Guardian Group

What Guardian Group does

Guardian Group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2010 by Jeff Keith and headquartered in Bend, Oregon, that prevents and disrupts the sex trafficking of women and children in the United States. The organization operates a portfolio of programs anchored by its PURSUIT Team — former U.S. Special Forces and Intelligence Community professionals who apply counter-terrorism analytical methodologies to Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) research on publicly available information (PAI), producing individually vetted Publicly Available Information Reports (PAIR) that are delivered free of charge to law enforcement agencies across 35 U.S. states.

Its core technology is a 24/7 crowdsourcing platform branded Project 1591, which engages certified OSINT-skilled volunteers in 23 countries to surface leads that PURSUIT Team analysts then corroborate and distribute. Supporting the intelligence operation is Operation IFAST, a co-developed certification program with CLtel and partners including Calix that trains telecom and utility field technicians (5,025 employees trained across 30 states) to recognize trafficking indicators during routine service visits. Training is also delivered through the Guardian Learning Center (Intro Course at $5, Hotel Course, and a free Law Enforcement Course hosted on Thinkific) and content marketing via the "Selling Girls in America" podcast and blog.

Guardian Group's revenue model is donation-driven rather than transactional. Primary streams are monthly recurring donations via Team 1591 ($15.91/month, modeled on 18 U.S.C. § 1591), one-time gifts, peer-to-peer fundraising through Facebook and Give Lively, DAF contributions (Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard), stock and cryptocurrency donations, workplace giving via Benevity and Bright Funds, and Amazon Smile. Earned revenue comes from IFAST certification (a $1,591/year minimum annual investment), training course fees ($5 for Intro), and merchandise via the Gear Shop. The organization reports 1,084 victims identified to date and 1,753 since the victim identification program began in 2018, with 209 identified in 2026 alone. It is founder-led, with Jeff Keith as CEO, retired Special Forces Colonel Nate Prussian as COO, and Kara Alexander as Business Development Director; the disclosed headcount is 1–10 employees.

Name

Guardian Group

Legal name

Guardian Group

Website

https://guardiangroup.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Guardian Group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that prevents and disrupts sex trafficking of women and children in the United States through OSINT-based victim identification, a volunteer crowdsourcing platform (Project 1591), and law enforcement and industry training (Operation IFAST).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Anti-trafficking intelligence services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD), Child Safety & Exploitation Prevention Operations (CSAM detection workflows, escalation) (BPAAALAK), Risk Intelligence, Threat Monitoring & Crisis Response (Harmful trends, coordinated abuse) (BPAAALAN)

Keywords

• Anti-trafficking intelligence
• Victim identification services
• Human trafficking prevention
• Law enforcement OSINT analysis
• Telecom trafficking training

Headquarters

HQ city

Bend

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Monthly recurring donations through Team 1591 program ($15.91/month), one-time gifts, and peer-to-peer fundraising. 67 Facebook fundraisers raised $14,600 in one year. Cryptocurrency and stock donations also accepted.
2. IFAST Certification Program: Internet service providers pay a minimum annual investment of $1,591 to become IFAST Certified, receiving training, analyst support, and law enforcement connection benefits.
3. Training Courses: Revenue from online training courses including Intro Training ($5), Hotel Training, and Law Enforcement training (free for law enforcement).
4. Workplace Giving: Corporate employee matching gift programs where employers match employee donations, and volunteer grant programs based on hours volunteered.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Guardian Group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that prevents and disrupts sex trafficking of women and children in the United States through intelligence-led victim identification. Its PURSUIT team of former military and intelligence professionals uses Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) methods to vet volunteer submissions from the Project 1591 crowdsourcing platform and deliver Publicly Available Information Reports (PAIR) to law enforcement at no charge. The organization also certifies internet service providers and trains field technicians through Operation IFAST, and delivers online training courses to community members, hotels, and law enforcement.

Product overview

Guardian Group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that prevents and disrupts the sex trafficking of women and children in the United States. The organization operates a multi-product portfolio centered on its core PURSUIT™ Team analytical services and Project 1591® crowdsourcing platform, which enables volunteers to identify victims through Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) research. Supporting this core mission are training programs (Intro, Hotel, and Law Enforcement courses) delivered through the Guardian Learning Center, Operation IFAST certification for telecom/utility companies, and the Team 1591 monthly giving program. The organization also offers educational content through its Selling Girls in America podcast, provides free intelligence reports (PAIR) to law enforcement, supports peer-to-peer and corporate fundraising, and operates a merchandise gear shop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Project 1591®: The first-ever 24/7 crowdsourcing process and platform that enables volunteers to become force multipliers to Guardian Group's mission of illuminating child victims of sex trafficking in the United States.
• Operation IFAST
• PURSUIT™ Team
• Team 1591
• Publicly Available Information Report (PAIR)

