What Stand for Children does

Stand for Children is a Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit education advocacy organization founded in 1996 following a Washington D.C. rally that drew over 300,000 participants, including movement leaders such as Rosa Parks and Marian Wright Edelman. The organization operates through seven wholly-owned state affiliates — Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington — that conduct grassroots organizing, policy advocacy, electoral endorsement work, and coalition-building at the state and local level.

The organization's programmatic portfolio centers on three national initiatives: the Center for Early Literacy and Learning Success (CELLS), launched December 2024 to serve children from birth to age eight through policies, products, and professional learning (including the Great First Eight open educational resource curriculum); the Center for High School Success (CHSS), which delivers the 9th Grade Success Approach via training, coaching, and data analysis; and Teach Kindness, a national research-based kindness curriculum initiative that designated 32 schools across 18 states in its inaugural 2025-26 cohort. Complementary offerings include the Phone-Free Schools national campaign, the Beat the Odds Scholarship program ($20,000 per student over four years in partnership with The Renaissance Foundation), the STAND Student Voices digital platform for student-submitted creative work, and coalition work such as the Justice & Safety Alliance and Momentum Memphis in Tennessee.

Stand for Children is funded through individual donations, foundation grants, and partnership funding; programs are delivered free of charge to schools, students, and families. The organization does not sell products or services commercially and reports no proprietary technology platform, relying on standard web, email, and social-media tools for outreach and advocacy. Leadership is led by CEO Jonah Edelman (approximately 28 years), with a C-suite covering organizing & campaigns, technology, and people & culture, and a board that includes senior executives from PBS, Leadership for Educational Equity, Alliance for Safety and Justice, and Senterra Funders.

Name

Stand for Children

Legal name

Stand for Children, Inc.

Website

https://stand.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Stand for Children is a Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit education advocacy organization that operates seven state affiliates to organize parents, educators, and communities around K-12 policy, early literacy, and youth justice reform. Its programs include CELLS, the Center for High School Success, Teach Kindness, and the Phone-Free Schools national campaign.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Advocacy Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping Resources (State/NAEYC/Head Start) (EDACAJAN), Child Rights & Protection (BPADAGAG), Positive Discipline & Behavior Support Programs (EDACALAD)

Keywords

• Education advocacy
• Grassroots organizing
• Early literacy programs
• High school success
• Education policy reform

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The organization raises funds from individual donors who support education advocacy and equity initiatives. Donations are collected through the organization's website and various fundraising campaigns.
2. Foundation Grants: Stand for Children receives funding from philanthropic foundations that support education reform, youth justice, and early literacy initiatives.
3. Scholarship Partnerships: Through partnerships with organizations like The Renaissance Foundation, Stand manages scholarship programs (Beat the Odds Scholarship) that provide $20,000 per student over four years, demonstrating community impact while building donor relationships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Stand for Children is a nonprofit education advocacy organization that combines grassroots community organizing, education policy advocacy, and direct program delivery to improve educational equity for K-12 students. Its core programmatic offerings include the Center for Early Literacy and Learning Success (CELLS) for birth-to-age-8 literacy, the Center for High School Success (CHSS) 9th Grade Success Approach, the Teach Kindness initiative, the Stand Student Voices youth platform, and the Phone-Free Schools national campaign, delivered through seven state affiliates.

Product overview

Stand for Children is an education advocacy organization offering a portfolio of programs and seven state affiliates (Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington). Its core products include three national initiatives: the Center for Early Literacy and Learning Success (CELLS), which develops the Great First Eight Curriculum OER; the Center for High School Success, focused on 9th Grade Success; and Teach Kindness, providing kindness curricula. Additionally, STAND Student Voices is a digital platform for student submissions. Each state affiliate operates independently to advocate for education policy at the local level.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Center for Early Literacy and Learning Success (CELLS): Improves literacy and learning outcomes for children from birth to eight through effective policies, high-quality products, and impactful professional learning.
• Center for High School Success (CHSS)
• Teach Kindness
• STAND Student Voices

