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The Exodus Road invests in three core programs that strategically and holistically address human trafficking through Training & Education, Intervention, and Aftercare.

The Exodus Road was born originally out of recognition of the deficiencies of human trafficking intervention efforts. To that end, we empower Intervention teams to work alongside national law enforcement partners to build capacity within local justice systems. Our teams are comprised primarily of highly trained and vetted nationals. We also have one team of volunteer Western investigators who support front-line staff in casework.

Through our Training and Education program, we equip national police, NGO practitioners, students, and local communities with quality counter-trafficking content. TraffickWatch Academy offers expert and engaging digital training modules to law enforcement and communities in the United States and Brazil. Influenced is in-person training for parents and teens on navigating the digital world while avoiding exploitation. We also provide training and education to police partners and communities around the world.  

Our Aftercare program utilizes a trauma-informed approach and meets specific survivor care needs in the countries where we work, including Freedom Home in Thailand. 

We believe collaboration with like-minded organizations, partnership with local governments, and centering the work of national leaders are critical components of all of the freedom work. 

The Exodus Road has headquarters in Colorado, USA, and works in Brazil, India, the Philippines, Thailand, an undisclosed country in Latin America, and the United States. We use a strategic, organic methodology to determine where and how we expand into new areas and countries. We always work within legal local frameworks, with collaborative relationships, and centering the work of local nationals.

A cyber investigations team operates out of The Exodus Road’s Colorado office, comprised of highly skilled volunteers with decades of experience in cyber analytics. Known as DELTA Silver, this team compiles actionable digital evidence of suspected trafficking. Those case files are delivered to law enforcement.

Additionally, we provide training and education to equip citizens to understand human trafficking and keep their communities safe through TraffickWatch Academy and Influenced.

We also offer services and technology to U.S. law enforcement partners here in the United States on a project basis.

Our on-the-ground human trafficking intervention work takes place in India, Thailand, the Philippines, and an undisclosed country in Latin America, where we work with local law enforcement to investigate human trafficking crime.

The Exodus Road was birthed out of recognition of the deficiencies of intervention efforts around the globe. That deficiency still exists, so supporting police in investigative case building remains a focus. We know that when we build the capacities and effectiveness of local justice systems to combat human trafficking crime, we are making a strategic impact. Survivors are freed, and criminal networks are stopped from exploiting more vulnerable people in the future. This is a strategic, effective, and long-term approach to bringing about positive social change.

A “rescue” is a “targeted intervention.” However, since “targeted intervention” is not understood by the general public, we sometimes use the word “rescue” to describe our work with police and its impact on survivors. When we use the word “rescue,” we are speaking of freedom from a situation of  “force, abduction, fraud, or coercion” — qualifying conditions for human trafficking as defined by the United Nations. This can include cases involving restricted movement, trafficking across borders, the trafficking of minors for sex, debt bondage, or labor trafficking. The Exodus Road only works on such cases under the authority of and in collaboration with local police, and only in a support-based role. When we cite someone being freed, we are referencing cases in which The Exodus Road had a significant role by supplying investigative support, key evidence, critical technology, or substantial funding resources. Learn more about how we use the word “rescue” in our communications.

YES! The Exodus Road recognizes that rescue is the first step in a long journey of restoration and healing for survivors of human trafficking.  Here are the main ways we are investing in trauma-informed survivor care services: 

1. We employ local social workers and crisis care workers as an integral part of our Intervention teams in most countries where we work. In the critical hours during or immediately following an operation, these nationals are present to care for survivors and offer immediate and follow-up support. This support can include facilitating communication with police, giving emotional care, advocating for medical assessment, providing clothes/supplies, follow-up visits, court testimony, and repatriation support.
2. We operate Freedom Home in Southeast Asia, a trauma-informed safe house and mentorship program for adult survivors.
3. We work with other NGO partners in key collaborative aftercare programming in the countries where we work.
4. We offer a Survivor Care Fund which meets survivor’s unique needs like emergency services, medical care, education expenses, legal costs, etc.

Read more about our Aftercare program.

A key strategy for maximum impact lies in training front-line communities. We’ve taken our decade of experience, and we have created TraffickWatch Academy — a highly engaging, digital training platform that offers expert training from global experts. Currently, we serve two communities with our training:

1. TraffickWatch Brazil. This training includes ten modules and is designed to train law enforcement officers in Brazil. It primarily features human trafficking experts in Brazil.
2. TraffickWatch U.S. This training includes two video modules that are designed to equip citizens with a basic understanding of global human trafficking, trafficking in the U.S., and practical ways to keep their own communities safe. 

