2012 ANNUAL REPORT &

Transcription

1 2012 ANNUAL REPORT & A REVIEW OF THE YEAR

2 ABOUT OBS 1-2 IN THE FIELD: MASS ATROCITIES 3-6 IN THE FIELD: HUMAN TRAFFICKING 7-9 INSIDE OBS ONLINE IN THE NEWS FINANCIALS THE FUTURE 25-27

3 ABOUT Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 1

4 MISSION STATEMENT Operation Broken Silence exists to protect the innocent by confronting social affliction and building a new generation of abolitionists who envision a world without mass atrocities and modern slavery. THE IDEA Most of us do not have to worry about armed combatants breaking into our homes and committing terrible atrocities because of who we are or what we believe. Many of us do not fear being forced into modern day slavery. But tens of millions of people around the world do. It s impossible for us to fully imagine the size of these issues and the vast numbers of people affected by them. But it is possible to see a few of them. When we step closer than just the numbers and the mindboggling images of mass destruction, we see ordinary people that want our help in specific ways. And that s where we start, and then we expand from there. We are not THE solution, but we are part of the solution alongside of our friends on the ground. Put yourself in their shoes. These crises may be enormous to us, but to them it is personal. PHILOSOPHY Our work philosophy comes directly from victim and survivor needs. We do not assume we have all the answers or know what needs to be done. Many of our best ideas do not belong to us, but to the people we seek to help. Service is at the heart of Operation Broken Silence. Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 2

5 IN THE FIELD: MASS ATROCITIES Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 3

6 DOCUMENTATION In June of 2012 Operation Broken Silence gained rare access to Sudan s besieged Nuba Mountains region, which has become the focal point of the broader catastrophe unfolding across Sudan s oppressed periphery regions. While a full humanitarian and war crimes assessment is outside of our capacity and impossible due to ongoing insecurity, our assessment team managed to video and photo document destroyed communities, eyewitness testimony, and gain a better understanding of the security and humanitarian issues the population continues to face. Our two week visit to the region provided us with evidence leading us to believe that the Sudanese regime is waging an attempted genocide against the Nuba Mountains people groups. We compiled our documentation into our first film Across the Frontlines: Ending the Nuba Genocide. The film has been made available to the public, Congressional offices, the Obama Administration, and United Nations officials. MEMPHIS REFUGEE REPORT Our interns continued to gather information on the state of refugees living in Memphis, TN during Progress has been slow due to fiscal limits and difficulty gaining broad access to refugee communities in Memphis. Research will continue into Funds for our Operation 30 Campaign which ran between October 1, January 30, 2012 were also distributed to local agencies in February Learn more here. Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 4

7 RELIEF EFFORTS Following our June assessment trip to Sudan, Operation Broken Silence created the End Nuba Genocide Coalition. The Coalition is an international network of organizations, faithbased institutions, genocide scholars, and individuals who have come together to raise funds for the purchasing and delivery of urgently needed humanitarian aid for the most atrisk victims of the genocide in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan. We are delivering this aid to those who are most in need. Operation Broken Silence is the fiscal sponsor and lead fundraiser for the Coalition. In 2012, the Coalition led two aid deliveries into the Nuba Mountains and distributed relief to families that were running out of food supplies. The Coalition documented these deliveries as proof of work and to raise further funds. During these two missions, the Coalition distributed 16,000Ibs of relief. The Coalition continues in 2013 focusing on specific requests of local and regional partners. Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 5

8 ADVOCACY Operation Broken Silence pursues a public and governmental approach to advocacy efforts. We inform the public on the issues we deal with and build relationships with US lawmakers with the aim of creating a new US foreign policy towards Sudan. We released our first documentary film Across the Frontlines: Ending the Nuba Genocide. By the end of 2012, over 150,000 people in more than 30 countries watched the film online or at small screenings. The film not only generated awareness around the crises in Sudan, but also provided individuals a way to join efforts in protecting civilians. Our Mass Atrocities Department engaged in 67 speaking events concerning our work and the situation in Sudan. We visited Washington D.C. twice to expand our relationships on the Hill and provide an update to Congressional offices concerning the situation on the ground. The organization remains in touch with staff on the Hill via phone and to minimize travel costs and sustain our advocacy work. Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 6

