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Unchained At Last Inc

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Geographic scope:	National
Country of activity:	United States of America
Millennium Development Goals:	Promote gender equality and empower women
Mission statement:	MISSION: Unchained At Last is the only nonprofit in the US dedicated to helping women escape or resist arranged/forced marriages and rebuild their lives. Unchained also is the only nonprofit dedicated to promoting social, policy and legal change to end forced and child marriage in America. VISION: Unchained envisions a world where every woman is free to choose whether, when and whom to marry — and whether to get divorced. WHY DOES UNCHAINED EXIST? Girls and women in many communities in the US often are pressured, tricked, threatened or beaten into marriage. And girls and women who face little or no choice when they enter a marriage typically face the same if they want to leave it: Often they are stymied by religious laws and social customs that make divorce seem impossible. Unchained provides free legal services and emotional support to help women and girls leave or avoid arranged/forced marriages and rebuild their lives. At the same time, Unchained raises awareness and pushes for relevant legislation to protect women and girls in the US from coercive marriages. Unchained and its important work have been featured in the New York Times, NPR and many other news outlets. WHOM DOES UNCHAINED HELP? Unchained helps any woman or girl in the US, from any community, culture or religion, who is or has been pressured, bribed, tricked, threatened, beaten or otherwise forced into marriage — whether she has been married for several decades and has many children or she is facing an imminent or eventual arranged/forced marriage. Unchained helps women and girls regardless of immigration, religion or income status (though some income guidelines apply for some direct services) and regardless of sexual orientation. Unchained helps those who identified as female when they were pressured or forced into marriage, or who currently identify as female. Unchained also helps women and girls from the US who were to another country for an arranged/forced marriage, and women and girls who were brought from overseas to the US for such a marriage. WHO RUNS UNCHAINED? Unchained’s founder/executive director, Fraidy Reiss, is an arranged/forced marriage survivor, and many of Unchained’s directors also have a personal experience with arranged/forced marriage in the US. Unchained is grateful to the more than 500 volunteers — including lawyers, psychotherapists and others — who help Unchained to unchain women and girls across the US and to pass important legislation.
Year established:	2011
Year of registration:	2011
Organizational structure:	Unchained is governed by a Board of Directors, which provides oversight on fiscal and legal matters. A separate Board of Advisers provides advice, guidance, and other support. The Founder and Executive Director, Fraidy Reiss, supervises the Director of Client Services and Policy/Advocacy Fellow. They, in turn, help to oversee Unchained's vast team of 500+ volunteers.
Number and type of members:	Board of Directors - 9 Board of Advisors - 7 Executive Staff - 3 Staff - 1 Volunteers - 650+
Affiliation with NGO networks:	a. Girls Not Brides b. Tahirih Justice Center c. Manavi d. NY Legal Assistance Group e. Sanctuary for Families f. Footsteps g. AHA Foundation h. HerJustice
Funding structure:	Other sources Fundraising campaigns Donations and grants from domestic sources Foreign and international grants
Funding structure other:	Individual donors

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