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COMMON THREADS PROJECT
New York, NY · EIN 814212971 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE Q70 · International Affairs · Medium ($1M-$10M) · commonthreadsproject.org
revenue
$1.1M
expenses
$623K
net assets
$898K
employees
3
volunteers
8
program ratio
65%
mission · from form 990

We believe that all survivors of sexual and other forms of violence are entitled to high quality psychological care. Our mission is to ensure that everyone who survives trauma, regardless of circumstance, has access to that care.

profile · synthesized from sources

Common Threads Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring survivors of sexual and other forms of violence have access to high-quality psychological care. The organization employs a community-based, art-centered approach to trauma recovery, primarily through story-cloth making and group therapy circles. It operates internationally, with programs in the U.S., Nepal, Ecuador, and refugee communities in Africa and the Middle East.

named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

DC-Area Healing Circles
Local trauma recovery program in the Washington D.C. area offering culturally attuned counseling and MHPSS for survivors of SGBV and displacement
Ecuador Program
Program in Quito, Ecuador supporting survivors of gender-based violence and human rights violations through psychosocial interventions
Sajha Dhago (Common Threads) Program
Mental health and psychosocial support program in Nepal using story-cloth making and group therapy for survivors of trauma, led by Jamuna Shrestha
Seattle Healing Circles
Community-based trauma recovery program in Seattle facilitated by Mastora Hassan for refugee and immigrant survivors
The Fabric of Healing
Exhibit and program using story-cloth making as a therapeutic modality for trauma survivors, created by Vesna Golic and integrated into CTP’s programming
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Annual Impact and Evaluation Reporting 1 activity
    • Conducting research and publishing impact reports on trauma healing outcomes
      Produces annual Community Impact Reports (e.g., 2024 and 2025) that document program delivery, participant outcomes, clinician training, and healing impacts across U.S. and international sites, serving as both accountability tools and resources for field learning.
  • Creative Arts Therapy Programs 1 activity
    • Facilitating trauma healing circles for survivors of gender-based violence
      Operates healing circles that use textile art, particularly sewing and story cloths, as therapeutic practices for women survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, trauma, war, and displacement. These programs are implemented across multiple international sites including Ecuador, Nepal, Democratic Republic of Congo, Bosnia, and the U.S., with documented participation and outcomes such as reduced mental health symptoms and increased personal empowerment.
  • Healthcare Education Scholarships and Fellowships 1 activity
    • Funding trauma healing training programs through the Tally Tripp Memorial Fund
      Uses the Tally Tripp Memorial Fund to finance training initiatives for future generations of clinical specialists in trauma healing, supporting capacity-building efforts aligned with the organization’s mission.
  • Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
    • Maintaining digital and physical exhibitions of survivor story cloths
      Curates and maintains ongoing digital and physical exhibitions of story cloths created by survivors through trauma recovery programs, including the "Fabric of Healing" digital exhibition and past displays at locations such as Quito, Geneva’s UN Palais des Nations, and New York. These exhibitions serve to amplify survivor voices and advocate against gender-based violence.
  • Trauma-Informed Community Resilience Initiatives 1 activity
    • Providing psychological care access to survivors of sexual and other forms of violence
      Delivers direct psychosocial support and trauma therapy services to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, particularly in conflict and displacement settings, through evidence-based, scalable interventions adapted to local contexts.
  • Volunteer and Professional Training Programs 1 activity
    • Training clinicians and facilitators in trauma healing methodologies
      Builds local capacity by training mental health professionals and community facilitators in the Common Threads Project’s trauma-processing healing approach. As of 2025, over 100 clinicians have been trained globally, with specific programs in Nepal, Bosnia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Nigeria, and Ukraine, enabling locally led healing circles and sustainable psychosocial support.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.12M
Contributions & grants$1.12M100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$623K
Program expenses65%
Admin / overhead21%
Fundraising14%
Salaries & benefits$250K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$913K
Cash$364K
Investments$0
Liabilities$15K
Net assets$898K
Liquid reserves7.0 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +95.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
VESNA GOLIC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 0 $84K
RACHEL COHEN CLINICAL DIRECTOR 40 $81K
board members · 14
  • ALEX ALEINIKOFF — TREASURER
  • AMY WALKER — BOARD MEMBER
  • ANN BLUME — CO-PRESIDENT
  • ANNE MARIE GREY — BOARD MEMBER
  • CYNTHIA PACUTHO — BOARD MEMBER
  • EVA ROSS — BOARD MEMBER
  • IRINA LUSHNIKOVA — BOARD MEMBER
  • KATIE PASSARETTI — BOARD MEMBER
  • MARY LUKE — CO-PRESIDENT
  • MAUREEN BROTHERTON — BOARD MEMBER
  • NANCY L HIESTAND — BOARD MEMBER
  • PATRICIA FRIEDMAN — SECRETARY
  • SHANNON CAHILL — BOARD MEMBER
  • SONE-SEERE BURRELL — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 25

