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2024 Annual Report FOR THE1 Table of Contents Letter from the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 About Us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Missing Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Combating Child Sexual Exploitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Prevention & Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Legislative Advocacy & Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Donors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Financials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302 Letter from the President What a milestone year for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. We celebrated our 40th anniversary, and with that came a great deal of reflection on the remarkable progress NCMEC has made over the past four decades in making the world safer for children. When Adam Walsh was abducted and murdered in 1981, there was no national response nor coordinated efforts to find missing children – there was no NCMEC. Turning their grief into action, John and Revé Walsh co-founded NCMEC so other families wouldn’t have to endure the same tragedy as theirs. Even in the early days, it was clear we were doing something that truly mattered. And, over the years, NCMEC’s impact has become clearer than ever. Look how far we’ve come in 40 years. From the early days of milk cartons and mailing printed posters of missing children across the country, NCMEC is now a technologically advanced organization that stands at the tip of the spear in global efforts to protect children. While much has changed at NCMEC over the years, the most important thing has not – our unwavering commitment to helping children and families. As you’ll see in this report, we continue to make progress toward our goals of reuniting children with their families, stopping child sexual exploitation and delivering creative and age-appropriate safety programs to children. Creating a safer world for our children requires all of us to work together, so NCMEC continues to build strong partnerships to force-multiply our impact in local communities across the country. And on the national front, NCMEC provided significant support in helping Congressional leaders pass groundbreaking legislation to combat child sexual exploitation and support victims of these crimes. Still, new and emerging technological threats continue to put our children at risk. Last year, NCMEC saw a 1,325% increase in child sexual 3 exploitation reports involving generative artificial intelligence and an almost 200% increase in reports of children being groomed online. NCMEC continues to raise awareness of these life-threatening trends and advocate for technological and, when necessary, legislative solutions. As you read this report, you’ll have a better understanding of the scope of our programs and the life-saving impact our organization makes every day. Your generous support has made a real and lasting difference in the lives of children and families. We’re proud to stand beside you on this journey and thank you for sharing our belief that every child deserves a safe childhood. With gratitude, Michelle DeLaune President & CEO, NCMEC4 About Us In the late 1970s, a series of heartbreaking child abductions shook families across the nation – but there was no coordinated system in place to help. The crisis reached a devastating turning point in 1981 with the abduction and murder of 6-year-old Adam Walsh. His tragic death ignited a national awakening and a powerful movement for change. Adam’s parents, John and Revé Walsh, transformed their pain into purpose. They became tireless advocates for children, demanding better laws, resources and support for families in crisis. Their leadership, alongside the voices of other child advocates, led to the founding of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in 1984. Now, 40 years later, NCMEC employs more than 450 dedicated, compassionate individuals, who still carry the same beliefs John and Revé did when they opened NCMEC’s doors. Together, our team is dedicated to doing everything we can to find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation and prevent child victimization, because every child deserves a safe childhood.5Timeline 6 NetSmartz launches to teach kids about online safety. Today, our resources are used in all 50 states and around the world . 2001 1998 The CyberTipline launches to take reports of suspected child sexual exploitation. Today, we receive more than 390,000 reports a week. Team HOPE is founded to offer peer support to victims’ families. Today, 93 consultants and volunteers who have experienced this kind of trauma are trained to support others. Age progressions for long-term missing children begin. Today, we’ve age-progressed more than 7,800 missing children and created facial reconstructions of nearly 800 unidentified children . 1989 1984 NCMEC opens its doors. Our call center, 1-800-THE-LOST, takes its first call. Today, it has taken more than 5 million calls .7 2024 NCMEC celebrates 40 Years of Hope . Take It Down launches as the latest tool to help stop the spread of nude or sexual images of children online. Today, it’s available in 33 languages and is used around the world. 2023 2020 NCMEC Connect launches to deliver online training for child serving professionals. Today, online and in person, we provide more than 41,000 instances of training each year. A new team launches to respond to child sex trafficking cases. Today, that team provides analytical support to law enforcement on 535 reports a week, and NCMEC also provides recovery planning for survivors. 2011 2005 Tracking of attempted abductions begins. Today, NCMEC remains the only organization tracking these incidents nationwide to help protect children from abduction.Next >