Kids First

What Kids First does

Kids First, legally the Coalition for Quality Children's Media, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1991 and headquartered in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The organization evaluates and rates children's films, television shows, and digital media through a combination of adult and youth juries, distributing curated reviews and endorsements via its website, YouTube channel, social media presence, and a global film festival circuit spanning 40+ venues. Its core products include the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival (described as the world's largest children's film festival), Media Reviews, Endorsements program (reaching 3–5 million people monthly), and a Film Critics program that trains 65 youth reporters ages 9–23 to provide peer-driven critical perspectives. Supporting offerings include a Film Critics Boot Camp training program and a branded travel booking service.

The organization operates a diversified nonprofit revenue model comprising recurring membership fees, per-submission fees from filmmakers and studios seeking endorsement and festival consideration, travel booking commissions through KIDS FIRST! Travel, and fundraising via silent auctions. Its B2B customer base includes all six major Hollywood studios — Walt Disney, Warner Brothers, Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures, Lionsgate, and Paramount Pictures — alongside independent filmmakers, while its B2C audience spans children, families, and educators seeking trusted children's media recommendations. Distribution channels include global film festivals, theatrical screenings, VOD/streaming platforms, and direct-to-consumer website access.

KIDS FIRST! reports cumulative reach of 10 million+ adults, 3–5 million monthly audience impressions, and 70,000+ annual film festival viewers across over 30 years of operation. The underlying technology is described as an online content curation and distribution platform with video streaming capabilities, with no disclosed AI/ML or proprietary algorithmic components. Leadership is concentrated in founder and president Ranny Levy; the organization is independently funded through memberships, submissions, and fundraising with no venture capital, private equity, or parent company backing identified. Strategic partnerships with Planet Classroom Network, Bard College Conservatory, Actuality Abroad, and multiple partner publications extend the organization's ecosystem beyond its core review and endorsement mandate.

Name

Kids First

Legal name

Coalition for Quality Children's Media

Website

https://kidsfirst.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kids First (Coalition for Quality Children's Media) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1991 that evaluates, rates, and endorses children's films, TV, and digital media through adult/youth juries, operating a global film festival, media review platform, and a 65-member youth film critic program serving families, educators, and major studios.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Media Ratings & Reviews

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Early Childhood Educational Media (Songs, Stories, Interactive) (EDAGALAC)

Keywords

• Children's media ratings
• Film review organization
• Children's film festival
• Youth media literacy
• Film endorsement program

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Fe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership program providing access to endorsed content, reviews, and member benefits
2. Film Endorsement Services: Filmmakers and studios submit content for endorsement and review, generating submission fees
3. Travel Services: Travel arrangement services for film festival participants and events
4. Silent Auctions: Fundraising events featuring silent auctions

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kids First (KIDS FIRST!), legally the Coalition for Quality Children's Media, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that evaluates and rates children's films, television, and digital media through adult and youth juries. It operates the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival at 40+ venues worldwide, runs a youth film critics program with 65 trained reporters ages 9-23, and offers a film endorsement program that reaches 3-5 million people monthly.

Product overview

Kids First operates as a multi-platform children's media organization offering a unified ecosystem of film evaluation and endorsement services. The core portfolio consists of the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival (the world's largest children's film festival reaching over 70,000 viewers annually), KIDS FIRST! Media Reviews (authoritative ratings informed by adult and youth juries), KIDS FIRST! Film Critics (a team of 65 youth reporters ages 9-23), and KIDS FIRST! Endorsements (a seal of approval program reaching 3-5 million people monthly). Supporting these core offerings are the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics Boot Camp (a six-session training program) and KIDS FIRST! Travel (a travel booking service benefiting the organization). Together, these products provide a comprehensive pipeline from film discovery and evaluation to youth media literacy education and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KIDS FIRST! Film Festival The world's largest children's film festival celebrating independent and student filmmakers from around the globe, hosting screenings at 40+ venues worldwide and reaching 70,000+ viewers annually. Intended for families, children, educators, and filmmakers.
• KIDS FIRST! Media Reviews Authoritative ratings and reviews of films, television, and digital media for children, informed by diverse adult and youth juries and distributed globally via the website, social media, and partner channels.
• KIDS FIRST! Film Critics A team of 65 youth reporters ages 9-23 providing professional film and TV criticism, including interviews with industry leaders and behind-the-scenes coverage. The critics operate as trained media spokespeople for children's entertainment.
• KIDS FIRST! Endorsements An evaluation and endorsement program that awards a quality seal to children's media using community-based juries and rigorous criteria, reaching 3 to 5 million people monthly. Designed for filmmakers and studios seeking trusted third-party endorsement.
• KIDS FIRST! Film Critics Boot Camp A six-session intensive training program that equips young film critics (ages 9-23) with skills in critical film analysis, review writing, talent interviewing, and on-camera performance.
• KIDS FIRST! Travel An expert travel planning service for groups and individuals that books flights, accommodations, and complete travel packages, with proceeds benefiting KIDS FIRST! mission programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10 million adults reached through content and media
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Planet Classroom NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership providing educational media content and distribution through the Planet Classroom Network ecosystem.
• Bard College Conservatory of MusicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Bard College's music conservatory for cross-disciplinary arts programming and educational initiatives.
• Actuality AbroadminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing and content partnership for international educational travel programs and media experiences.
• News-o-maticminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner publication for children's news and media content distribution.
• Kidsville NewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner publication for family-oriented news and media content.
• Grand MagazineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner publication for intergenerational family content.
• SoCalCityKidsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional partner for Southern California family-focused content.
• Upscale MagazineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner publication for lifestyle and family content.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• PBS Kids: Major nonprofit children's educational media brand and broadcaster. Comparable as a large-scale nonprofit operating in children's educational media, though distribution is broadcasting-based rather than rating-based.

Direct peers

• Common Sense Media: The largest nonprofit children's media rating and review organization in the US. Directly comparable as both rate and endorse children's films, TV, and digital media for families and educators with a similar nonprofit mission.
• Screen It!: Movie review service that rates films on sex, violence, and language for parents. Directly comparable in providing detailed parental-content reviews of films.
• Dove Foundation: Family-friendly film rating organization that awards the Dove Seal of Approval. Closely comparable as both serve as trusted third-party endorsers of children's and family films used by parents and studios.
• KidSAFE Seal Program: Independent safety certification program for children's websites and apps. Comparable in providing paid endorsement seals to children's digital media products and services.
• Plugged In (Focus on the Family): Reviews children's movies, TV, and digital media from a family-values perspective. Directly comparable in providing detailed written reviews of children's entertainment for parents.
• Parents Television Council: Advocacy organization that rates and critiques children's television content. Directly comparable in evaluating and publicly endorsing children's media for family audiences.
• NAPPA (National Parenting Product Awards): Evaluates and awards parenting and children's media products. Comparable as both award trusted seals to children's media and operate parent-focused endorsement programs.
• Kids-In-Mind: Provides detailed content ratings for films aimed at parents evaluating age-appropriateness. Directly comparable in operating a content-rating service for children's and family media.

Emerging players

• Common Sense Education: Education-focused arm of Common Sense Media providing media literacy curriculum to schools. Comparable as an adjacent media literacy and rating organization serving educators, overlapping with KIDS FIRST!'s educator segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KidsFirstMedia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/KIDSFIRSTFilmCritics
• Facebookfacebook.com/KidsFirstMedia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coalition-for-quality-childrens-media-kids-first
• Instagraminstagram.com/kidsfirstcoming_attractions
• TikToktiktok.com/@kidsfirstmedia?lang=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 First