John,

How can you prevent human trafficking? 

Each January, National Human Trafficking Prevention Month highlights this question of how to stop the crime from happening. At Polaris, we know there’s no single, quick-fix answer. But we also know that addressing poverty, trauma, discrimination, and other barriers can reduce someone’s risk of being exploited.

As inaugural Director of the Polaris Resilience Fund, I have a unique lens on this approach. Since launching in 2023, the Fund has provided a financial safety net for survivors working toward economic stability for their families. This stability is crucial — not only for avoiding re-trafficking but also for protecting their children from cycles of poverty and exploitation.

Based on the inaugural cohort’s progress, here are a just few ways that the Resilience Fund is helping survivors prevent trafficking and create pathways to long-term stability:

• At onboarding, 43% of Fund participants who responded to an initial survey were unemployed. By the program’s midpoint, 100% were employed or self-employed — debunking the myth that providing cash assistance discourages people from working.

• Initially, 60% reported having to take exploitative jobs to make ends meet. With the safety net of Fund disbursements, that number has decreased to 25%, indicating that survivors feel more able to reject such work and enforce healthy boundaries.

• The Fund has strengthened survivors’ social supports, a critical protective factor against exploitation. By the program’s midpoint, 57% of survey respondents could rely on two or more people in a crisis, compared to 43% at the start.

While these are incredibly encouraging milestones, our work is far from done. This year, we’ll complete the full 18 months of disbursements for our inaugural cohort and explore opportunities to extend the Resilience Fund’s impact.

For now, I want to thank you for partnering with Polaris in preventing human trafficking. And I invite you to continue walking with us as we pursue this goal through the month of January — and all year long.