Products and services

• Project 1591 24/7 crowdsourcing platform enabling skilled volunteers to identify potential sex trafficking victims hidden in online spaces; each submission is individually vetted by Guardian Group analysts and delivered to law enforcement as a Publicly Available Information Report (PAIR) at no charge.
• Operation IFAST (Internet Service Providers Fight Against Sex Trafficking) National certification program for telecom and utility companies that trains field technicians to recognize and report signs of human trafficking during routine service visits. Internet service providers pay a minimum annual investment of $1,591 to receive training, analyst support, and law enforcement connection benefits.
• PURSUIT Team Intelligence Services Elite analytical team of former special operations military and Intelligence Community professionals who conduct Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) research to identify possible sex trafficking victims and provide actionable intelligence leads to under-resourced law enforcement agencies nationwide.
• Guardian Learning Center - Intro Training Course Online self-paced foundational training course providing understanding of domestic sex trafficking complexities, indicators to recognize, and reporting procedures. Approximately one hour to complete; priced at $5 per person with one year of access.
• Guardian Learning Center - Hotel Training Course Industry-specific online training for hospitality staff covering what sex trafficking looks like within hotel properties and best practices for staff to help combat trafficking.
• Guardian Learning Center - Law Enforcement Course Free exclusive online training available to verified law enforcement officers providing in-depth education on identifying and discovering sex trafficking online and in person. Access requires official LE email registration.
• Law Enforcement Support Services Free analytical support and intelligence assistance to law enforcement agencies including lead packet generation, sting operations support, and consulting on identifying sex trafficking online and in person.
• Gear Shop Merchandise store selling branded apparel and accessories including G-Tee ($35), Women's Freedom Tee ($35), G Shield Trucker Cap ($30), and Water Bottle ($25) to support the organization.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,084 victims identified to date; 1,753 total since 2018; 209 in 2026 alone across 35 states
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 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

Integration11 records

AI capability4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CalixcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 March 2026Calix supports Operation IFAST, an anti-human trafficking program co-founded by Guardian Group and CLtel. Calix reports that the program has trained over 2,000 field technicians across nearly 140 organizations, helping identify 143 victims for law enforcement investigation.
• CLtelcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 October 2025CLtel co-founded Operation IFAST with Guardian Group - an anti-human trafficking program for communications service providers. The program equips field technicians to recognize and report signs of human trafficking during routine service visits.
• National Human Trafficking HotlinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for reporting suspected trafficking. Guardian Group directs individuals to call 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733 for immediate assistance and resource connection.
• National Center for Missing & Exploited ChildrencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFor reporting missing children, Guardian Group directs individuals to first report with local law enforcement then call NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).
• Give LivelyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party peer-to-peer fundraising platform partner. Give 100% of proceeds directly to Guardian Group with simple setup process for fundraisers.
• BenevityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party workplace giving platform recommended for employee matching gift programs and corporate giving programs.
• Bright FundsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party workplace giving platform recommended for corporate employee giving programs with flexibility in giving strategy.
• Double the DonationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPlatform for checking employer matching gift and volunteer grant program eligibility. Guardian Group listed for easy employer matching verification.
• Charles SchwabminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBrokerage partner for stock donations. Contact for initiating stock transfers to Guardian Group (Tax ID: 72-1613750).
• Amazon SmileminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmazon Smile program donates 0.5% of eligible purchases to Guardian Group at no extra cost to shoppers.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• A21: A21 is a global anti-trafficking nonprofit combining prevention, victim identification, and aftercare. It operates similar programs — training, awareness, and law enforcement support — and serves many of the same donor and volunteer audiences as Guardian Group.
• Polaris Project: Polaris operates the National Human Trafficking Hotline and Beacon, a tech platform for victim identification and case management. As a direct peer in anti-trafficking intelligence and case support, it overlaps with Guardian Group's mission while operating at a larger national scale.
• Operation Underground Railroad: Operation Underground Railroad conducts undercover trafficking stings and survivor aftercare globally. It overlaps with Guardian Group's sting support work and shares the same donor constituency interested in direct-action anti-trafficking initiatives.
• Marinus Analytics: Marinus Analytics builds AI-driven OSINT tools (e.g., Traffic Jam) used by law enforcement to identify trafficking victims online. It is the closest direct technology peer, applying machine learning to publicly available information to surface trafficking patterns — directly comparable to Guardian Group's OSINT-based PAIR methodology.
• Coalition Against Trafficking in Women: CATW is an international policy and advocacy organization focused on trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. It represents the policy and advocacy peer to Guardian Group's operational intelligence and identification work, serving overlapping survivor and advocacy constituencies.
• Thorn: Thorn builds technology to defend children from sexual abuse, including tools that help identify victims and disrupt trafficking online. It is the most technologically analogous nonprofit to Guardian Group, operating OSINT-style platforms and developer-driven tools aimed at the same victim identification problem.
• Human Trafficking Institute: Founded by former federal prosecutor John Cotton Richmond (whose quote is featured on Guardian Group's website), the Institute focuses on equipping law enforcement and prosecutors to identify and prosecute trafficking cases. It is a direct peer in the intelligence-to-prosecution pipeline.
• DeliverFund: DeliverFund applies intelligence and investigative methodologies from former intelligence operatives to disrupt human trafficking networks in the US. Its talent background (former IC professionals) and intelligence-led approach are highly comparable to Guardian Group's PURSUIT team model.

Regional players

• Internet Watch Foundation: The IWF is a UK-based nonprofit that identifies and removes child sexual abuse material online. While geographically focused on the UK, its OSINT-driven victim identification methodology and reporting-to-law-enforcement model are directly comparable to Guardian Group's Project 1591 approach.

Broad incumbents

• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: NCMEC is the largest US nonprofit focused on missing and exploited children, operating the CyberTipline and serving as a primary national reporting hub. It is a strategic referral partner for Guardian Group and the dominant incumbent in the same child-protection space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GuardianGroupGG
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@GuardianGroupUSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/theguardiangroupus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-guardian-group-gg-
• Instagraminstagram.com/guardiangroupus

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Guardian Group