The Lola Greene Baldwin Foundation for Recovery was created in 1999 by three professionals with over fifty years experience working with survivors of war, prostitution, domestic violence, and other trauma. They saw the need for a more expanded treatment program for prostitution survivors, as well as more public discussions on the issue of prostitution as a serious human rights violation.

The organization traces its roots to the anti-slavery societies active before the Civil War. These groups worked against slavery on a political level, and also helped slaves escape through the Underground Railroad.

The mission of the Baldwin Foundation is three-fold: To help people escape the life of prostitution, survive, and recover from its long-term effects. To provide education about the effects of the sex industry on those used in it, and its effects on the larger community. To educate actual and potential users of prostituted persons about the meaning and consequences of their behavior.