We also provide Influenced, training for parents and teens on safely navigating the online world. Additionally, our teams are involved in other prevention activities around the world which include digital awareness and educational resources and campaigns, education of those in source locations, and giving special attention to interventions in remote villages with a focus on helping youth before they are trafficked.

In our Intervention work, when we share about a rescue, arrest, or operation, we are referencing human trafficking cases in which The Exodus Road had a significant role or impact through supplying investigative support, key evidence, critical technology, or substantial funding resources. The majority of these cases take many hours, and sometimes many months, to build in order to secure effective police action. 

We believe accountability is critical, and we utilize an FBI-grade encrypted case management system, Case Closed, to manage and store all investigative records, data, and files. We use various other secure platforms for reporting and analysis within both the U.S. office and our front-line teams. For security reasons, we cannot make many of our records public, but we do share statistics and details of operations, media releases, and photos when it is safe to do so.

At The Exodus Road, we believe the strongest agents for social change are nationals, and our primary collaborative partnership continues to lie with local and national law enforcement. We work closely with authorities on case work, and know that building capacity within local justice systems is critical for impact. To that end, we supply trusted partners with technology, investigative work, funding, training, gear, and support to build effective human trafficking cases.  We only work on cases of human trafficking under the authority of local police, and in a support-based role.

No. The Exodus Road does not fight prostitution; we fight human trafficking. Our teams are not looking for women and men who are in the sex industry by choice, but rather those who cannot walk away from their situations due to “force, fraud, or coercion” or who are underage (which legally qualifies them as human trafficking victims). While we understand this issue is complicated, we have seen our focus on identifying and freeing people trapped in sexual or labor exploitation against their will have a direct impact on the larger criminal systems of global trafficking.

We have highly trained investigative teams operating in India, Thailand, the Phillippines, and an undisclosed country in Latin America. Investigative teams are comprised of staff members (many of them retired law enforcement or military) and volunteers who have been vetted, trained, and empowered by The Exodus Road and support local law enforcement. Most of these individuals are full-time national investigators employed by The Exodus Road. We augment their work with volunteer investigators on specific casework (who serve on DELTA team). These front-line teams are supported by national social workers and administrative staff in each country of operation.

At our core, we believe that human trafficking must be fought from within a culture if it is going to be fought at all; this is the only sustainable and systematic approach. We acknowledge the deep understanding that local law enforcement and governments have of their own country, laws, and human trafficking crime.

We operate with a value of centering, equipping, and learning from national staff, partners, and leaders.

The Exodus Road acknowledges that our work to combat human trafficking is difficult – emotionally, mentally, physically – and potentially dangerous. We prioritize the health and well-being of all staff members but put special focus on our investigators. All staff have the benefit of access to a mental health professional, to work through any issues they might be struggling with as a result of the work they do to combat human trafficking.

Additionally, we have specific mental health resources for front-line investigators that include trauma-informed counseling with experts in trauma-based therapy. We have mental health professionals who have worked with our teams to craft strategies and care for our investigators and staff.

The Exodus Road recognizes that freedom is the first step in a long journey of restoration and healing for survivors of human trafficking. Therefore, we employ local social workers/crisis care workers as an integral part of our Intervention teams in most countries where we work. In the critical hours during and after an intervention, these social workers are present to care for survivors and meet immediate needs and follow up.

Because we always operate within the local social welfare system mandates, The Exodus Road has little control over where survivors are placed after an operation. Many are placed automatically in government care, some may be placed in NGO or private-sector care, while others do not qualify for meaningful services. Sadly, some of them do return to the sex industry because of a lack of support or economic options.

Our Aftercare program is working to address these important needs through a variety of impactful projects.

If you make human trafficking crime more dangerous for criminal networks, you are impacting systematic change. Arrests are a critical component of this impact. When local police investigate a brothel and arrest traffickers, a message is sent to brothel owners, the risk for illegal activities increases, and the bribe-driven relationship between government and brothel owner – which exists in many countries – is broken.

With every successful arrest, we are impacting more than the survivors directly suffering right now. We are also preventing the abuse of many victims who the imprisoned traffickers will not hurt tomorrow. This is a strategic, effective, long-term method of causing positive social change.

TER works on human trafficking cases that involve small-scale traffickers, as well as supporting police in building transnational cases that involve criminal networks.

