National Institute for Law and Justice

What National Institute for Law and Justice does

National Institute for Law & Justice (NILJ) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN #87-3598794) co-founded by retired NYPD Detective Mark Pucci and Shark Tank-winning entrepreneur Kiersten Hathcock. Headquartered in Syosset, New York, with a staff of approximately seven, the organization provides professional investigative services at no cost to families of missing persons (adults and children), families of homicide victims including cold cases, families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR), and individuals pursuing wrongful conviction exoneration, such as the Justice for Daoud initiative. NILJ does not operate a software platform; it functions as a service intermediary that coordinates a national network of current and retired federal, state, and local law enforcement professionals, forensic specialists, search and rescue teams (ground, air, canine), dive teams, former prosecutors, financial crime analysts, retired special forces trackers, and non-traditional investigative specialists. The organization frames its offering against the average $30,000 cost of comparable private investigation services, which it subsidizes entirely through donations.

NILJ's revenue model is donation-dependent. The organization raises funds from personal donors, corporate sponsors, and grants, with all proceeds directed to funding investigations, and case acceptance is explicitly contingent on available funding. Fundraising infrastructure includes Donorbox for online donation processing, BetterWorld for online auctions (e.g., annual Justice in Action auctions), and recurring community events such as the scheduled Six Harbors Brewing fundraiser in Huntington, NY on August 6, 2026. Pricing is non-commercial: services are free to qualifying families and the organization is not transactionally priced; financial predictability is therefore a function of fundraising throughput rather than sales capacity.

Customer acquisition is non-traditional and largely pull-based. NILJ relies on earned media (Law and Crime Network feature on the Alex Bello Ortiz case in April 2025; ABC News coverage), social media, community events, and word-of-mouth referrals to reach beneficiary families. Intake is handled through website case-submission forms on nilj.org and the 1-833-FINDME phone hotline, with case quality and partner availability determining throughput rather than paid sales motion. The organization operates nationally but maintains a New York-area execution footprint.

Name

National Institute for Law and Justice

Legal name

National Institute for Law & Justice

Website

https://nilj.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

National Institute for Law & Justice (NILJ) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free professional investigative services to U.S. families of missing persons, homicide victims, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives, and wrongful conviction cases, coordinating a national network of law enforcement and forensic specialists funded entirely by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Investigative Services

NAICS

Investigation and Personal Background Check Services (561611), Investigation and Security Services (5616)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAKAEAG

Domestic/Family & Matrimonial Investigations

Business & Public Services/Security & Investigations Services/Private Investigation & Background Screening

SECONDARYBPAKAKAH

Search & Rescue (SAR) K9 Services

Business & Public Services/Security & Investigations Services/K9 Security Services

Keywords

• Nonprofit investigative services
• Missing persons investigation
• Cold case investigations
• Homicide victim advocacy
• Pro bono investigations

Headquarters

HQ city

Syosset

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN #87-3598794), NILJ operates entirely on donations from personal donors and corporate sponsors. All donations go directly to funding investigative services for families at no cost. The organization hosts various fundraising events including community fundraisers, online auctions, and virtual events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NILJ is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that coordinates and funds professional investigative support for families of missing persons (adults and children), homicide victims, unexplained or suspicious deaths, misclassified suicides, and missing and murdered Indigenous relatives. Through a national network of current and retired law enforcement professionals, forensic specialists, search and rescue teams, dive teams, former prosecutors, and non-traditional investigators led by retired NYPD Detective Mark Pucci, the organization provides these investigative services at no cost to qualifying families.

Product overview

NILJ is a nonprofit charitable organization, not a technology product company. Its primary offering is a free investigative services program that connects families of missing persons and homicide victims with a national network of retired and active law enforcement professionals, forensic specialists, search and rescue teams, and non-traditional investigative specialists to help find answers at no cost to families. The organization does not offer a unified software platform but rather operates as a service organization that coordinates investigative support, accepts case submissions, and raises funds to cover investigative costs (averaging $30,000 per case). Supporting offerings include a merchandise shop, fundraising events, and community outreach initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Investigative Services Program Core program that coordinates and funds professional investigative support for families of missing persons, homicide victims, suspicious death cases, and cold-case subjects at no cost, leveraging a national network of law enforcement professionals, forensic specialists, search and rescue teams, dive teams, former prosecutors, financial crime analysts, and non-traditional investigative specialists.
• Missing Persons Investigation Initiative Dedicated investigative initiative within NILJ focused on locating missing adults and children, including cold cases no longer actively investigated by law enforcement.
• Homicide Cases Investigation Initiative Initiative providing investigative support for families of homicide victims, covering unexplained or suspicious deaths, misclassified suicides, and current or cold-case homicides.
• Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) Initiative Initiative dedicated to supporting Indigenous families of missing and murdered relatives, including women, men, children, and two-spirits, addressing over 4,200 unsolved MMIR cases per Bureau of Indian Affairs.
• Justice for Daoud Initiative Wrongful conviction advocacy and investigative initiative supporting Daoud Boone, who has spent 18 years in prison for a crime he alleges he did not commit, with legal support from Mesidor, PLLC.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free services valued at $30,000 average cost

