Non-Profit Spotlight: International Justice Mission

There are SO many great non-profits out there changing lives every single day. And yet, I've had moments when I want to volunteer or donate, but I feel at a loss for where to start or I wonder which non-profit is worthy of my time and hard-earned money. It can be overwhelming to navigate the world of charities and NGOs, and I want to help make it just a little easier for people.

Photo by IJM, art by Valerie Diaz de Arce

Because of this, I am starting a new series on the blog called Non-Profit Spotlight. Each month I'll feature a new organization, explaining who they serve, what they do, and how you can get involved with them. I hope that this series will also challenge me to expand my knowledge of what organizations exist and how I can get involved myself.

For the first installment, I am highlighting International Justice Mission. I learned about this organization when IJM’s founder Gary Haugen presented at my church one Sunday. The statistics on slavery he shared shocked me and led me to be a regular supporter of their work.

Organization: International Justice Mission

Website: https://www.ijm.org

The problem: Slavery. Over 40 million people are enslaved in the world today. They are in brothels, quarries and mines, on fishing boats and are being trafficked on cybersex websites.

"Millions of the world’s poor are trapped in slavery, because there’s no one there to protect them. In many places, the laws against slavery simply aren’t enforced by the police and courts—so slave owners and traffickers know they can prey on the poor without fear of any consequences at all." –International Justice Mission

The work: IJM's team consists of 750 lawyers, investigators, social workers and community activists. They work to rescue victims from the place they are being held, bring the slave-owners and traffickers to justice, rehabilitate survivors, and change policy in local justice systems.

Who they serve: Poor people in the developing world. They rescue people being enslaved, as well as support local communities to educate and stop violence.

So far, we’ve rescued more than 40,000 people from violence and oppression. And, today, our work is helping to protect 21 million people globally from violence.

How you can help: Donate, pray, join their advocacy team, fundraise with friends, or host an IJM speaker. Learn more here.

Charity Navigator ranking: 88.21 (out of 100) overall, 83.34 for financial, and 100.00 for accountability and transparency.

#nonprofits #charitynavigator #nonprofitreview #internationaljusticemission #notforsale #modernslavery