9 IN THE FIELD: HUMAN TRAFFICKING Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 7

10 VICTIM ASSISTANCE In 2012, we worked towards a holistic local response in Memphis, TN to victim aftercare. We assisted 16 human trafficking victims throughout the year by providing temporary housing, locating counseling, serving their mental health needs, involving law enforcement in justice for their traffickers, and engaging the organization s CARE Network for various other needs. ADVOCACY We inform the public on the issues we deal with and build relationships with Tennessee lawmakers with the aim of strengthening state specific to trafficking. During the year, Operation Broken Silence successfully saw a total of 5 new and improved human trafficking laws come to be in the state of Tennessee. These laws have increased penalties for human traffickers, established a statewide human trafficking hotline, and ensured that minors who are trafficked are not punished. Notably, a victim assistance plan was passed that will implement a statewide victim assistance strategy. Additionally, human trafficking survivors can now sue their traffickers and recover in court for the crime committed against them. Access to civil remedies for survivors is an important opportunity for survivors who often desperately need a financial platform to begin their recovery. Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 8

11 RESCUE OPS Rescue Ops is a digital forensic that empowers law enforcement investigations in the recovery of evidence traffickers produce on the internet. Rescue Ops archives millions of commercial sex advertisements that would otherwise vanish forever so they can be used by law enforcement to indict and prosecute traffickers. DATA ARCHIVING Rescue Ops entered beta testing in 2012 and has been used by law enforcement over 100 times to procure evidence used against traffickers in indictments and to secure convictions against them. TRAINING Throughout 2012 we participated in several training sessions surrounding victim assistance and law enforcement. Some of these conferences and meetings were free, while others involved ticket, travel, and lodging fees. Law enforcement and victim aftercare in relation to human trafficking is complex and requires a holistic approach. Our staff was able to enhance their abilities and the ability of others throughout the course of these sessions. Because these training sessions directly impacted our ability to work with and enhance the efforts of law enforcement, our partners, and ourselves, these expenses were not considered operating costs as other travel expenses were, in which we represented the organization and our advocacy work. Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 9

12 INSIDE OBS Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 10

13 FIRST FULL YEAR AS A NON-PROFIT 2012 was our first full year as a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We were so busy by the end of the year that we forgot to celebrate our December birthday. FILM AND PHOTOGRAPHY We launched our film work in January of 2012 when we gained access to our first hi-definition film camera. By the end of the year, we had posted 12 videos online with a viewership of over 150,000 people and an additional estimated 35,000 people offline. Our most popular video was our documentary film Across the Frontlines: Ending the Nuba Genocide. We have used some of the best of our 2,113 photos from 2012 to create an online resources page for our volunteers and supporters. Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 11

14 INCREDIBLE OFFICE The Jay Holcomb Urban Center of Hope continued to provide us a fully furnished office space at an extremely affordable rate. Our office is not only a quiet space for our staff, interns, and volunteers to meet, but also includes space to host events and seminars. Noticeable additions we made: one mini-fridge, comfy chairs, and a coffee pot that sounds like a baby dragon. OUR AMAZING STAFF Our team remained volunteer-based throughout the year and grew to a size of 10. We re made up of passionate people who continue to grow their skills and talents. 7 RANDOM FACTS Pounds of Coffee Used: 13 Most People Fit Into Office at One Time: 19 Number of Interns: 13 Number of Intern Applications: 112 Number of Meetings: 63 Number of Comfy Seats & Couches : 2 Male/Female Staff Ratio: 5/5 Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 12

15 CIVILIAN PROTECTORS Our Civilian Protectors are our recurring monthly investors that help us have a more sustainable impact. In 2012, we grew our Civilian Protectors group to include 17 individuals that collectively gave $4,860. We keep up with this wonderful group of people on a private Facebook group and via . They frequently get an opportunity to hear about our successes before the public does, and they see all of our media and campaigns before they launch. AMBASSADORS We restructured our volunteer program with a focus on investing in fewer, high-impact volunteer leaders. Our Ambassadors fundraised, helped us setup and breakdown events, spoke to the public, and even mowed yards for a refugee community center. Feedback from our volunteers showed us that we successfully improved the volunteer experience in 2012, but still have work to do as far as providing them with more resources. FUNDRAISERS 2012 was our first year to leverage emerging fundraising tools. We put the power of these online tools and our media resources into the hands of some amazing individuals. They helped us achieve some incredible things. Here s some of our favorites. Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 13

16 Online Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 14

17 HOME ONLINE We upgraded our website, downsized content, and simplified our online design based on follower feedback. Simply put, our website is now more user-friendly. VIEWERSHIP Our website saw tremendous growth throughout Here s how it broke down: 29,514 people visited our website a total of 40,129 times. 72,283 pages were viewed throughout the year % of our online visitors were saying hello for the first time. 169 countries were represented by our online visitors. Facebook and Twitter helped 3,261 people return to our website. Our mobile and tablet-friendly website allowed thousands of additional visits outside of the traditional laptop and desktop computer. Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 15

