What Human Trafficking Institute does

The Human Trafficking Institute (HTI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2015 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, that pursues a deliberately upstream strategy to combat human trafficking by focusing exclusively on stopping traffickers rather than reducing victim vulnerability or providing survivor care. Its core operational model is the embedded-expert program: HTI places former federal and experienced human trafficking prosecutors directly inside partner-country prosecution offices (notably the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Uganda since 2017 and the Belizean justice system since 2017) and, increasingly, U.S. domestic jurisdictions (Texas starting 2024-2025, with Kenya launching in 2025), to provide shoulder-to-shoulder case support, technical training, and capacity building for police, prosecutors, and judicial officials.

HTI's product surface is a portfolio of programs and publications rather than a unified software platform. Flagship outputs include the annual Federal Human Trafficking Report (a comprehensive case-level dataset tracking every federal criminal human trafficking case in U.S. courts since the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, accompanied by Interactive Data Dashboards at data.traffickinginstitute.org), TIPMAP (a mobile case-sharing database co-developed with Liberty Shared and Uganda's ODPP), the Frederick Douglass Fellowship for law students, the Human Trafficking Academy training program, and the Trafficking Matters Podcast. The organization also publishes toolkits for U.S. prosecutors (e.g., the Virginia Prosecutor's Human Trafficking Toolkit).

HTI does not sell a commercial product. Its revenue is generated entirely through charitable contributions, foundation grants, and US-government grants. Funding streams include individual donations organized through the Justice Partner monthly giving program, foundation support (most notably the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation's portfolio selection in 2025), and government grants such as the U.S. Embassy's CARSI ESF Grant that funded the 'A TIPPING POINT' training initiative in Belize. The organization operates with 11-50 staff across programs in Uganda, Belize, Kenya, and the United States, with leadership including CEO and co-founder Victor Boutros (former DOJ Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit attorney and 2016 Grawemeyer Prize co-recipient) and a Board of Directors drawn from International Justice Mission, CSW Industrials, MPK Equity Partners, DRK Foundation, and other senior figures.

Name

Human Trafficking Institute

Legal name

Human Trafficking Institute

Website

https://traffickinginstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Human Trafficking Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that combats human trafficking by embedding former federal prosecutors inside partner-country prosecution offices (Uganda, Belize, Kenya, and U.S. states) to build enforcement capacity, while publishing the Federal Human Trafficking Report and operating the TIPMAP case database.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Anti-Trafficking Law Enforcement Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Anti-Trafficking, Smuggling Prevention & Safe Migration Services (BPADAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Criminal Investigations & Forensics (Detectives, Crime Labs, CSI) (BPAIAGAI), Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation & Advocacy (BPADAGAK)

Keywords

• Anti-trafficking enforcement
• Law enforcement training
• Prosecution capacity building
• Human trafficking data
• Justice system support

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Justice Partner Program: Monthly giving program (Justice Partners) providing sustained donations to fund law enforcement training and program expansion. Individual donors can give one-time or recurring gifts via the organization's donate page.
2. Government Grants and Contracts: Funding from US government agencies including the U.S. Embassy (CARSI ESF Grant with Belize) and other federal programs. Also referenced as receiving support through Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation.
3. Foundation Funding: Strategic funding and support from foundations including Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation. HTI has been selected for funding and partnership with DRK for organizational scaling and impact.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Human Trafficking Institute partners with governments to build anti-trafficking enforcement capacity by embedding former federal and state prosecutors directly into partner-country prosecution offices, delivering shoulder-to-shoulder training, and equipping law enforcement with specialized tools and tactics. It also maintains the United States' only comprehensive dataset of federal human trafficking cases since 2000, publishing it as the annual Federal Human Trafficking Report and powering interactive data dashboards, while supporting TIPMAP, a mobile prosecution database used in Uganda.

Product overview

The Human Trafficking Institute (HTI) is a nonprofit organization focused on combating human trafficking through law enforcement support and prosecution. Rather than a unified software platform, HTI offers a portfolio of programs and publications: the Federal Human Trafficking Report (an annual comprehensive dataset of federal criminal cases), TIPMAP (a mobile database app for Uganda's justice system), interactive data dashboards for public data exploration, the Frederick Douglass Fellowship (law student development program), and the Human Trafficking Academy (training for enforcement professionals). HTI also operates embedded expert programs placing prosecution advisors in partner countries, monthly Justice Partner donations, and the Trafficking Matters Podcast. Programs span Uganda, Belize, Kenya, and the United States, with core offerings centered on data/reporting, training, and direct prosecution support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TIPMAP: Trafficking in Persons Mobile App Platform - Uganda's first database designed to collect and share data about human trafficking investigations and prosecutions
• Frederick Douglass Fellowship
• Federal Human Trafficking Report
• Trafficking Matters Podcast

