NGO Intel delivers trusted Intelligence for NGOs worldwide. Our specialised platform gives nonprofits streamlined access to open-source intelligence (OSINT) and aggregated data backed by a global team of investigators, analysts, and researchers. We help NGOs screen partners and staff, monitor risks, and respond swiftly to complex threats with clear, actionable insights.
Empowering NGOs with professional intelligence and collaborative tools to detect and disrupt trafficking, corruption, exploitation, and organised crime worldwide, with a focus on operations in South East Asia and Africa.
We transform complex data into tailored intelligence insights, such as detailed profiles on individuals, organisations, or issues, produced by our experts using proprietary methods and OSINT applications. Our approach eliminates the high cost of application, steep learning curves, and technology barriers that government and private sector organisations would invest in.
With secure, streamlined access to intelligence, NGOs in South East Asia and Africa can focus less on resource-intensive research and more on their core objectives. NGO Intel bridges the gap between under-resourced field teams and the vital intelligence needed to protect vulnerable populations, investigate organised crime, and respond to emerging risks.
Our vision is to empower non-government organisations of all sizes to overcome fragmented data and outdated tools, fostering secure collaboration that protects vulnerable communities and drives lasting impact. NGO Intel bridges the gap between humanitarian needs and world-class intelligence capabilities.
Our mission is to break down barriers to intelligence for global NGOs by providing accessible, operationally focused solutions. We deliver high-quality and accurate data, targeted analysis, and professional reporting. This equips NGOs to investigate with accurate intelligence, and respond swiftly to complex threats without costly onboarding or technical hurdles.
Our intelligence services deliver comprehensive reporting and expert analyst support, helping organisations interpret complex data quickly and accurately. Through collaboration, secure information sharing, and targeted investigations, we help organisations better understand risks, verify partners, and respond effectively to emerging threats.
Our OSINT reports deliver targeted intelligence across key areas, including detailed profiles on individuals, comprehensive checks on organisations, mapped trafficking networks, and in-depth analyses of specific problems or trends.
We offer three levels of screening to match the scale and sensitivity of your operations. These are built for NGOs working in complex environments and are suitable for both HQ-based hires and field volunteers.
We provide continuous risk monitoring and real-time analyst support to help NGOs stay ahead of emerging threats, respond quickly to incidents, and collaborate securely during investigations or crises.
We create detailed, analyst-driven dossiers on individuals, groups, or entities linked to operational risks. These profiles provide critical insights into behaviour, networks, and risk types to support escalation decisions, donor reporting, and partner evaluations.
We offer three levels of screening to match the scale and sensitivity of your operations. These are built for NGOs working in complex environments and are suitable for both HQ-based hires and field volunteers.
NGO Intel is driven by a trusted network of professionals with deep investigative and analytical expertise. At its core is a highly experienced team supported by a global network of field investigators, OSINT analysts, behavioural specialists, undercover operators, and regional subject-matter experts. This collaborative structure ensures access to local insight, cross-border capability, and context-rich intelligence, even in complex or high-risk environments.
Parent Company
Futurum Risk is an intelligence and investigations firm supporting NGO Intel with strategic oversight and operational capability. Led by James Ellender, the firm has over a decade of experience delivering intelligence across government, legal, corporate, and humanitarian sectors. It specialises in background screening, due diligence, digital investigations, behavioural analysis, and covert fieldwork in complex or high-risk environments.
Its team includes former law enforcement, legal experts, cyber analysts, and field operatives, ensuring investigations are ethical, legally sound, and operationally effective. This expertise enables NGO Intel to navigate threats, verify partners, and conduct trusted investigations across borders.
Founder & Director of Intelligence
James Ellender has worked in risk, intelligence, and law enforcement for over 25 years. He began his career as a specialist detective in UK law enforcement, leading complex investigations into organised crime, fraud, and counterfeiting.
He holds a Master of Science in Risk, Crisis, and Disaster Management and has trained intelligence officers and investigators globally, including the FIFA World Cup 2022, Indonesian Police Intelligence (BIK), and Aviation Council International. James sits as a Strategic Advisory Board Member for the International Fraud Group.
James leads strategic design for NGO Intel, applying his expertise in behavioural detection, insider threat, and digital intelligence to ensure every report and product is ethical, reliable, and operationally useful for NGOs. His work has included advisory and training roles across South East Asia and Africa, strengthening NGO Intel’s reach and capacity to address complex risks in these regions..
Training Highlights for NGO’s include:
Head of Global Intelligence
Michaela Stembridge manages all due diligence, trafficking network investigations, and employee screening services. She brings experience in class-action litigation, mass fraud, and civil accountability, having worked on multi-jurisdictional legal teams across Africa, Europe, and North America.
She holds degrees in Political Science and Law, and is a qualified attorney of the High Court of South Africa. Michaela’s LLM research focused on climate change and refugee law, reflecting her commitment to humanitarian impact.
Senior Advisor, Intelligence & Covert Investigations
RM served over 30 years with the Metropolitan Police in London, including 26 years as a Detective specialising in organised crime, covert investigations, and counter-terrorism. His operational work involved the infiltration of international crime networks engaged in arms trafficking, narcotics, human trafficking, corruption, and contract killings.