Who they work with

  • Bellevue Program for Survivors of Torture Partner — Partnered with Common Threads Project to support refugee women and survivors of gender-based violence in New York.
  • Bereginya Pawlopole Partner — Ukrainian organization collaborating with Common Threads Project on trauma recovery initiatives
  • CUNY doctoral program in Clinical Psychology Partner — Collaborated with Common Threads Project on a New York-based trauma therapy program
  • City College’s Psychological Center Partner — Collaborates with Common Threads Project to support refugee women and survivors of gender-based violence in New York.
  • Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation Partner — Co-implemented a pilot trauma therapy project with Common Threads Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Federación de Mujeres de Sucumbíos Partner — Collaborates with FMS to integrate arpilleras into activism and trauma healing work.
  • Federación de Mujeres de Sucumbíos Partner — Partner organization collaborating on trauma healing programs in Sucumbíos, Ecuador, including facilitator training and healing circles.
  • HIAS Partner — Referral partner providing services to refugees, asylum seekers, and forcibly displaced persons in the DC area.
  • Humandoc Partner — Polish-based organization partnering with Common Threads Project to support mental health care workers and develop trauma recovery programs in Ukraine
  • Intercultural Counseling Connection Partner — Referral partner providing culturally responsive counseling services for asylum seekers and refugees in the greater Baltimore area.
  • Libereco Partner — Ukrainian organization collaborating with Common Threads Project on trauma recovery initiatives
  • Mariupol Association of Women Bereginya Partner — Ukrainian organization collaborating with Common Threads Project on trauma recovery initiatives
  • NVFS Partner — Partner agency in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region working with CTP to support trauma healing for displaced women.
  • Neem Foundation Partner — Partnered with Common Threads Project to implement trauma healing circles for survivors in Nigeria in 2024.
  • Neem Foundation Partner — Partnered with Common Threads Project to implement trauma healing programs for survivors in Nigeria
  • Not specified Partner — Collaborates with local partners in each project location to implement programs.
  • Panzi Foundation Partner — Co-implemented a pilot trauma therapy project with Common Threads Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Program for Survivors of Torture Partner — Partnered with Common Threads Project to launch a trauma therapy program at Bellevue Hospital in Seattle
  • SE Support for Ukraine Partner — Ukrainian organization collaborating with Common Threads Project on trauma recovery initiatives
  • Sajha Dhago Partner — Local partner organization in Nepal that co-led trainings and now independently implements the Common Threads trauma healing methodology.
  • TPO Nepal Partner — Partner organization that conducted training and implemented Common Threads women’s circles in Nepal
  • Tally Tripp Memorial Fund Partner — Fund established within Common Threads Project to support training of future clinical healers in trauma healing.
  • UNHCR Partner — Collaborated with UNHCR on capacity development programs for NGOs serving refugees in Malaysia.
  • Webster University Geneva Partner — Collaborated on a fabric of healing exhibition and related educational programming.
  • partner organization in Ecuador Partner — Local partner organization in Ecuador that provides trauma healing support and received a survivor referred by a previous program participant.
strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Art-Based Trauma Healing with Story Cloths
    methodology: art-based_trauma_healing
    By engaging survivors in creating narrative textiles and story cloths, we enable non-verbal processing of trauma and transformation from victim to agent of change, because visual and tactile expression aligns with how trauma is neurologically encoded and supports reintegration of fragmented experiences.
  • Community-Led and Peer-Powered Healing Model
    methodology: peer-led_healing
    By training local facilitators and empowering survivor-leaders to lead healing circles, we build sustainable, culturally responsive trauma care, because community ownership and peer support reduce stigma, increase trust, and extend reach in marginalized and post-conflict settings.
  • Neuroscience-Informed Somatic Regulation Through Textile Arts
    methodology: somatic_regulation_through_textile_arts
    By using rhythmic hand sewing and textile work, we support nervous system regulation in trauma survivors, because the meditative, somatic nature of the practice activates the body's relaxation response and provides a non-verbal pathway for processing trauma.
  • Strengths-Based, Culturally Integrated Trauma Therapy
    methodology: strengths-based-recovery
    By combining evidence-based, trauma-informed care with traditional healing practices and a focus on resilience, we promote psychological recovery, because honoring cultural context and emphasizing strengths—rather than just symptoms—enhances engagement and healing outcomes.