Products and services

• Federal Human Trafficking Report Annual publication providing comprehensive data from every federal criminal human trafficking case filed in U.S. federal courts, including state reports for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 3 U.S. territories. Aimed at policymakers, prosecutors, researchers, and advocates.
• TIPMAP (Trafficking in Persons Mobile App Platform) Uganda's first centralized mobile database enabling prosecutors and investigators to share case details across regions and collaborate on trafficking cases. Co-developed with Liberty Shared and Uganda's Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
• Interactive Data Dashboards Web-based data visualization tool that lets users explore federal human trafficking prosecution data from 2000 to 2023, including prosecutions, victims, recruiters, industries in forced labor cases, and length of victim exploitation.
• Frederick Douglass Fellowship 8-month fellowship program for third-year law students developing future leaders in the anti-human trafficking movement. Fellows conduct research, assist with Federal Human Trafficking Report data collection, host the Trafficking Matters Podcast, and work with HTI attorneys.
• Human Trafficking Academy Intensive training program for anti-trafficking enforcement units combining experts from HTI, law enforcement specialists, and victim service professionals. Provides hands-on training through simulated human trafficking cases from start to finish.
• Embedded Expert Program HTI's law enforcement and prosecution experts work shoulder-to-shoulder with enforcement teams through the justice system pipeline, providing real-time guidance, technical training, and prosecution support to partner-country governments in Uganda, Belize, Kenya, and select U.S. jurisdictions.
• Virginia Prosecutor's Human Trafficking Toolkit Resource toolkit for Virginia prosecutors handling human trafficking cases, providing guidance on investigation, prosecution, and victim support.
• A TIPPING POINT Training Initiative (Belize) Countrywide training initiative funded by the U.S. Embassy's CARSI ESF Grant in Belize, providing frontline personnel, magistrates, and judges with best practice manuals, referral guidelines, and training on human trafficking case handling.

Quantifiable outcome

• 159% increase in victims removed from exploitation in 2021 across global programs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, emerging and core.

• Denton County Criminal District Attorney's OfficesupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 October 2025HTI partnered with Denton County Criminal District Attorney's Office as part of a larger enforcement initiative in Texas to strengthen local enforcement response to human trafficking and child exploitation.
• Government of KenyaemergingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025HTI is launching programs in Kenya in 2025, with Michelle Prince appointed as Country Director. The U.S. government referenced Kenya's need for anti-trafficking enforcement improvements in the 2023 TIP Report, creating an opening for HTI's intervention.
• Liberty SharedcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021HTI partnered with Liberty Shared and Uganda's ODPP to create TIPMAP (Trafficking in Persons Mobile App Platform), Uganda's first database designed to collect and share data about human trafficking investigations and prosecutions. Liberty Shared contributed to the technical development of the mobile application.
• Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking (ATEST)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018HTI has been a member of ATEST since 2018. HTI's Director of Government and Corporate Relations Annick Febrey served as coalition co-chair. ATEST is a U.S.-based coalition of 15 anti-trafficking organizations advocating for solutions to prevent and end all forms of human trafficking and forced labor.
• Government of BelizecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017HTI has partnered with the Government of Belize since 2017 to strengthen the justice system's response to human trafficking. HTI embedded experts to train investigators, prosecutors, magistrates, judges, and social service workers. A two-year CARSI ESF Grant project trained over 80% of frontline personnel and judicial officials. Belize received a Tier 2 upgrade in the 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report.
• Government of Uganda - Office of the Director of Public ProsecutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017HTI embedded its first expert in Uganda's ODPP in 2017, working shoulder-to-shoulder with prosecutors to build cases against traffickers. Uganda named a dedicated anti-trafficking prosecutor, established a specialized unit, and achieved the highest number of convictions in a single year, earning a Tier 2 upgrade in the 2022 TIP Report.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Thorn: Tech-driven anti-trafficking organization building tools to identify victims (e.g., Spotlight) and disrupt online child sexual exploitation. Comparable technology/data assets to HTI's TIPMAP and FHTR dashboards, but focuses on digital/CSAM rather than prosecution embedding.

Direct peers

• A21: Global anti-trafficking nonprofit with programs in prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnership. Comparable three-pillar framing including prosecution; operates in multiple countries similar to HTI's Uganda/Belize/Kenya footprint.
• Polaris Project: US-based anti-trafficking organization operating the National Human Trafficking Hotline and major data/research assets. Highly comparable data-and-systems orientation; Polaris's BeFree Textline and case data overlap with HTI's data-driven approach to trafficking enforcement.
• Liberty Shared: Anti-trafficking organization that co-developed TIPMAP with HTI and Uganda's ODPP. Directly comparable in mission (prosecution support, data systems) and geographic focus (Southeast Asia, Africa).

Broad incumbents

• Verité: Research, advocacy, and capacity-building organization focused on labor rights and human trafficking in global supply chains. Comparable international scope, training/prosecution support work, and data/research emphasis on forced labor cases.
• The Freedom Fund: Global grantmaking and operational fund dedicated to ending modern slavery and trafficking. Comparable international, multi-country footprint and funder of anti-trafficking interventions; overlaps with HTI's Tier 2/3 country engagement model.
• International Justice Mission: The largest anti-trafficking and modern slavery NGO globally. Directly comparable mission (protecting victims from violence, including trafficking), broader operational footprint, and overlapping leadership (HTI's Board Chair Eric Ha is IJM's CAO; multiple HTI staff previously at IJM). IJM does rescue + aftercare, while HTI focuses on prosecution.

Others

• Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking (ATEST): US coalition of 15+ anti-trafficking NGOs advocating for federal policy. HTI is a member since 2018 and has held coalition co-chair roles. Provides federal-level advocacy infrastructure comparable to HTI's policy ambitions.

Regional players

• Counter Trafficking International: European-based organization providing training, case management, and policy support on trafficking. Comparable prosecution-support and capacity-building services to HTI's embedded expert program but operating primarily in European jurisdictions.
• National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) - Anti-Trafficking Program: US-focused coalition addressing trafficking through domestic violence service providers. Comparable to HTI's US state-level program expansion (Texas, NC), with comparable DOJ/OVC grant-funded service-delivery model but narrower geographic scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/TraffickingInst
• Facebookfacebook.com/TraffickingInst
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/human-trafficking-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/traffickinginst

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Human Trafficking Institute