The Lifeguard Group Inc

What The Lifeguard Group Inc does

The Lifeguard Group Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Tax ID 83-0973814) founded in 2018 by Lowell and Tami Hochhalter and headquartered in Missoula, Montana. The organization operates a portfolio of anti-human-trafficking programs structured around a four-pillar mission: Respond, Rescue, Restore, and Revive. Core service offerings include the Montana Human Trafficking Hotline (1-833-406-STOP, with online chat at 406stop.com), the LifeHouse safe house at Crooked Tree Ranch in the Bitterroot Valley (initial capacity for six women, with planned expansion for child victims), the Wings of Freedom volunteer pilot network for survivor transport, the Sentinel Project for trucker and hospitality-industry training, the LifeLine Project school assembly program, and the Recognize and Respond training curriculum for educators, healthcare workers, first responders, and other professionals. The organization also operates Quick Response Teams for missing-person searches and the Street Smart Defender self-defense program.

The technology stack is entirely third-party and non-proprietary: the hotline runs on the Simply Report platform (developed jointly with the SafeHouse Project and Montana Department of Justice), donations are processed via Zeffy, Coinbase, and Venmo, and the website is hosted on a standard Wix-style infrastructure with no APIs, mobile apps, or AI features documented. Staffing is approximately 15-20, organized across program operations, case management, ranch management, training delivery, and development.

The Lifeguard Group is funded entirely through donations from individuals, faith communities, foundations (Gianforte Foundation, DPW Foundation), and corporate partners (Town Pump, Montana Beer and Wine Association). All programs are free to beneficiaries. Distribution is direct-to-beneficiary and direct-to-donor, with no reseller or paid-channel mix. The geographic focus is Montana-centric, while online classes and LifeLine school bookings extend reach nationally.

Name

The Lifeguard Group Inc

Legal name

The LifeGuard Group

Website

https://thelifeguardgroup.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Lifeguard Group Inc is a Montana-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that combats human trafficking through a statewide hotline, survivor safe houses, volunteer pilot transport, professional and school training programs, and community mobilization, serving trafficking victims, students, and first responders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Anti-Human Trafficking Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Education (CPR/First Aid/Disaster Readiness) (EDAAAFAJ), Crisis Response & Threat Assessment (Suicide Prevention, Violence Prevention) (EDAJAIAH)

Keywords

• Anti-trafficking services
• Survivor support programs
• Human trafficking hotline
• Community awareness training
• Victim rescue operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Missoula

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The primary revenue stream comes from individual donations through their website using Zeffy platform, cryptocurrency (Coinbase), and Venmo. They offer a monthly giving program called 'The 210'. Checks can be mailed to their office address.
2. Program Funding: Donors can request specific allocation of funds to Outreach, Crooked Tree Ranch (safehouse), or Educational media programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Lifeguard Group is a nonprofit that combats human trafficking through a four-pillar model (Respond, Rescue, Restore, Revive). Its core offerings include a statewide 24/7 trafficking hotline and tip line, safe house facilities (LifeHouse at Crooked Tree Ranch) for survivors, a volunteer pilot air-transport network (Wings of Freedom), school-based prevention assemblies (LifeLine Project), commercial-driver awareness training (Sentinel Project), self-defense courses (Street Smart Defender), and multi-sector professional training (Recognize and Respond) for educators, healthcare workers, first responders, and hospitality staff.

Product overview

The LifeGuard Group is a nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive suite of anti-human trafficking programs centered around their Montana Human Trafficking Hotline (406stop.com) and two safe house facilities (Crooked Tree Ranch and LifeHouse). Their portfolio includes awareness and prevention programs (LifeLine Project school assemblies, Sentinel Project truck driver training, Street Smart Defender self-defense), professional training (Recognize and Respond), and a volunteer network (Wings of Freedom), all supported by free public resources. The organization integrates with the Simply Report platform for enhanced hotline reporting capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LifeHouse: Safe house for survivors of human trafficking located at Crooked Tree Ranch
• Wings of Freedom
• Sentinel Project
• LifeLine
• Street Smart Defender
• Montana Human Trafficking Hotline
• Crooked Tree Ranch

