Kids in Need Foundation

Name

Kids in Need Foundation

Legal name

Kids In Need Foundation

Website

https://kinf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Support Services (Nonprofit School Supply Distribution)

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

Keywords

• School supply distribution
• Teacher resource centers
• Educational nonprofit programs
• Corporate cause partnerships
• Student backpack programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Roseville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Financial Donations: Individual donors contribute financially through the organization's website, monthly giving programs, and fundraising campaigns. Donations fund program operations, supply purchases, and logistics.
2. Corporate Product Donations: Corporate partners like 3M, Five Below, BIC, Dixon Ticonderoga, and others donate physical school supplies (pencils, notebooks, backpacks, markers) which KINF distributes through its network. These are in-kind contributions that form the core inventory.
3. Corporate Financial Partnerships: Companies sponsor specific programs (Supply A Teacher, Supply A Student, RISE, Second Responder) or provide general operational support at various tiers (Elite, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Friends). Partners include 3M, Five Below, Toyota, PNC Bank, Corebridge Financial, Dollar General, and others.
4. Cause Marketing Programs: KINF participates in round-up programs, transaction-based campaigns, co-branded product lines (e.g., Yoobi Wicked collaboration), and percentage-of-sales donations where a portion of sales is directed to KINF.
5. Fundraising: The organization facilitates individual and team fundraising through online portals, with tools provided for creating personalized fundraising pages. Every dollar raised provides real supplies for under-resourced schools.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kids In Need Foundation provides free school supplies and educational resources to students and teachers in under-resourced schools (where 70%+ of students qualify for free/reduced-price meals) through a National Network of 30+ Resource Centers, direct-to-school supply deliveries, and disaster-relief programs. Core offerings include the Supply A Teacher and Supply A Student programs (pre-assembled supply boxes and backpacks), the Teacher Resource Center MN flagship facility, the RISE initiative for rural and Indigenous communities, and the Second Responder disaster recovery program—all delivered at no cost to qualifying teachers and schools.

Product overview

Kids In Need Foundation operates as a nonprofit organization providing school supplies and educational resources rather than a traditional technology product. The organization functions as a platform with multiple interconnected programs: a National Network of Resource Centers serving schools across all 50 states and Washington D.C.; the Teacher Resource Center MN providing free supplies to qualifying Minnesota educators; Supply A Teacher delivering semester supply boxes; Supply A Student providing assembled backpacks; Second Responder for disaster relief; and RISE for rural and Indigenous communities. Supporting programs include Backpack Builds (pre-assembled $25 backpacks), Ready, Set, Restock (midyear restocking campaign), and Thanks a Million! (annual teacher appreciation event). The organization does not offer a technology product, API, or SaaS platform—its offerings are entirely physical supply distribution programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Network of Resource Centers A coast-to-coast network of 30+ Resource Centers that distribute free school supplies to teachers at under-resourced schools (70%+ NSLP eligibility) across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Teachers qualify through their school and access free supplies on a recurring basis.
• Teacher Resource Center MN A physical resource center in Little Canada, MN serving Minnesota educators from schools where 50% or more of students qualify for the National School Lunch Program, providing free supplies, books, and workshop space with quarterly shopping by appointment at no cost.
• Supply A Teacher A program delivering pre-assembled supply boxes to educators in underserved schools each semester, providing essential learning materials to support classroom instruction. Available through corporate sponsorship and direct donation.
• Supply A Student A program providing fully assembled backpacks and essential school supplies to students in need, with options for pre-assembled backpacks ($25 each plus shipping) or bulk supply delivery for group sponsorships.
• Second Responder A crisis and disaster relief program supplying resources to students and teachers in recovery after disasters once critical needs are met.
• RISE (Rural and Indigenous School Equity) A focused initiative closing the opportunity gap in remote and Indigenous communities by removing barriers to learning and ensuring access to essential educational resources.
• Backpack Builds Pre-assembled backpacks filled with essential school supplies (markers, scissors, glue sticks, Post-its, pens, crayons, pencil pouch, eraser, pencil sharpener) delivered to qualifying schools. Sponsored backpacks cost $25 each plus shipping; minimum order of 100 backpacks ($2,500 plus shipping).
• Ready, Set, Restock A midyear campaign designed to refill classrooms with supplies, ensuring students have tools to keep growing through the second half of the school year. Targets 10,000 classrooms with replenished essential supplies.
• Thanks a Million! An annual teacher appreciation event held during National Teacher Appreciation Week, distributing $1 million+ in classroom supplies and gifts to 1,000+ teachers from underserved schools. Presented by Five Below.

Quantifiable outcome

• Teachers report 97-99% boost in student confidence, participation, and self-esteem when students have proper supplies
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered major, flagship, core and minor.

• BICmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2026BIC partnered with KINF and Walmart for the 'Bring Joy, BIC to School' campaign committing to donate a minimum of 3 million writing instruments, sponsoring KINF's Supply A Teacher Program delivering over 10,000 supply boxes to educators, and including retail sweepstakes for teachers.
• Five BelowflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEight-year partnership (since 2018) as presenting sponsor of Thanks a Million! event. Has donated over 2.8 million backpacks (worth $14 million+) including 579,000 in 2025 alone. Supports Teacher Resource Centers and Supply A Student programs.
• TeacherListsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTen-year consecutive partnership (since 2016). When teachers upload supply lists and opt into Teacher-Trusted brand partnerships, TeacherLists donates $1 per list to KINF. Supports schools across the United States.
• YoobimajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoobi's one-for-one model (one item donated for every item purchased) has delivered 100 million supplies to classrooms in need since 2014. Launches exclusive collaborations like the Wicked collection available at Target.
• 3MflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor partner with $50 million in total product donations (projected). Products include Post-it Notes, Nexcare bandages, and other classroom essentials. 3M volunteers participate in packing and distribution events. Shared Minnesota headquarters creates local volunteer opportunities.
• ToyotamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerToyota's Big Summer Giveback initiative brings together dealerships nationwide to support local students with supplies for the school year. Includes in-class distribution events where dealership teams deliver backpacks and engage with students. Has surpassed $5.6M in donations.
• PNC BankmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFifth year of HALFTIME initiative delivering 80 Pre-K Supply A Teacher kits supporting approximately 1,600 students across Minnesota. PNC employees pack kits and participate in deliveries with Minnesota Gopher Hockey student-athletes.
• Corebridge FinancialmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports Supply A Teacher (sponsors all SAT boxes), Supply A Student, online donation campaigns, and Second Responder relief efforts. Supported over 13,000 students and 700 educators in 12 states in a single year.
• Gifts for GoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHelped fund 145,842 months of school supplies in 2025. Supports 959 teachers and 17,450 students across 41 schools in 7 states. Focuses on achieving 100% resource coverage and reaching remote rural areas.
• Dixon TiconderogamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive-year #PostForPencils campaign partner. For each social media post with #PostforPencils, Dixon donates a pack of pencils up to 2 million packs. Has sent hundreds of thousands of art supplies, notebooks, and classroom tools.
• Shane Co.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSix-year partnership since 2020. Donated over 27,000 backpacks equipping more than 1,300 classrooms. Employees contributed over 3,500 volunteer hours. 7,200 students served in the past year alone. Also donates 1,000+ books for World Book Day.
• Slumberland (40 Winks Foundation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership addressing sleep as a barrier to learning. Teachers connect students with beds, transforming everyday realities of under-resourced students and helping them show up ready to learn.
• WalmartmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail partner in BIC's 'Bring Joy, BIC to School' campaign. Provides retail platform for sweepstakes and shopping sprees for teachers valued up to $10,000.
• ChipotleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCelebrated teachers and healthcare community with over $2 million in free burritos during appreciation periods.
• Dollar GeneralminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial partner supporting KINF programs and literacy initiatives.
• TargetminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail partner for Yoobi exclusive collaborations and contributor to teacher appreciation gift card drawings at KINF events.
• Land O LakesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployees volunteer time packing Supply A Teacher kits in KINF's warehouse.
• Estes ExpressminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLogistics partner that recognized KINF's Operations and Logistics team with the Customer Excellence Award for performance.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• First Book: First Book distributes books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children in low-income communities. Highly comparable distribution model targeting the same school demographic, though with a narrower product focus on literacy materials.
• Pencils of Promise: Pencils of Promise builds schools and funds education programs in developing countries and historically operated U.S. programs. Comparable mission and donor base around educational equity, though KINF is domestic-focused and Pencils of Promise is more internationally oriented today.
• Baby2Baby: Baby2Baby distributes essential items including school supplies to children living in poverty, with a strong corporate partnership and product donation model similar to KINF. Overlaps in supply-drive mechanics and corporate donor relationships, though Baby2Baby serves a broader age range (0-12).
• DonorsChoose: DonorsChoose is a crowdfunding platform that lets individual donors fund specific classroom supply requests posted by teachers, serving the same 'free supplies to under-resourced teachers' mission as KINF but with a digital, on-demand model. Direct competitor for both teacher mindshare and corporate partner dollars.
• AdoptAClassroom.org: AdoptAClassroom.org provides direct classroom-level funding so teachers can purchase supplies from approved vendors. Operates a near-identical value proposition to KINF's Resource Centers but via online credits rather than physical shopping, and competes for the same teacher and donor segments.

Emerging players

• National Education Association Foundation: NEA Foundation funds grants and programs to public school educators to support innovation and address opportunity gaps. Comparable teacher-support mission and federal/grant-funded model, though focused on grants rather than physical supply distribution.
• Communities In Schools: Communities In Schools places coordinators inside public schools to connect students with resources and supports. Overlaps with KINF on under-resourced K-12 schools and student support outcomes, though CIS focuses on wraparound services rather than supplies.

Broad incumbents

• Feed the Children: Feed the Children is a much larger, established nonprofit distributing food, essentials, and school supplies domestically. Operates a national distribution and corporate partnership model with significantly broader mission scope, and competes for some of the same corporate product-donation partners as KINF.
• National PTA: National PTA is a large, established membership-based education advocacy organization with local PTAs that often run school supply drives. While broader in mission (advocacy, parent engagement), it overlaps with KINF on the parent-volunteer-driven supply distribution mechanic.

Regional players

• SchoolHouse Connection: SchoolHouse Connection is a national nonprofit focused on the educational rights and needs of children and youth experiencing homelessness. Adjacent in mission (educational equity for vulnerable K-12 students) and overlaps with KINF's Second Responder disaster/homeless response work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kidsinneed
• Facebookfacebook.com/kidsinneed
• Instagraminstagram.com/kidsinneed
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kidsinneed

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kids in Need Foundation