18 STAY CLASSY We leveraged some of the most powerful online fundraising tools in 2012 to provide our supporters more access to our work and resources for fundraising. Individuals can now create their own personalized fundraising pages that come complete with our best media. SOCIAL MEDIA In 2012 our online presence grew as we expanded to new social media platforms and grew our main accounts. We expanded to Vimeo, Youtube, Tumblr and Instagram. Our Facebook account doubled its number of followers, and our Twitter account grew to include more than 6,000 people. Just how impactful is social media? Our top tweet was retweeted 110 times and seen by 69,391 people in a single day. ONLINE DONATIONS We received 352 online donations in 2012 between our Civilian Protectors, one-time donations, and Stay Classy fundraising pages. Online money? The future scares me... Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 16

19 IN THE NEWS Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 17

20 MEDIA MENTIONS To our best knowledge, we were mentioned in the media sixteen times in Most of these mentions were local and regional in newspapers, radio shows, and on TV news stations. Here s a few... Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 18

21 FINANCIALS Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 19

22 RECAP We ended 2012 positive about the future due to our steady growth throughout the year. We increased our capacity and abilities to invest in more direct solutions for challenging our focus issues. TOTAL MONEY RAISED $43, % MODEL: OUR PROMISE Since 2012 was our first full year as a non-profit, some funds raised in the second half of 2011 were already in our bank accounts. Some of these funds were used throughout 2012 causing us to not reach our 90% goal. In 2013, we will continue moving towards our goal of putting 90% of all funds raised into our programs. " PERCENT ACHIEVED % Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 20

23 OPERATIONS In 2012 we invested the following funds back into the organization: TOTAL MONEY SPENT $6, Travel Tech $1, $2, Fundraising Events Website Marketing Rent $ $ $ $ $ $0 $1, $2, $3, BREAKDOWN " Website: Hosting Fees, Website Theme Upgrade, & Backup " Travel: Airline Tickets & Hotels for travel fees associated with representation & " advocacy " Events: Theatre Rental " Tech: Satellite Phone, Satellite Minutes, Camera Gear " Fundraising: Stay Classy Host Fee & Investor Meetings " Rent: Office & PO Box " Marketing: Promotional Cards, Banners, & Business Cards Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 21

24 IN THE FIELD In 2012 we invested the following funds into our programs: " " MASS ATROCITIES " " " HUMAN TRAFFICKING " " TOTAL MONEY SPENT $27, $15, $43, OUR PARTNERS Operation Broken Silence chooses experienced partners for our programs. Many of our friends have been in the field longer than us, know the landscape, or are made up of the people we aim to assist and advocate for. They keep us updated on what s happening in the field, how we can best help, and assist in making sure our funds are maximized. Listed partners can be found at our website. For safety reasons we do not publicly list some of our partners at their request. Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 22

25 MASS ATROCITIES BREAKDOWN Relief in Sudan $22, Memphis Refugee Support Research Media $1, $ $3, $0 $10, $20, $30, HUMAN TRAFFICKING BREAKDOWN Training $7, Rescue Ops Victim Assistance $3, $3, $0 $2,000 $4,000 $6,000 $8,000 HOW DID WE SPEND MORE THAN WE RAISED? We began the fiscal year with some funds already in the bank. Since 2012 was our first full year as a non-profit, some funds raised in the second half of 2011 were already in our bank accounts. Some of these funds were used throughout Operation Broken Silence has a strict policy of remaining a debt-free organization. Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 23

26 ORGANIZATIONAL EFFICIENCY 4% Our website, events, marketing, and fundraising costs were $1, This is the money we spent to make money. We raised $43, in It costs us just 4 to raise $1. 96% Fundraising Associated Costs Raised From Funds Spent UNUSED FUNDS We ended 2012 with the following surpluses. These funds will be used during 2013 to further invest in the organization and our programs: " Operating Budget: $1, Mass Atrocities: $1, " Human Trafficking: $13, Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 24

27 THE FUTURE Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 25

28 ONWARD In late January of 2013 we updated all of our supporters on some big changes that are coming up. Operation Broken Silence will remain an organization committed to combatting mass atrocity crimes in Sudan. As we continue to move forwards in this transition, our trafficking team is migrating their information to their new website and new organization. In order to better serve those in need of our assistance, we have decided that are two main departments should part ways to open up additional resource avenues. This decision was jointly reached by our Board of Directors, CEO, and Department Head of Anti-Trafficking Operations. After announcing our decision, the majority of our support base agreed it was the right move in feedback to our leadership. As of April 2013, this transition continued to go smoothly and on schedule. Because of this change, we will not be listing human trafficking work in our FY13 fiscal report when we write it in Once our human trafficking team achieves 501(c)(3) status they will receive all funds allocated towards anti-trafficking operations. For additional information on this update, please see our letter to our supporters and the public from our CEO. Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 26

29 obsilence.org Operation Broken Silence FY12 Report pg. 27