Two North Texas nonprofits—one focused on funding the fight against sex trafficking, the other on helping survivors heal—are connected through a national grantmaking initiative announced this month.

New Friends New Life, a Dallas-based nonprofit that supports trafficked and sexually exploited teen girls, women, and their children, has been named one of five new 2025 recipients of GrantTank, the funding and support program of The Jensen Project, which is headquartered in Irving.

Launched in 2021, GrantTank identifies and supports U.S.-based nonprofits with survivor-centered approaches to ending commercial sexual exploitation. The program combines direct funding, leadership development, and peer collaboration to help organizations grow long-term impact.

Since its launch, GrantTank has distributed more than $11 million in grants to organizations tackling sexual violence. In 2025 alone, The Jensen Project said it will award more than $2.3 million to support nonprofit programs focused on housing, economic mobility, prevention, and tech-enabled solutions.

Awarding a local leader in a national movement

Founded in 1998, New Friends New Life offers access to education, counseling, job training, and advocacy for trafficked and sexually exploited women, teen girls, and their children. The organization also works to raise public awareness of the issue, especially in Texas, where trafficking remains pervasive.

Texas ranks second in the nation for human trafficking, with an estimated 300,000 victims across the state, according to New Friends New Life CEO Bianca Davis. In a recent appearance on The Jeff Crilley Show, Davis spoke about the magnitude of the problem, and the momentum building around solutions.

“It’s a really big problem, but I want people to know that it’s everyday steps that make the difference, that we can turn this around,” Davis said.

She said survivors are reclaiming their lives—and that change is being driven by communities willing to act.

“There are women and girls—and men and boys—who have had their lives restored. They’re on to the great things that they had in their minds, and it’s because of moments like this, where you choose to take a stand,” she told Crilley.

Davis also thanked longtime Dallas advocate Bill Wallace for lending his support and leadership to the cause, saying his “years of service and big heart” have helped fuel real change in the region.

Fresh off being awarded the funding for its own impact, New Friends New Life will soon return the spotlight. At its upcoming Stand for Her luncheon on Sept. 12 at the Omni Dallas Hotel, with a keynote by actress and activist Lucy Liu, the nonprofit will present its annual ProtectHER Awards to four forces in the fight against trafficking and exploitation: Erin Nealy Cox, Chad Frymire, Eliza McCoy, and Laila Mickelwait.

Five new grantees, 17 returning organizations

Alongside New Friends New Life, the 2025 GrantTank cohort includes four other organizations working nationally and regionally to dismantle the systems that enable sex trafficking and to support the people it harms. They are:

• Allies Against Slavery: A national organization focused on data collection and technology to combat human trafficking.
• AnnieCannons: A national group that provides economic empowerment through technology training.
• PEHT: Partnership to End Human Trafficking: A Bridgeport, Connecticut-based group focused on fighting human trafficking.
• Street Grace: A national organization working to end sexual exploitation

The Jensen Project said the recipients “represent a bold, diverse cohort of frontline change-makers” who share a commitment to dignity, autonomy, and measurable results for the people they serve.

According to the organization, the grantees were selected through a vetting process that evaluated each nonprofit’s vision, transparency, financial sustainability, and survivor-centered practices. Their work spans housing, prevention, economic empowerment, data collection, and proprietary technology built to better serve the sector.

Continuing support for prior grantees

In addition to the new recipients, 17 past grantees will continue to receive funding and leadership development support through GrantTank in 2025. These organizations operate across the country and focus on everything from job training and safe exits to trauma-informed housing and community re-entry programs.

• 3Strands Global Foundation: Sacramento, California
• Awaken: Reno, Nevada
• Designed For Joy: Raleigh, North Carolina
• Eden Centers for Hope and Healing: New Orleans, Louisiana
• Elevate Academy, Rebecca Bender Initiative: National
• Empowered Network: National
• Freedom a la Cart: Columbus, Ohio
• Reflection Ministries of Texas: Midland, Texas
• REST: Real Escape from the Sex Trade: Seattle, Washington
• Rest Stop Ministries: Hermitage, Tennessee
• Rethreaded: Jacksonville, Florida
• Safe Exit Initiative: Worcester, Massachusetts
• The Network: National
• The WellHouse: Odenville, Alabama
• Thistle Farms: Nashville, Tennessee
• Wellspring Living: Atlanta, Georgia

A Jensen Project built in North Texas

Founded by Janet Jensen, who is described as an “entrepreneur at heart,” The Jensen Project created GrantTank to address a persistent gap in the anti-trafficking ecosystem: a lack of funding, collaboration, and leadership support for smaller, survivor-led organizations doing high-impact work.

Each year, the organization defines its funding categories based on the movement’s most urgent needs. For 2025, those priorities include housing, prevention, economic mobility, and the use of technology to strengthen anti-trafficking efforts nationwide.

The Jensen Project emphasized that while financial support is critical, it’s only one piece of the equation. The initiative is built around long-term capacity-building, collaboration, and tailored support that helps frontline organizations grow and sustain their work.

Lance Murray contributed to this report.

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