Shield North Carolina

What Shield North Carolina does

Shield North Carolina is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2017 and headquartered in Apex, North Carolina. Operating with a small team of 1-10 employees, the organization pursues a three-pillar mission to combat human trafficking through Empowerment, Prevention, and Advocacy. Its service model targets a broad community stakeholder base, including the general public, businesses, lodging and hospitality operators, law enforcement agencies, faith communities, students, and youth-serving organizations across North Carolina.

The organization's service offerings are non-technological and consist of human trafficking awareness training, survivor support programming, awareness campaigns, and direct legislative advocacy. Under its Empower pillar, Shield NC supports survivors, including through cross-border partnership with Esther International for survivor restoration. Under its Prevent pillar, the organization delivers awareness training to lodging employees, businesses, and youth groups, reaching approximately 1,025 people in 2023 versus approximately 800 in 2022. Under its Advocate pillar, the organization pursues legislative reform, most notably contributing to the passage of North Carolina HB 971 in December 2024, which mandates human trafficking awareness training for lodging employees effective July 2025. The organization is the chair of the NC Demand Reduction Task Force and operates under a Survivor Guidance & Facilitation Agreement with the Apex Police Department.

The revenue model is that of a small donor-funded nonprofit: Shield NC raises funds through one-time gifts, recurring monthly donations (with tiered giving reaching up to $10,300), corporate sponsorships, special events, and grassroots fundraising campaigns. There is no disclosed fee-for-service, software, or commercial product revenue stream. The HB 971 mandate is positioned to create a structural pull for the organization's training programs, though no commercial monetization mechanism has been disclosed in the input data.

Name

Shield North Carolina

Legal name

Shield North Carolina

Website

https://shieldnc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Shield North Carolina is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Apex, NC that combats human trafficking through survivor empowerment, community awareness training, and legislative advocacy, serving the public, businesses, law enforcement, faith communities, students, and youth-serving organizations across North Carolina.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Trafficking Prevention Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Protection, Child Protection & Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Response (BPAGAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Child Rights & Protection (BPADAGAG), Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Legal Aid) (BPADADAH)

Keywords

• Human trafficking prevention
• Community awareness training
• Anti-trafficking advocacy
• Nonprofit prevention services
• Demand reduction training

Headquarters

HQ city

Apex

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. One-time Donations: Individual donors can make one-time donations ranging from $10 to $5,150, with various preset amount options. These donations support the organization's mission to combat human trafficking in North Carolina.
2. Monthly Recurring Donations: Monthly donation program allowing donors to contribute $10 or more per month, enabling the organization to plan ahead for bigger impact. Donors can opt to cover the 3% processing fee.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships ranging from $500 to $10,300, positioned as fuel for the mission while positioning organizations as champions for prevention and community impact. Multiple sponsorship levels exist including Champion, Defender, Prevention, Advocate, and Empowerment.
4. Event Fundraising: Revenue generated through events such as the annual gala, online auction, Bingo Benefit, and golf tournament. 2025 event sponsors include Azura, PDI Drywall, Dragonfly Wellness, Care Plastic Surgery, Tortora Family Law, NC Waterheaters, Raleigh Brewing, Southern Glazer's, Foundations 4 Change, Chapel Hill Wellness Collective, Gala Investments, Positively Apex, Locklear Roofing, Stevenson Conner Global Strategies, and Golf Hour.
5. Fundraiser Hosting: Opportunity for supporters to host their own fundraisers, with the organization providing ideas and support to help expand reach.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Shield North Carolina is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that delivers human trafficking prevention services across North Carolina through a three-pronged model: EMPOWER (community education and training), PREVENT (collaborative demand reduction and outreach), and ADVOCATE (policy and legislative change). The organization runs public Human Trafficking 101 sessions, customized corporate and group trainings, monthly community outreach events, and the statewide NC Demand Reduction Task Force and Service Groups & Faith Alliance (SGFA).

