Cy Pres Giving at Polaris
The Cy Pres Doctrine* is used by courts to distribute money from class-action lawsuits or charitable bequests where the intended beneficiaries are not available or distribution of the awards is not feasible. In such instances, courts may choose a charitable organization that closely relates to the underlying class action or intent of the bequest. As a national nonprofit advocacy organization that supports survivors of human trafficking, Polaris is eligible to receive cy pres awards related to sex and/or labor trafficking in the United States.
Polaris is an excellent candidate for cy pres funding because of our work to restore justice to victims and survivors of human trafficking. Should Polaris be nominated by a court to receive a cy pres award, Polaris will distribute that award equally across three of our core programs: The Polaris Resilience Fund, the National Human Trafficking Hotline, and Campaigns & Public Engagement.
The Polaris Resilience Fund offers direct cash assistance to survivors of human trafficking across the United States to fill gaps between traditional resources. In doing so, The Resilience Fund gives survivors back exactly what their traffickers stole from them – control over their own lives.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline is a national, toll-free hotline, available to answer calls, texts, emails, and live chats from anywhere in the United States, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in more than 200 languages. The Trafficking Hotline’s mission is to connect human trafficking victims and survivors to critical support and services to get help and stay safe.
The Campaigns & Public Engagement: To end human trafficking, our communities, policymakers, and anti-trafficking allies must all have the tools and information needed to advocate for long-term solutions. At Polaris, we provide opportunities for everyone to get involved in the fight against human trafficking.
To nominate Polaris for a cy pres award, please email giving@polarisproject.org.
*To learn more about the Cy Pres Doctrine, please visit here and here.