Life After Hate

What Life After Hate does

Life After Hate is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2011 and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is the first nonprofit in the United States dedicated to helping individuals disengage from hate-fueled groups and hateful online spaces. Its flagship program, ExitUSA, delivers long-term (18–24 month average) case management that combines Exit Specialists — former violent extremists serving as credible messengers — with licensed social workers, mental health professionals, and case managers. All direct services are provided free of charge to participants, with the organization explicitly refusing to create financial barriers to access.

The organization's service portfolio spans three tiers: direct intervention (ExitUSA core, Family and Friends support, court-mandated diversion programs, juvenile programming, prison inreach), professional training (for mental health providers, law enforcement, attorneys, higher education institutions, and corrections staff), and community engagement (The Daily Former podcast launched May 2023, The Daily Former Discord channel launched May 2024, No Formers Left Behind peer support network launched July 2024, plus blog and newsletter). The technology stack is deliberately non-proprietary, relying on Discord, Buzzsprout, and standard donation infrastructure (PayPal, Facebook Pay, GiveLively, DAF Direct integrations with Fidelity Charitable and Schwab Charitable).

The revenue model is entirely donation- and grant-funded, with no service fees charged to participants. Revenue streams include individual one-time and recurring donations, stock gifts, donor-advised fund grants, government grants (notably a $750,000 two-year Department of Homeland Security award in September 2020), merchandise sales through Threadless, and corporate workplace giving. Distribution occurs through direct service delivery, virtual platforms, and institutional referral channels in the criminal justice, healthcare, and educational systems. The organization serves a global audience through its digital communities and membership in the INDEX international network, while primary case management delivery remains U.S.-focused.

Name

Life After Hate

Legal name

Life After Hate, Inc.

Website

https://lifeafterhate.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Life After Hate is the first U.S. nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals disengage from violent extremism and hate groups, providing free long-term case management through ExitUSA, peer mentorship by former extremists, family support, professional training, and court diversion programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Violence Intervention Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Other Individual and Family Services (62419)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Violence intervention services
• Extremism disengagement programs
• Case management services
• Nonprofit social services
• Peer mentorship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Life After Hate relies entirely on donations from individuals who believe in the mission. One-time donations and monthly recurring donations are accepted through the website via GiveLively's Small Token platform, PayPal, Facebook, and workplace giving programs.
2. Stock Donations: Accepts gifts of stock through Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) as an IRS-qualified 501(c)(3) public charity.
3. Donor-Advised Fund Grants: Eligible to receive grants through DAFs from Fidelity Charitable and Schwab Charitable, with grants designating funds to areas of greatest need or aligned with donor interest.
4. Government Grants: Received Department of Homeland Security two-year $750,000 grant in 2020 to disrupt domestic terrorism.
5. Merchandise Sales: Life After Hate Shop through Threadless platform sells merchandise with proceeds supporting the mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Life After Hate delivers long-term violence intervention and disengagement services through its flagship ExitUSA program, combining former violent extremists (Formers) as Exit Specialists with licensed social workers and case managers. Programming includes individualized case management, group meetings, family/friends support, peer mentorship, professional training, and complementary media/community channels (The Daily Former podcast, Discord community, and the No Formers Left Behind support network). All services are provided free to participants and funded through donations and grants.

Product overview

Life After Hate operates as a violence intervention nonprofit offering a coordinated suite of programs centered on its ExitUSA flagship program. The core offering provides long-term case management, group meetings, educational resources, and professional referrals for individuals disengaging from hate-fueled groups and online hate spaces. Complementary programs include family and friends support services, Exit Specialist peer mentorship, professional training programs, and digital educational resources. The organization extends its reach through The Daily Former podcast and Discord community, the No Formers Left Behind support network, a violence intervention blog, and monthly newsletters. All programming is provided free to participants without barriers, with services available to court-mandated individuals, juveniles, and those in the justice system. The organization operates virtually with a multidisciplinary team approach combining licensed professionals, case managers, and former violent extremists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Daily Former: A podcast and community providing an 'Under-the-Hood' look at why individuals join extremist groups, their experiences in hate groups, and how they exited. Offers a safe and inclusive community for people who want to leave violent extremism behind.
• No Formers Left Behind (NFLB)

