research dossier

BLUE BUTTERFLY FOUNDATION INC

TILLSON, NY · EIN 471940527 · Form 990EZ · FY2023 · NTEE T50 · Philanthropy & Grantmaking · Micro (<$100K) · bluebutterflyfoundation.org

revenue

$88K

expenses

$76K

net assets

$25K

employees

—

mission · from form 990

AT THE BLUE BUTTERFLY FOUNDATION, WE BELIEVE THAT EVERY CHILD HAS THE RIGHT TO NUTRITIOUS FOOD, PROPER SHELTER, A LOVING HOME, A CARING COMMUNITY, AND A HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION. OUR FOCUS IS ON THE IMPOVERISHED COUNTRY OF NEPAL IN SOUTH ASIA, WHERE WE SEEK TO HELP ANYONE WHO LONGS FOR A BETTER LIFE, REGARDLESS OF GENDER, AGE, BACKGROUND, RELIGION OR ETHNICITY. MUCH OF OUR WORK FOCUSES ON VICTIMS OF CHILD LABOR, TRAFFICKING, AND ENSLAVEMENT.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Blue Butterfly Foundation supports vulnerable populations in Nepal and among South Asian migrant women in the U.S., with a focus on child labor, trafficking, and gender-based inequities. It operates youth leadership programs, funds educational initiatives, and partners on empowerment projects. The organization was founded in 2015 and is led by Lauren Yanks, who began her work in Nepal in 2008.

named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Project POWER

Resource center in Queens, NY, co-led with FIWNA to empower South Asian immigrant women through education, advocacy, and access to rights and resources

Samriddhi College

College in Nepal emphasizing critical thinking, humanities, and leadership development for underserved youth

Trauma-Centered School for Trafficked Girls

Specialized school in Nepal providing education and healing for girls rescued from sex trafficking and abuse

Youth Leadership Program

Empowers young adults from Nepal through education, critical thinking, cultural exchange, and grassroots projects; supports leadership development and advocacy aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals

activities · 9 groups

What they do

Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Education 1 activity
- Advocacy and awareness campaigns against human trafficking
  
  Organizes events, fundraisers, and public awareness initiatives to combat human trafficking and modern-day slavery, including participation in the UN Youth Assembly and recognition through awards such as the Human Rights Advocate Award.
Teacher Professional Development 1 activity
- Building organizational and youth capacity through student clubs and training
  
  Co-founds and supports student-led chapters such as the Blue Butterfly Foundation Club at Marist College and delivers teacher training programs focused on holistic, neuroscience-based education to improve pedagogy and student engagement.
Human Rights & Peace Education Curriculum 1 activity
- Conducting workshops and training for vulnerable populations
  
  Provides workshops in public speaking, human rights, creative arts, journalism, language skills, and teacher training to empower trafficking survivors, students, and marginalized communities in Nepal and New York.
Youth Leadership Development Programs 1 activity
- Delivering youth leadership and empowerment programs
  
  Runs a youth leadership initiative that supports personal and academic development through education, cultural exchange, grassroots projects, college sponsorship, and mentorship, including support for youth to publish books and lead community change.
Women's Empowerment and Leadership Development 1 activity
- Operating educational and integration programs for South Asian women in New York
  
  Hosts biweekly meetings, language programs, computer skills instruction, professional talks, and networking events for South Asian women in Queens, New York, to support integration, career development, and community building, including maintaining an educational YouTube channel.
Trauma-Informed Community Resilience Initiatives 1 activity
- Operating trauma-informed schools and educational programs in Nepal
  
  Runs schools and community centers in Kathmandu, including Nepal’s first trauma-informed school co-founded with Asha Nepal, offering academic, arts, and human rights education with specialized support for traumatized children.
Residential Care for At-Risk Youth 1 activity
- Providing shelter, food, and holistic care for child trafficking survivors
  
  Operates gender-separated community homes in Nepal that provide shelter, three meals per day, healthcare, education, and life skills training to children affected by trafficking and enslavement.
Women's Microenterprise and Livelihood Development 1 activity
- Supporting economic empowerment through co-operatives and vocational resources
  