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Federal, State & Local Law Enforcement ProfessionalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network of current and retired law enforcement professionals who work in coordination to investigate cases and help victim's families find answers.
• Forensic SpecialistscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForensic experts who provide specialized analysis and expertise in support of investigations.
• Search and Rescue Teams (Ground, Air, Canine)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional search and rescue teams including ground teams, air support, and canine units for missing persons cases.
• Dive TeamscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialized dive teams for water-related search and recovery operations.
• Former State and Federal ProsecutorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal professionals with prosecutorial experience who provide expertise in criminal cases.
• Financial Crime AnalystscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExperts in financial crime investigation who analyze financial records and patterns.
• Retired Special Forces TrackerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilitary special operations veterans with tracking and surveillance expertise.
• Non-Traditional Investigative SpecialistscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialists with unique investigative approaches who complement traditional law enforcement methods.
• Six Harbors Brewing CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHuntington, NY brewery hosting community fundraiser events for NILJ. Proceeds from draft pours and 4-packs support cold case investigations.
• Blue Lives Matter NYCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit advocacy organization for fallen officers and law enforcement families, founded by Joe Imperatrice. Co-founder honored as NILJ Person of the Year 2026.
• Mesidor, PLLCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployment law firm founded by Marjorie Mesidor, Esq., who volunteered legal expertise to support NILJ's Justice for Daoud initiative. Honored as Humanitarian/Justice Warrior of the Year 2026.
• Rebel Muse Productions (Kristin Thorne)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerProduction company of 5-time Emmy Award-winning journalist Kristin Thorne, who created Hulu's first true crime series 'Missing' and featured NILJ's Alex Bello Ortiz case on Law and Crime Network. Honored with Lifetime Achievement award.
• Bobbi AllisonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternationally renowned psychic and spirit medium who volunteers time helping families and law enforcement search for missing loved ones. Featured in Oprah Magazine, Goop, and Dr. OZ.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Project Cold Case: Nonprofit supporting unresolved homicides through advocacy, awareness, and family resources. Comparable to NILJ's cold-case homicide and misclassified-suicide investigative work.
• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: The largest U.S. nonprofit focused on finding missing children and combating child exploitation. Most directly comparable to NILJ in providing investigative support to families of missing persons, though NCMEC is much larger and federally funded.
• KlaasKids Foundation: Nonprofit established after the Polly Klaas abduction, focused on missing children search and child safety. Comparable to NILJ in providing missing-persons investigative support and family advocacy.
• Polly Klaas Foundation: Nonprofit providing search and recovery support for families of missing children. Comparable to NILJ's missing-persons program and its model of mobilizing volunteers and professionals to assist families.
• Black and Missing Foundation: Nonprofit dedicated to finding missing persons of color and bringing awareness to missing people of color. Comparable to NILJ in providing free investigative support and public awareness for missing persons cases, with a focused demographic mission.
• Innocence Project: Nonprofit that uses DNA testing and investigative work to exonerate wrongfully convicted individuals. Directly comparable to NILJ's Justice for Daoud wrongful-conviction work and its network of legal/forensic professionals.
• Texas EquuSearch: Volunteer-based nonprofit search and recovery organization that locates missing persons using mounted units, K9, and ground teams. Highly comparable to NILJ's ground/air/canine SAR capabilities and free family-service mission.
• Murder Accountability Project: Nonprofit that analyzes unsolved murders using algorithmic and data-driven approaches. Comparable to NILJ in dedicating resources to unsolved homicide cases and advocating for families left without answers.

Broad incumbents

• NamUs (National Missing and Unidentified Persons System): U.S. Department of Justice program providing a national clearinghouse for missing persons and unidentified decedent cases. Comparable to NILJ as a backbone resource for missing-persons investigations, though it is a government data system rather than a service organization.

Others

• Donorbox: Online fundraising platform used by NILJ for donation processing. An enabling/ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor, but useful as a comparable for understanding the donation-tooling stack that supports similar small nonprofits.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-institute-for-law-and-justice

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 National Institute for Law and Justice