Products and services

• ExitUSA Program
• ExitUSA Family and Friends Support
• Exit Specialist Peer Mentorship
• Violence Intervention Training Programs
• The Daily Former Podcast
• The Daily Former Discord Community
• No Formers Left Behind (NFLB) Support Network

Quantifiable outcome

• 63% increase in requests for programming
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• INDEX (International Network for Disengagement and Exit Violence Prevention Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of INDEX, an international prevention and countering extremist violence organization based in Berlin, Germany, composed of 120 practitioners, researchers, and advisers in 10 regional offices across the EU. Provides opportunity for LAH to be on cutting edge of disengagement and push for needed reforms while offering lessons learned to peers in other countries.
• Prevention Practitioners Network (PPN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExit Team members serve on various working groups with PPN to advance professional standards in violence intervention.
• Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT)coreTechnology or IntegrationExit Team members serve on GIFCT working groups to address online radicalization and platform engagement.
• Facebook/MetaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLife After Hate worked with Facebook to help individuals leave behind hate groups, inserting support resources into the platform ecosystem.
• PureSquare / #CancelHate MovementminorGTM or Marketing PartnerApril 2023 partnership to combat online hate and promote a kinder world through the #CancelHate movement.
• The Canada Centre for Community Engagement and PreventioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresented at the Canada Centre 2024 Conference on Countering Radicalization to Violence with 400+ participants from 15 countries. Shared best practices on peer mentorship for preventing and countering violent extremism.
• One World Strong FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Boston Marathon bombing survivor Dave Fortier. Organizations share commitment to supporting individuals affected by extremism and terrorism.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Parents for Peace: Nonprofit that supports families of individuals involved in extremist groups and recruits former extremists as peer mentors. Directly comparable to Life After Hate's family/friends and Formers-led intervention model.
• Embrace (formerly Quilliam): International counter-extremism nonprofit delivering research, policy advice, and direct intervention work with extremist-involved individuals. Closely comparable to Life After Hate in using former extremists as credible messengers.
• Moonshot CVE: Technology-driven counter-extremism organization that works with tech platforms, governments, and NGOs to redirect individuals away from violent extremism. Highly comparable mission, with a stronger technology and platform-partnership emphasis.

Others

• Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab (PERIL): American University research lab studying youth radicalization and prevention. Comparable in subject-matter expertise; differs as a research/education organization rather than a direct-service provider.
• Polarization Solutions Lab at Harvard: Harvard-based research and convening initiative studying polarization and violence prevention. Comparable in academic and convening capacity around extremism but does not run direct intervention programs.

Broad incumbents

• Strong Cities Network: Global network of cities and practitioners focused on preventing violent extremism at the local level. Comparable prevention mission with a city-government and policy orientation rather than direct case management.
• Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD): Global think-and-do tank focused on polarization, extremism, and disinformation, with direct intervention programs across multiple regions. Comparable in mission and counter-extremism expertise, broader geographic and thematic scope.
• Hedayah: International center of excellence for countering violent extremism based in the UAE, producing research and capacity-building programs. Comparable in counter-extremism mission with a government-affiliated, global remit.

Emerging players

• The Forgiveness Project: UK-based nonprofit using personal storytelling and restorative narratives to address conflict, hate, and trauma. Comparable in its narrative-driven, redemption-focused approach, though broader in scope beyond extremism.
• Free Radicals Project: Founded by Life After Hate chairman Christian Picciolini, focused on disengagement, de-radicalization research, and prevention. Closely comparable methodologically and mission-wise, with a stronger research and consulting emphasis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/lifeafterhate
• Facebookfacebook.com/lifeafterhate
• Instagraminstagram.com/lifeafterhate
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lah

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Life After Hate