Read why human trafficking intervention is so necessary.

Cutting-edge technology is critical to fighting human trafficking crime today. To that end, we work with several partners who provide cyber forensic tools to our teams and our partners. We are proud to partner with TrafficJam, an AI-driven and best-in-class software that identifies trafficking victims online. We also partner with Cellebrite and work to train and donate mobile forensic units to police partners worldwide. The range of cyber tools we have access to can identify victims, track where they have been moved, and identify traffickers.

Our teams utilize a Case Management tool, Case Closed, which provides encrypted management and analysis of all investigative evidence. This software is the leading CJIS-compliant software for specialized and multi-jurisdiction investigative units. 

Additionally, our front line teams continue to innovate and utilize covert and body-worn gear to capture effective evidence of human trafficking crime.

Our Intervention teams use best practices and standard operating procedures that emphasize safety – for themselves, our partners in law enforcement, and the human trafficking victims we work together to free. We maintain our level of excellence through strict vetting, consistent training, and strict protocols for investigations. 

All teams and investigators operate under the standards as outlined in the TER Investigative Manual, a document that has been developed after nearly a decade of international investigative work into human trafficking crime. This manual is evaluated annually and contains input from our front-line teams. It is approved by the Ethics Committee of the TER Board. 

Additionally, active operations are always conducted in police partnerships and with a team (never an individual) approach. Our investigators’ procedures are in alignment with law enforcement best practices which emphasize integrity, character, public trust, and maintaining the courage to hold oneself and others accountable for their actions.

Everyone has a role to play in ending human trafficking. Here are a few things you can do:

1. Donate. Join Freedom Collective, our monthly giving community or make a one-time donation.
2. Fundraise. Join us in saying that “Kids Should Never Be Sold,” and gather your friends for impact.
3. Traffickwach Academy. Take 20 minutes and learn about human trafficking through our digital training modules. It’s a powerful first step.

Of course, you can always reach out to our team and start a conversation, too!

The Exodus Road is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation in good standing in the state of Colorado. We are committed to fiscal transparency and accountability, earning a Platinum rating through Guidestar, a perfect score (100 out of 100) on Charity Navigator, and are certified Transparent with Excellence in Giving. 

Since 2013, we have voluntarily undergone an annual independent financial audit. Most recently, this was completed by McMillen & Company. Those reports are available online for our donors. You can see our full financial data by going here.

The Exodus Road is guided by a talented and committed Board of Directors; nine members with diverse professional backgrounds and skills. Each member is elected for a three-year term. Board members are the fiduciaries (trustees) who steer the organization towards a sustainable future by adopting sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management policies, as well as ensuring TER’s vision and work remain values-driven. You can meet them by visiting our Team Page.

Additionally, our international TER affiliate organizations are governed independently and under national leadership through their own nonprofit boards or leadership teams. 

The Exodus Road United States office salaries are determined within the guidelines of fair compensation standards in the state of Colorado for the size and scope of our current nonprofit organization. All salaries fall within an approved range, which was advised by an independent HR consultant who specializes in nonprofit salary surveys. These salary ranges were then approved by the Board of Directors for implementation. 

Additionally, an Executive Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors meets annually to determine the compensation of any executive. These salaries also fall within the boundaries of the approved salary guidelines.

The Exodus Road is a 501(c)(3) in the state of Colorado. Our United States office works primarily in fundraising, program support, advocacy and education, donor relationships, finance, and global oversight. 

Because TER is committed to operating legally and sustainably in each country, and with the value of equipping nationals in leadership, our international teams actually represent independent organizations that TER launched. These organizations are affiliate organizations or sister organizations. Most operate with the TER name and brand and all are primarily funded by the TER community. This structure allows The Exodus Road’s U.S. office to provide support, finances, resources, and leadership while giving ownership and authority “away” to national teams.

This work is only made possible through the generosity of our community. The Exodus Road is funded by a strong base of individual household donors, private foundations, and corporate sponsors. Our generous community of monthly donors, Freedom Collective, make our work sustainable.

You can see some of our generous partners here.

If you suspect human trafficking in your community or while traveling, you can call the following resources or fill out an online tip report. You should also consider contacting your local police department. Additionally, you are welcome to complete TER’s tip form by going here. 

• National Human Trafficking Hotline: Call 1-888-373-7888 or Text 233733 or Online Form
• ICE Tip Line: 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (U.S./Canada) 802-872-6199 Internationally (Translation services available)