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The Freedom Story

The Freedom Story prevents child trafficking and exploitation through locally-led programs that reduce risk and provide opportunities for vulnerable children and their families to thrive.

International San Francisco, CA EIN: 261587576 (IRS) Sign up to see website
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77
Integrity Assessment
Strong transparency
77/100 · methodology

About The Freedom Story

We are working toward a world where every child's story is the story of freedom, safety and possibility. Our mission is to prevent child trafficking and exploitation through locally-led programs that reduce risk and provide opportunities for vulnerable children and their families to thrive. Beginning as a documentary, we are now a grassroots non-profit offering scholarships, job training and human rights education throughout rural northern Thailand.

Founded
Headquarters
San Francisco, CA
Foundation type
Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2))
NTEE code
Q33
IRS subsection
501(c)(03)
Ruling date
Size
medium
Operating in
2 countries

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 2008

Mission

The Freedom Story prevents child trafficking and exploitation through locally-led programs that reduce risk and provide opportunities for vulnerable children and their families to thrive.

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where
SDG alignment The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the global agenda for ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring prosperity by 2030. We tag each charity to the goals its work advances.
Operating countries (2)
Thailand United States

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 8 similar international in United States
Program spending This charity: 82%
Peer average: 73%
CEO comp as % of revenue This charity: 6.95%
Peer average: 0.48%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 77
Peer average: 90

Concerns

· 1 red flag
High Executive Pay
Top executive compensation is 15.2% of total expenses ($81,000 of $531,564).

Where every $1 goes

· FY2024 · IRS 990 (FY2024)
$0.81
Program$0.81
82% to programs beats the peer average (73%) and beats the Charity Navigator "highly efficient" threshold (75%).

GiveRadar Analysis

Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations

Based on the records currently verified by GiveRadar, The Freedom Story has a complete profile, cross-referenced across 6 independent sources including the IRS.

  • GiveRadar has cross-referenced this organization across 6 independent sources, led by the IRS - among the most thoroughly sourced profiles in its cohort. See the sources
  • GiveRadar holds 14 years of financial filings for this organization, the most recent for fiscal year 2024 - a deeper filing history than 99% of the 12,908 international charities in the United States with filings on record. See the filings
  • Its integrity score of 77 places it in the top 10% of the 25,023 international charities in the United States GiveRadar tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its governance. View this cohort
GiveRadar has verified
  • government registration
  • financial records (14 filed years)
  • disclosed leadership
  • a website
  • a contact email
  • a donation page
Not yet verified by GiveRadar
  • an owner-submitted profile claim

Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

The Freedom Story is a registered international nonprofit based in San Francisco, CA, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 2008 and has been operating for 18 years. Its EIN is 261587576. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 77/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $1M in annual revenue. 49 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. GiveRadar has identified 1 potential concern.

The Freedom Story's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 261587576. This is the organization's IRS tax identification number; you can use it to verify tax-exempt status and to look up its Form 990 filings with the IRS.

The Freedom Story has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 77/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 77 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. The charity allocates 82% of expenses to programs, which contributes positively to its score. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for international charities in United States is 90/100.

The Freedom Story is located in San Francisco, CA, United States. The organization was established in 2008 and has been active for 18 years.

Based on official tax filings, The Freedom Story has $1M in annual revenue. It allocates 82% of expenses to programs and services. This is above the average of 73% for international charities in United States. Its revenue is below the peer average of $5M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.

The Freedom Story is classified as an International organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)). By size, it is categorized as a medium organization. It has $1M in annual revenue. The organization has 49 disclosed officers and directors.

GiveRadar has identified 1 potential concern for The Freedom Story. Red flags are automatically detected from official data and may include high executive compensation relative to budget, low program spending, or missing financial filings. Red flags do not necessarily mean wrongdoing but indicate areas that may warrant further review before donating.

According to GiveRadar's records, The Freedom Story holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It reports that 82% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 73%). You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.

We are working toward a world where every child's story is the story of freedom, safety and possibility. Our mission is to prevent child trafficking and exploitation through locally-led programs that reduce risk and provide opportunities for vulnerable children and their families to thrive. Beginning as a documentary, we are now a grassroots non-profit offering scholarships, job training and human rights education throughout rural northern Thailand. The Freedom Story is classified as an international organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 2008.

Among international charities registered in United States: It allocates 82% of expenses to programs, above the peer average of 73%. Its annual revenue of $1M is below the peer average of $5M.

Yes, donations to The Freedom Story are generally tax-deductible in the United States. The Freedom Story is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 261587576, which you can use for tax filing purposes. Donors can typically deduct contributions on their federal income tax return if they itemize deductions. Consult a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.

