here: Transitions Global Donation Page