Product overview

Shield North Carolina is a nonprofit organization offering a suite of educational and advocacy services to combat human trafficking in North Carolina. The core offerings include Human Trafficking 101 public training sessions and customized Corporate/Group Training programs; the NC Demand Reduction Task Force addressing buyer-side prevention; and the Service Groups and Faith Alliance (SGFA) quarterly collaborative meetings. Additional services include Community Outreach Events, Advocacy and Policy Initiatives, a Donation Portal for contributions, and a Corporate Sponsorship Program. These programs work together through empowerment (education), prevention (demand reduction and community outreach), and advocacy (policy change) pillars.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Human Trafficking 101 Training Monthly educational sessions (in-person and via Zoom) designed to teach community members what human trafficking is, how it happens, how to recognize warning signs in everyday life, and how to respond appropriately. Targeted at the general public.
• Corporate and Group Training Customized human trafficking training tailored for businesses, organizations, and community groups, offered in-person, virtual, or hybrid formats. Targeted at corporate and organizational buyers needing workforce awareness training.
• NC Demand Reduction Task Force Statewide initiative co-founded by Shield NC to address those fueling human trafficking by reducing demand for commercial sex and forced labor services. The task force has trained over 50 Chiefs of Police and 90+ officers on arrest strategies. Targeted at law enforcement and policy stakeholders.
• Service Groups and Faith Alliance (SGFA) Quarterly collaborative meetings that bring together law enforcement, government representatives, service providers, and faith leaders to address issues affecting vulnerable populations and create innovative solutions to combat human trafficking.
• Community Outreach Events Monthly community events sharing information on internet safety, grooming tactics, risky job offers, and other trafficking prevention and awareness topics, conducted at various locations in the Apex, NC area.
• Advocacy and Policy Initiatives Influencing legislation and policy at local, state, and federal levels to combat human trafficking through smart, effective policies and survivor resources, including advocacy that resulted in HB 971 making solicitation of prostitution a felony in North Carolina.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trained over 1,025 people in 2023 and over 800 in 2022
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NC Department of JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaborated with NC Department of Justice during pandemic to develop resource guides for service providers, parents, and students.
• Apex Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with Apex PD including co-founding the Service Groups & Faith Alliance. Officers participate in community outreach and training programs. APD provides Crisis Counselor and Community Outreach Officers for collaboration.
• WRAL/Capital BroadcastingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for online campaigns targeting individuals searching for explicit images of minors, sending over 100,000 warnings. Also collaborated on resource documents and webinars during the pandemic.
• Wake County Foster Care SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to proclaim May as Foster Care Awareness Month in the Town of Apex. Work together on initiatives addressing foster children vulnerability to trafficking.
• NC Coalition Against Human TraffickingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShield NC leadership serves as chair of this coalition. The coalition launched the first Survivors Network in North Carolina.
• Western Wake Crisis MinistrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing food, coaching, and financial support to western Wake County. Collaborates on food distribution and crisis support initiatives.
• Project Fight (Salvation Army)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides hands-on services to human trafficking victims across the state. Leads local Rapid Response Team for trafficking victims.
• Esther InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShield NC partnered with Esther International as they work to open a restoration home for human trafficking survivors in Apex.
• Healing TransitionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for substance use disorder education. Healing Transitions offers innovative peer-based recovery services to homeless, uninsured individuals.
• NC Human Trafficking CommissioncoreOthersShield NC works with this state commission for policy advocacy and legislative initiatives. Nicole Bernard serves as chair.
• Prevent Child Abuse NCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for child abuse prevention education, sharing goals around community involvement to protect the vulnerable.
• NC Demand Reduction Task ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded by Shield NC, this is the first statewide task force focused on reducing demand for the services of exploited persons in North Carolina.
• Designed For JoyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaith-based nonprofit providing vocational training and living wages for vulnerable women in the Raleigh area, including survivors of trafficking.
• KidsPeace / The Hope CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBehavioral health organization partnered with for The Hope Center providing Behavioral Health Urgent Care and Facility Based Crisis services.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• A21: Global anti-trafficking nonprofit delivering awareness training, prevention programs, and survivor support. Directly comparable to Shield NC's training-led awareness model and community outreach methodology, with a similar empowerment-prevention-advocacy structure.
• The Exodus Road: Anti-trafficking organization combining prevention training, survivor aftercare, and law enforcement collaboration. Directly comparable to Shield NC's community training and stakeholder coordination approach.
• Shared Hope International: National anti-trafficking nonprofit focused on demand reduction, policy advocacy, and survivor protection legislation. Closely comparable to Shield NC's three-pronged model of empowerment, prevention, and advocacy, and a leader in the same state-level policy playbook Shield NC has executed.
• Truckers Against Trafficking: Nonprofit delivering anti-trafficking awareness and training to a specific industry workforce. Comparable to Shield NC's industry-targeted training approach and law enforcement partnerships, though focused on the trucking and travel industries rather than lodging and community.
• NC Coalition Against Human Trafficking: Statewide anti-trafficking coalition of which Shield NC's founder is chair. Operates the same North Carolina advocacy agenda, runs survivor networks, and hosts conferences that overlap directly with Shield NC's training and policy work.
• World Without Exploitation: National coalition focused on policy advocacy to combat commercial sexual exploitation. Comparable to Shield NC's legislative advocacy pillar and demand-reduction focus, with a similar state and federal policy engagement model.

Broad incumbents

• Polaris: National anti-trafficking nonprofit operating the US Human Trafficking Hotline and major policy/training initiatives. Comparable to Shield NC in core mission (anti-trafficking prevention, training, advocacy) but with national scale and federal government partnerships that Shield NC lacks.
• International Justice Mission: Large global anti-trafficking and anti-slavery organization with survivor services, law enforcement partnerships, and policy advocacy. Comparable protection-focused mission and coalition-building model but with international reach Shield NC lacks.
• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: Large national nonprofit addressing child exploitation including trafficking, with federal funding and law enforcement integration. Comparable child-protection mission to Shield NC's work with foster youth and vulnerable minors, though at significantly greater scale.

Emerging players

• Thorn: Tech-enabled nonprofit building digital tools to combat child sexual exploitation and trafficking. Adjacent peer in the anti-trafficking space, representing the technology-enabled approach Shield NC has not pursued.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/263195454223145
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shield-nc
• Instagraminstagram.com/shieldnorthcarolina
• TikToktiktok.com/@shieldnc

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 Shield North Carolina