  Supports the establishment of a fashion co-operative in Nepal by providing sewing machines, fabric, and other resources to promote self-sufficiency among local women.
Uncategorized 1 activity
- Conducting research on human trafficking and post-disaster vulnerability
  
  Produces reports on the rise in human trafficking in Nepal following natural disasters such as the 2015 earthquake, contributing data and analysis to inform programmatic and advocacy responses.

financials · form 990EZ · fy2023

revenue

Total revenue$88K

Contributions & grants$88K100%

Program service revenue——

Investment income——

Other revenue—

expenses

Total expenses$76K

Program expenses—

Admin / overhead—

Fundraising—

Salaries & benefits—

Grants paid out—

balance sheet

Total assets$55K

Cash—

Investments—

Liabilities—

Net assets$25K

4 years on record · 2020–2023 · YoY revenue +42.1%

relationships · 17

Who they work with

Asha Nepal Partner — Collaborates with Asha Nepal to create Nepal's first trauma-informed school.
BASE-Nepal Partner — Partner organization collaborating with Blue Butterfly Foundation on Project HEART to support COVID orphans in Nepal.
Bachpan Bachao Andolan Partner — Partner organization collaborating with Blue Butterfly Foundation on Project HEART to support COVID orphans in Nepal.
Didi, Bahini Partner — Fashion line co-developed with and operated in partnership with the Blue Butterfly Foundation, providing income for vulnerable populations.
Federation of Indigenous Women of Nepal in America Partner — Co-leads Project Power to empower South Asian women through a resource center in Queens, NY.
Hope Center for Child Development and Research Center Partner — Youth leader affiliated with the organization works there supporting children with disabilities.
Jim Damon Partner — Named individual associated with the foundation, possibly a collaborator or supporter.
Lauren Yanks Partner — Named individual associated with the foundation, possibly a collaborator or supporter.
Marist College Partner — Hosts the Blue Butterfly Foundation Club, where students organize awareness events and promote engagement with the foundation's mission.
Nepal Government — Primary country of operations and focus for humanitarian programs.
New York State Government — Recognized the Blue Butterfly Foundation with the Human Rights Advocate Award.
RadioRotary Partner — Featured Lauren Yanks in an interview discussing the foundation's work against trafficking and child labor.
Sadhana Thapa Partner — Collaborates on arts-based healing initiatives in Nepal
Samriddhi College Partner — College founded by the Blue Butterfly Foundation to emphasize critical thinking and the humanities for underserved students.
United Nations Government — Cites data and findings from the United Nations on human trafficking trends and victim experiences.
United Nations Partner — Partnership delegation to the UN Youth Assembly.
YWCA Partner — Jointly recognized the Blue Butterfly Foundation with the Human Rights Advocate Award.

strategies · 5

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 as Advocacy and Trauma Transformation

methodology: art_for_advocacy
By using expressive arts both therapeutically and publicly, we transform individual trauma and shift social awareness, because creative expression enables healing while also serving as a powerful medium to educate communities and mobilize action against trafficking.
Economic Empowerment Through Women-Led Cooperatives

methodology: women_led_economic_empowerment
By establishing locally led, women-run economic initiatives such as fashion cooperatives, we create self-sufficiency and resilience, because ownership and income generation enable women to escape trafficking risks and gain long-term autonomy.
Education as Empowerment and Systemic Change

methodology: education_as_empowerment
By educating girls and vulnerable youth with a focus on critical thinking, language, and advocacy skills, we break cycles of poverty and trafficking, because education increases future wages, delays harmful marriages, reduces fertility rates, and builds agency to resist exploitation.
Integrated Support Model for Long-Term Stability

methodology: integrated_support_model
By combining skills training with safe housing and psychosocial support, we create pathways out of vulnerability, because addressing multiple interdependent needs simultaneously—such as safety, education, and economic opportunity—produces greater stability than isolated interventions.
Trauma-Informed, Whole-Child Approach

methodology: trauma_informed_care
By integrating mental health support with academic and therapeutic services within a safe, community-integrated environment, we enable traumatized children to heal and thrive, because addressing psychological well-being is foundational to learning and long-term stability.