Products and services

• Montana Human Trafficking Hotline A 24/7 confidential statewide hotline for reporting human trafficking tips, providing crisis support, and connecting survivors with services; available by phone, text, and online chat.
• Crooked Tree Ranch (Safe House) A safe house facility providing emergency shelter and trauma-informed aftercare for human trafficking survivors in Ravalli County's Bitterroot Valley.
• LifeHouse Safe House Program Trauma-informed safe house program offering supportive services for individuals escaping human trafficking situations, located at Crooked Tree Ranch.
• LifeLine Project (School Assembly Program) School assembly, faculty/staff training, and community 'Comeback Rally' program educating K-12 students about human trafficking awareness, warning signs, and available resources.
• Sentinel Project (Trucker Awareness Program) Awareness program that trains commercial drivers and hospitality workers to recognize human trafficking indicators and reporting protocols along transportation routes.
• Wings of Freedom (Volunteer Pilot Network) Volunteer pilot network providing free air transportation for trafficking survivors to safe locations, restoration programs, and medical care.
• Street Smart Defender (Self-Defense Training) Self-defense training program teaching practical safety skills and awareness techniques to help individuals protect themselves from potential trafficking situations.
• Recognize and Respond (Professional Training) Training program designed for community professionals across multiple sectors to recognize indicators of human trafficking and respond with proper referral procedures.
• Free Resources Library Free educational materials, toolkits, and informational resources (including guides, posters, and reference documents) for the public, educators, healthcare workers, and partner organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Only 1% of human trafficking victims are ever recovered
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SafeHouse ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to enhance the Montana Human Trafficking Hotline. SafeHouse Project collaborated with Montana DOJ and The LifeGuard Group to move the hotline to the Simply Report platform with enhanced capabilities including quick, discreet reporting options and resource guidance.
• Montana Department of JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState government partnership for human trafficking awareness campaign, hotline platform, and legislative efforts. Governor Gianforte and Attorney General Knudsen have publicly supported the partnership.
• Town PumpcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontana-based company partnered with State and LifeGuard Group for human trafficking awareness campaign. Town Pump convenience store locations serve as distribution points for awareness materials.
• Retired Investigators Guild (RIG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReno-based nonprofit of retired law enforcement officers who volunteer expertise to assist LifeGuard Group in human trafficking investigations and pursuit of justice.
• Montana Beer and Wine Association (MBWDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation represents Montana's beer and wine distributors for the Sentinel Project. Delivery drivers are trained to be 'eyes' for identifying exploitation at truck stops, convenience stores, hotels, and restaurants.
• 406 Safe AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal safe alliance organization partnering with LifeGuard Group in the fight against human trafficking in Montana.
• Recovery of ChildrenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization focused on recovering missing children, partnered with LifeGuard Group for search and rescue operations.
• Empower and Shine / Project StandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization empowering survivors, logo displayed on partnerships page indicating collaborative relationship.
• Missoula County Sheriff's OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLowell Hochhalter serves as Chaplain for the Sheriff's Office, providing collaborative relationship for law enforcement partnerships and missing person searches.
• Crooked Tree RanchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated ranch operation where LifeHouse safe house is located. Separate website (crookedtreeranch.com) with volunteer applications for safe house support.
• Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA)minorOthersAccreditation body that provides financial accountability standards for Christian nonprofits. LifeGuard Group maintains ECFA accreditation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• A21: Global anti-trafficking nonprofit operating rescue, restoration, and awareness programs across multiple countries — directly comparable to Lifeguard's Respond-Rescue-Restore-Revive framework and survivor-centered shelter model.
• Shared Hope International: National anti-trafficking organization focused on sex trafficking of minors, providing shelter, training, and legislative advocacy — directly comparable to Lifeguard's LifeLine school program and LifeHouse safe house model.
• Polaris Project: Operates the National Human Trafficking Hotline and runs survivor services, training, and policy advocacy — the most direct national-level peer running hotline operations, training programs, and survivor support that Lifeguard competes with or partners alongside.
• ECPAT-USA: Anti-trafficking advocacy organization focused on commercial sexual exploitation of children — directly comparable to Lifeguard's LifeLine Project and survivor recovery services, with overlapping policy and training mandates.
• SafeHouse Project: Anti-trafficking nonprofit that co-developed the Simply Report hotline platform now used by Lifeguard's Montana hotline — a partner AND peer with overlapping technology infrastructure and survivor-service mission.
• Truckers Against Trafficking: National nonprofit training truck drivers and transportation industry workers to identify and report human trafficking — the most direct peer to Lifeguard's Sentinel Project, both targeting the same driver/hospitality audience.

Broad incumbents

• International Justice Mission: Large, established international anti-trafficking organization with rescue operations, survivor aftercare, and training — operates at much greater scale than Lifeguard but pursues the same victim-rescue and restoration thesis.
• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: Established national organization focused on missing children recovery and child exploitation prevention — comparable in scope to Lifeguard's Quick Response Teams and missing person search function but at a much larger institutional scale.

Peers

• Freedom Network USA:

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thelifeguardgroup

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Subsidiaries6 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 The Lifeguard Group Inc