He has provided specialised training and advisory to the Organised Crime Directorate of the Albanian State Police, Singapore’s Anti-Terrorism Unit, and police forces across Eastern Europe, the Baltics, Balkans, Africa, and Asia. His programmes have included intelligence development, informant handling, and covert strategies targeting organised crime, terrorism, wildlife trafficking, and illegal mining.
Since 2018, RM has worked closely with the Kenyan Police to strengthen intelligence-led approaches to wildlife trafficking, with a focus on undercover operations and informant engagement. He continues to undertake sensitive deployments for UK government departments and international organisations across Asia and Africa.
Senior Advisor, Counter-Trafficking & Environmental Crime
Christian Plowman is a specialist in counter-trafficking intelligence and investigations with a decade of experience in the international NGO sector. An acknowledged expert in transnational environmental crime, he previously served 16 years as a detective in the Metropolitan Police, focused on human source development and undercover operations. He later worked as an INTERPOL intelligence officer before joining leading conservation and humanitarian organisations. A fluent French speaker, Christian is a committed proponent of ethical, human-rights-centric investigative methodology and has helped design globally ratified processes that align with UN, EU, and UK standards.
Christian has created and delivered bespoke training in conservation-centric investigative strategy and intelligence management to 1,200+ law enforcement officers across Africa, Asia, and Europe, including police, rangers, customs, and airport units. His advisory work spans ethics, policy, operational design, and risk, with assignments supporting proactive investigations into wildlife trafficking, human trafficking, fraud, and protection concerns in complex operating environments.
He is a member of the UK Government DEFRA Illegal Wildlife Trade Advisory Group, contributes to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, and serves as an honorary lecturer at the University of Portsmouth. Christian has co-authored academic papers on the illegal wildlife trade and regularly speaks at universities and global forums on ethical law enforcement practices.Christian brings a practitioner’s precision and a strategist’s perspective to NGO Intel, strengthening partner engagements, investigative governance, and intelligence delivery across borders.
Selected training and advisory highlights for NGOs and partners include:
Digital Forensics & Cybersecurity Expert | Web3/Crypto Investigator
Maxim Stevens is a seasoned IT and cybersecurity expert with nearly a decade of practical experience in network infrastructure, system security, and digital investigations. He specialises in digital forensics, thorough cybersecurity audits, and complex Web3 and cryptocurrency investigations.
Maxim excels at uncovering critical digital evidence in security breaches, identifying and neutralising cyber threats through meticulous audits, and tracing illicit transactions across the evolving blockchain ecosystem.
OSINT Research Analyst | Terrorism & Conflict
Cara Rau is a multilingual analyst specialising in open-source investigations, threat monitoring, and digital intelligence. She has worked extensively in conflict tracking and human rights investigations across Africa, with a focus on extremist networks and propaganda monitoring.
She holds a Master’s degree in Terrorism and Security Studies, and speaks Afrikaans, French, Russian, and Levantine Arabic, enabling her to analyse sources across geopolitical and linguistic boundaries.
IT & Technical Adviser
Andrea Lemme is an IT and technical specialist with a background in information systems, cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure. He holds an Honours degree in Information Systems from the University of Cape Town and has extensive experience in designing and maintaining secure platforms to support intelligence and investigative work in South East Asia and Africa.
His expertise spans system architecture, digital risk management, and technical advisory for intelligence projects. Andrea has worked across sectors to deliver fast, scalable, and secure solutions, with a particular focus on supporting teams operating in complex or high-risk environments.
In addition to his IT and advisory role, Andrea has practical experience using technical tools for open-source intelligence and digital investigations, including Nmap, Burp Suite, SQLmap, and other security applications. This technical knowledge strengthens the network’s ability to identify vulnerabilities, map digital traces, and support intelligence gathering with reliable technical insight.
Andrea contributes to NGO Intel as part of its wider network of trusted partners, providing specialised technical expertise that underpins secure collaboration and effective intelligence delivery.
Project Management Professional
Amber Martens is a project management professional with experience coordinating cross-border intelligence and investigative initiatives. Her background includes managing complex programmes that bring together investigators, analysts, and NGO partners to deliver intelligence in challenging environments across South East Asia and Africa.
She specialises in structuring projects so that intelligence outputs are delivered efficiently, aligned with operational needs, and directly support NGO objectives in the field. Her work has included oversight of research programmes, multi-team collaboration, and the delivery of tailored reporting for organisations addressing trafficking, exploitation, and organised crime.
Amber contributes to NGO Intel as part of its trusted partner network, ensuring that intelligence projects are organised, strategic, and effective for NGOs responding to complex threats.
In addition to her coordination role, Amber provides support across planning and implementation, helping teams maintain clarity and consistency throughout complex investigations. Her practical approach ensures that intelligence products remain clear, reliable, and useful for those working on the front lines.
For service enquiries or to discuss joining our global intelligence network, please get in touch.
We work with NGOs, humanitarian teams, and trusted partners worldwide. All communication is handled in strict confidence and reviewed directly by our senior intelligence team.