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CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: February 2026 Expires: February 2028

Our Rescue

Standards Not Met
Standards Not Met
1 6 8
(833) 560-0273
Post Office Box 57338
Salt Lake City, UT, 84157
https://ourrescue.org/
📄 Full Report 🖨️ Print 📋 BBB Charity Standards

Standards For Charity Accountability

Governance

  1. Board Oversight
  2. Board Size
  3. Board Meetings
  4. Board Compensation
  5. Conflict of Interest

Measuring Effectiveness

  1. Effectiveness Policy
  2. Effectiveness Report

Finances

  1. Program Expenses
  2. Fundraising Expenses
  3. Accumulating Funds
  4. Audit Report
  5. Detailed Expense Breakdown
  6. Accurate Expense Reporting
  7. Budget Plan

Fundraising & Info

  1. Truthful Materials
  2. Annual Report
  3. Website Disclosures
  4. Donor Privacy
  5. Cause Marketing Disclosures
  6. Complaints

Our Rescue does not meet the following 3 Standards for Charity Accountability:

Standard 1 (Oversight of Operations and Staff)
Organizations shall have a board of directors that provides adequate oversight of the charity's operations and its staff. Indication of adequate oversight includes, but is not limited to, regularly scheduled appraisals of the CEO's performance, evidence of disbursement controls such as board approval of the budget, fund raising practices, establishment of a conflict of interest policy, and establishment of accounting procedures sufficient to safeguard charity finances.

Our Rescue does not meet this Standard because its board of directors does not:

  • Have a voting member of the board who is assigned the responsibility of serving as the treasurer.

Standard 6 (Board Policy on Effectiveness)
Have a board policy of assessing, no less than every two years, the organization's performance and effectiveness and of determining future actions required to achieve its mission.

Our Rescue does not meet this Standard because:

  • The board of directors does not have a written policy stating that, at least Every 2 Years, an appraisal be done assessing the organization’s performance and effectiveness and determining future actions required to achieve its mission.

Standard 8 (Program Service Expense Ratio)
Spend at least 65% of its total expenses on program activities.

Our Rescue does not meet this Standard because:

  • According to the organization's audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended in December 31, 2024, the organization spent $27,179,021 or 61% of its total expenses on program service activities.

Our Rescue meets the remaining 17 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Stated Purpose:
"to end sex trafficking and child exploitation while empowering survivors to reclaim their lives and thrive on their healing journey."

Year, State Incorporated:
2013, UT

Formerly Known As:
Operation Underground Railroad

Our Rescue reports that it works to identify, disrupt, and dismantle sex trafficking networks while ensuring that survivors receive support through the organization’s strategic partnerships and three primary programmatic areas: field operations, training and prevention, and survivor care. To support local law enforcement agencies in their goal to identify victims of sex trafficking and child exploitation, Our Rescue collaborates with these jurisdictions by providing technology, equipment, training, specialized ESD K9 units, and operational assistance. The organization further states that it works to strengthen anti-trafficking responses by supplying funding and resources in the specialized training of law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and social workers that Our Rescue partners with. In addition, Our Rescue reports that it develops public awareness campaigns and delivers online safety education for children and families to prevent sexual exploitation and reduce risk of exploitation. Through collaborative partnerships with survivor-led organizations and community-based service providers, Our Rescue aims to connect survivors to trauma-informed care and direct services that the organization’s partners offer, including access to safe housing, medical services, counseling, education, and vocational training.

For the year ended December 31, 2024, Our Rescue's program expenses were:

Program expenses $27,179,021
Total Program Expenses $27,179,021

Chief Executive
Derek Benner, Chief Executive Officer

Compensation*
$425,000

Chair of the Board
Sean Vassilaros

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Chief Executive Officer, KANNY; Adjunct Professor, Lehigh University

Board Size
8

Paid Staff Size
127

*2025 compensation, as reported by the organization, includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.

Note: Tammy Lee served as Chief Executive Officer of Our Rescue during 2024 and received a compensation of $490,846. Derek Benner assumed the role of the organization's Chief Executive Officer in 2025.

Method(s) Used:
Telephone appeals, Invitations to fund raising events, Print advertisements (newspapers, magazines, etc.), Television, Radio, Grant proposals, Internet, Planned giving arrangements, Workplace Giving, Cryptocurrency

Our Rescue incurred joint costs of $240,697 for informational materials and activities that included fundraising materials. Of those costs $239,266 was allocated to program expenses and $1,431 was allocated to fundraising expenses.

Fundraising costs were 20% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $30,189,931, are donations received as a result of fundraising activities.)

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

The following information is based on Our Rescue's audited financial statements - consolidated for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Source of Funds
Contributions $30,420,649
Realized and unrealized gains on investments, net $4,786,644
Merchandise sales $946,765
Interest income and dividends $694,893
Other revenue $423,469
Gym memberships $89,238
In-kind contributions $78,174
Rental income $25,000
Total Income $37,464,832

Programs: 61% Fundraising: 14% Administrative: 12%

Total Income $37,464,832
Total expenses: $44,239,273
  Program expenses $27,179,021
  Fundraising expenses $6,177,279
  Administrative expenses $5,400,085
  Other expenses $5,482,888
Income in Excess of Expenses $-6,774,441
Beginning Net Assets $55,466,038
Other Changes In Net Assets $112,705
Ending Net Assets $48,578,892
Total Liabilities $9,521,892
Total Assets $58,100,784

Note 1: As noted in the financial section above, “other expenses” refers to legal expenses ($4,855,519) and other expenses ($627,369)

Note 2: "Other changes in net assets" refers to a loss on impairment of intangible assets.

Note 3: According to the organization's 2024 audited consolidated financial statements, the organization received in-kind contributions in the form of supplies, totaling $78,174.

An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.

This report is not to be used for fundraising or promotional purposes.

RELATED CONTENT

Report completed by:
BBB Wise Giving Alliance