Records to make usable.
Paper files and legacy materials may need to be digitized, organized, and analyzed before the next investigative step becomes clear.
Philanthropy for answers and lasting change
Help clear backlogs.Build a better justice system.
We use philanthropy to work through entire defined backlogs of unidentified remains and unsolved violent crimes. We uncover what is holding cases back, fund the work to move them forward, and share what we learn so the justice system can work better for everyone.
Preparing for launch. Seeking founding support.
Understand the need
First, find what is holding cases back.
The next step may be digitizing boxes of records, analyzing existing information, testing evidence, or addressing a barrier we have yet to discover. Philanthropy gives us the flexibility to investigate the need and respond to what we find.
Evidence to understand.
A case may need an evidence assessment, conventional DNA testing, advanced testing, or a different approach to the information already available.
Friction to uncover.
Each intervention can reveal another obstacle. We will document those barriers and develop approaches to address them.
Our approach
Work through the whole backlog. Learn at every step.
Our team will assess needs, analyze information, research solutions, and document friction. Qualified partners will execute the interventions. Together, that work will help expose what needs to happen next.
Define and assess.
Establish the scope and understand the records, evidence, and needs across the backlog.
Find the friction.
Investigate what is preventing progress and develop an approach to the barriers.
Fund the work.
Bring together the appropriate partners and resources to carry out the next steps.
Follow the results.
Evaluate progress, investigate remaining bottlenecks, and adjust the approach.
Share the learning.
Make outcomes and findings publicly useful so the lessons can benefit other backlogs.
What does it mean to clear a backlog?
Every case has been assessed and all appropriate available work completed, with outcomes and remaining barriers documented publicly. Our ambition is answers in every case; our reporting will show the work completed and where questions remain.
How will initial initiatives be selected?
We will look for a defined backlog within our focus areas, a committed public-sector partner willing to provide access and participate, and an opportunity to deliver answers while learning lessons useful for other backlogs. The responsible agency retains control of its evidence and responsibility for the investigation.
Othram case histories
Watch the Impact
Hear directly from investigators and families about the answers and reunions made possible by Othram's work.
Watch the full episode
Carla Walker
Hear what a breakthrough meant to the investigators.
Follow the collaboration that turned genetic information into an investigative lead, and hear the people who pursued it describe what changed.
Watch Carla's story on Othram Studios ↗Carla's story connects to the Carla Walker Act ↗. The Senate-passed proposal would fund forensic genetic genealogy casework and equipment for public laboratories and other eligible public-sector entities.
Advancing forensic science
Randy Gail Sperino
See how a difficult DNA mixture prompted scientists to adapt their methods and help generate an investigative lead.
Watch the full episode ↗
Defending the science in court
Mary Catherine Edwards
See an early example of Othram defending its scientific work in court, and hear from the investigators who pursued the case.
Watch the full episode ↗
Reuniting families
Sarah Sharkey
Identifying Sarah helped reunite her two children, Chuck and Marie. Their reunion shows the value of an answer even as her homicide remains unresolved.
Watch the full episode ↗People and capabilities
Bring the right capabilities to the need.
We will begin with Othram and involve additional qualified partners as the work requires. Our team will investigate the needs and coordinate the response, drawing on a range of capabilities.
Razib Khan
Director · Human Identification Foundation
Razib brings experience in population genetics, genomics technology, and science communication. He has developed ancestry algorithms for Gene by Gene and the Genographic Project and co-founded a life sciences company.
At the foundation, Razib and the team will assess backlogs, investigate bottlenecks, coordinate qualified partners, and share findings publicly to help improve the justice system.
- Records and analysisDigitization, organization, and analysis of existing information.
- Evidence assessment and conventional DNA testingIncluding STR testing through Sorenson Forensics.
- Advanced DNA testing and genetic genealogyThrough Othram, alongside appropriate follow-up work.
- Research and problem-solvingDeveloping approaches to the barriers each initiative reveals.
A stronger system
Help build the justice grid.
Highways connect communities. The electric grid connects power to the people who need it. Justice also depends on connected resources: usable records, capable laboratories, effective tools, and people able to act on the information.
By understanding where those connections break down, we can help guide better workflows, infrastructure, and public investment.
Records · Technology · People · Funding
Public transparency
Make the learning useful to everyone.
We will publish an annual impact and financial report so donors and the public can see what funding made possible and what the work taught us.
- Funding received and how it was used.
- Work completed and verified outcomes.
- Remaining barriers and unresolved questions.
- Lessons and priorities for the work ahead.
Our first-year ambition
Launch defined backlog initiatives, understand what is preventing progress, fund appropriate work, and make findings publicly accessible so the lessons can benefit the cases that follow.
Founding support
Help move entire backlogs forward.
A founding gift can fund the work that brings answers to families and victims—and the research and transparency that help the justice system work better.
Help launch the work.
Flexible founding gifts help launch the foundation and support the work where it is most needed:
- Assessment, research, and coordination by Razib and the foundation team.
- Appropriate work by Othram and other qualified partners, from making records usable to testing evidence.
- Documenting outcomes and remaining barriers, and sharing findings publicly.
Online gifts will provide flexible founding support.
Fund a defined backlog initiative.
Help develop and fund an initiative focused on a defined backlog of unidentified remains, sexual assault cases, or homicides.
Speak with Razib about the scope, assessment, proposed work, budget, and how outcomes and remaining barriers will be documented.
Discuss a backlog initiativePrefer to email? change@hidfoundation.org
Follow the work and the learning.
We will document what was done, what changed, and what still prevents progress. Our annual impact and financial report will show how funding was used, what outcomes were verified, and what we learned about improving the justice system.