Annual revenue
$1M-$10M
82% to programs
Source: IRS 990 (FY2024) why this matters
Unlock exact figures

Filing history

10 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2024): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: FY2024, FY2023, FY2022, FY2021, FY2020, FY2019, FY2018, FY2017, FY2016, FY2015.
Financial details are free - with a GiveRadar account

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Taxes

Tax-deductibility for donors

Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.

Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.

Staff & volunteers

From filings and published profiles

Employees
2

Leadership

From FY2024 filing

LU
Lucy M•••••
CEO

Officers & trustees (10)

Source: Public filings

See full names, roles, and stories

10 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.

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Latest news

From global news sources

9 articles found

From news sources and the organization. Shown for transparency; news never affects the integrity score.

Activity timeline

Filings and press mentions, merged

Jazz City S1 Review: Bangladesh’s freedom story told on an ambitious but overcrowded canvas - Moneycontrol.com
Mar 2026
www.moneycontrol.com
Human Rights Month 2026: 7 Places in Gauteng That Tell South Africa’s Freedom Story - Gauteng Tourism Authority
Mar 2026
www.gauteng.net
Freedom story at the National Archives - wng.org
Mar 2026
wng.org
From Detention to the Dinner Table: Nige’s Feast for Freedom Story - Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
Mar 2026
asrc.org.au
Learn America's freedom story at 37th Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration - The Natchez Democrat
Feb 2026
www.natchezdemocrat.com
Exclusive Excerpt: ‘First Freedom: The Story of Opal Lee and Juneteenth' Graphic Novel - Animation World Network
Feb 2026
www.awn.com
Mississippi Humanities Council launches new program for communities to honor state’s freedom story - Meridian Star
Jan 2026
meridianstar.com
From Federal Failure to Parental Freedom: The Story of a Movement - Cato Institute
Jun 2025
www.cato.org
Behind the Lens: How David Wright and Steve Hein captured Freedom’s story - Grice Connect
May 2025
www.griceconnect.com
Form filed
$1.2M revenue
FY2024
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.8M revenue
FY2023
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.5M revenue
FY2022
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.8M revenue
FY2021
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.6M revenue
FY2020
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.5M revenue
FY2019
IRS/ProPublica
Form filed
$0.4M revenue
FY2018
IRS/ProPublica
Form filed
$0.7M revenue
FY2017
IRS/ProPublica
Form filed
$0.6M revenue
FY2016
IRS/ProPublica
Form filed
$0.4M revenue
FY2015
IRS/ProPublica

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Cause areas in United States

How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.

Human Services 322,679
Education 195,586
Arts & Culture 133,128
Advocacy & Civil Rights 128,026
Religion 114,636
Health 98,862
Community Development 56,086
Youth Development 53,450
International this charity 25,023
See all cause areas in United States

Most common causes in United States

Causes charities work on most.

Community Development 235,146
Education 159,016
Religion 103,741
Arts & Culture 101,203
Human Rights 76,926
Health 65,250
Youth Development 47,775
Animal Welfare 32,425

Sources and verification

Registration and legal identity
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search
Financial filings
IRS Form 990 filings - Fiscal year 2024 most recent on file.
Officers and trustees
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 49 disclosed in the public registry.
News and media coverage
GDELT Project + Google News
Supplementary verification
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
Supplementary verification
GlobalGiving partner directory
Supplementary verification
Charity Navigator

Data freshness

Last updated
Jun 12, 2026
Registry checked
Jun 6, 2026
Profile completeness
100%

What we know and don't know

Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.

On record · 10
  • Financial data · FY2024 on record
  • Named leadership · 49 officers on file
  • Executive pay · Disclosed
  • Government registration · Registered with an official registry
  • Mission statement · Published
  • Official website · On record
  • Headquarters address · On file
  • Direct contact · Email or phone published
  • Tax-deductibility · Verified
  • Founding date · 2008
Not available · 1
  • Programs & activities
    No named programs listed by the charity

Methodology

GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.

Read full methodology

Are you the owner or a board member?

If you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email [email protected] with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.

Quick facts about The Freedom Story

What is The Freedom Story?
The Freedom Story is a international publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)) based in San Francisco, United States. We are working toward a world where every child's story is the story of freedom, safety and possibility. Our mission is to prevent child trafficking and exploitation through locally-led programs that reduce risk and provide opportunities for vulnerable children and their families to thrive. Beginning as a documentary, we are now a grassroots non-profit offering scholarships, job training and human rights education throughout rural northern Thailand.
When was The Freedom Story founded?
The Freedom Story was founded in 2008.
Who leads The Freedom Story?
Lucy McCray serves as CEO.
Where is The Freedom Story located?
Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, United States. The charity operates in 2 countries.
What is The Freedom Story's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately $1M-$10M. 82% of expenses go to program services.
Is The Freedom Story trustworthy?
The Freedom Story has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 77 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
What is The Freedom Story's registration number?
IRS EIN: 261587576.
What is The Freedom Story's website?
http://thefreedomstory.org