Products and services

• Center for Early Literacy and Learning Success (CELLS) CELLS improves literacy and learning outcomes for children from birth to age eight through effective policies, high-quality products, and impactful professional learning. It serves schools, early childhood educators, and state education systems.
• Center for High School Success (CHSS) CHSS provides training, coaching, data analysis, peer learning, tools, and resources to support high schools in implementing the 9th Grade Success Approach, which increases on-track rates, reduces chronic absenteeism, improves student behavior, boosts teacher morale and retention, strengthens CTE and Dual Credit Pathways, and raises graduation rates. It serves high schools and districts.
• Teach Kindness Teach Kindness is a national initiative providing free, research-based tools and resources to schools for teaching kindness as a practical, commonplace skill, helping children manage emotions, actions, and words, and navigate complex challenges. It serves K-12 schools.
• STAND Student Voices STAND Student Voices is a digital platform for students ages 13-19 to submit and share original works including poetry, short stories, creative non-fiction, and visual art in response to pressing education issues. Selected works are published to reach policymakers, educators, and advocates.
• Great First Eight Curriculum The Great First Eight Curriculum is an open educational resource (OER), full-day curriculum for children from birth through age eight, developed by CELLS to support early literacy and learning. It is offered to schools and educators.
• Phone-Free Schools Initiative The Phone-Free Schools Initiative is a national campaign advocating for cell phone-free school policies. It provides resources including an Educators' Guide to Phone-Free Schools and serves schools, districts, and policymakers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduation rates increased by 6 percentage points in Oregon since Measure 98
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• The Renaissance FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to award Beat the Odds Scholarships of $20,000 ($5,000 per year for four years) to first-generation college students. The scholarship program identifies outstanding students who have overcome significant obstacles and provides renewable funding based on GPA and credit requirements.
• American Federation of Teachers (AFT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Cell Phone-Free Schools Movement, supporting research, advocacy, and implementation resources for schools adopting phone-free policies. AFT provides educator perspective and organizational support for the initiative.
• Phone-Free Schools MovementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in the Cell Phone-Free Schools Movement, coordinating national effort to promote phone-free learning environments. Stand for Children serves as an organizational partner providing resources and advocacy support.
• Institute for Families and TechnologysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Cell Phone-Free Schools Movement, providing research and resources on technology's impact on families and schools.
• 50CANsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Cell Phone-Free Schools Movement, contributing advocacy expertise and organizational network to support policy changes at state and local levels.
• Teach PlussupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Cell Phone-Free Schools Movement, providing educator voice and perspective to the initiative through teacher networks.
• Unite for LiteracycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide a FREE digital library to Arizona schools and families. Stand Arizona leverages this partnership to support early literacy goals and reading proficiency by third grade.
• TNTPsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCELLS partners with TNTP (formerly The New Teacher Project) to develop professional learning resources and support research-aligned practices in early literacy instruction.
• Amira LearningsupportingOthersDr. Nell Duke, CELLS Executive Director, serves as senior advisor to Amira Learning, an early literacy program with demonstrated positive impact serving more than 3 million children.
• Rose from ConcretesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner organization working to support students through mutual aid, direct advocacy, and youth mentorship. Stand collaborates with Rose from Concrete on community engagement and student support initiatives.
• Justice & Safety AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition convened by Stand Tennessee in 2021 to build power in communities of color most affected by policing and criminal justice inequities. Takes public health, community-centered approach focused on prevention, care, and healing.
• Momentum MemphiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition launched by Stand Tennessee in 2018 to coordinate and advocate for education agenda in collaboration with other organizations. Task forces work on breaking school-to-prison pipeline, community-centered school board processes, and student success advocacy.
• Moral Budget CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition convened by Stand Tennessee in 2021 to advocate for city and county budgets reflecting community values. Focuses on investments in education, affordable housing, youth development, public transportation, infrastructure, and healthcare.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TNTP (The New Teacher Project): Education nonprofit that partners with school systems to improve teaching and student outcomes; directly comparable because TNTP is already a Stand partner on CELLS professional learning and operates a similar mix of direct-service programs and policy advocacy in K-12.
• Teach Plus: National education nonprofit focused on elevating teacher leadership and policy voice; comparable in K-12 equity mission and educator-advocacy positioning, and an existing Stand partner in the Phone-Free Schools Movement.
• The Education Trust: Education advocacy nonprofit working to close opportunity gaps for low-income and students of color through research, policy, and engagement; highly comparable in mission, donor-supported advocacy model, and emphasis on equity outcomes across K-12.
• 50CAN: Education advocacy nonprofit that drives state-level policy campaigns for education choice and equity; comparable in its state-affiliate model, electoral advocacy approach, and focus on policy reform rather than direct school operation — and is already a Stand partner on the Phone-Free Schools Movement.
• Alliance for Safety and Justice: Criminal justice reform advocacy organization that convenes Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice; comparable in advocacy-driven model, and connected at the board level (ASJ's VP sits on Stand's board), aligning with Stand's youth justice and school-to-prison-pipeline work.
• Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE): Education equity nonprofit supporting TFA alumni and other leaders into policy advocacy roles; mission-aligned with Stand, and connected at the board level (LEE's president sits on Stand's board), suggesting a close programmatic and ideological peer relationship.
• Teach For America: National education nonprofit focused on educational equity and access for underserved students; comparable in mission scope, donor-supported model, and emphasis on systemic K-12 outcomes that overlap with Stand's CELLS, CHSS, and Teach Kindness programs.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Foundation: National charter school network serving underserved students with a strong college-prep orientation; comparable in serving similar K-12 student populations and emphasizing graduation and college outcomes, though operating schools directly rather than through advocacy.
• NewSchools Venture Fund: Education nonprofit that funds and supports innovative schools and education entrepreneurs; comparable in donor-supported mission to improve education outcomes for underserved students, but focuses on incubation/venture funding rather than direct advocacy.

Emerging players

• Bellwether Education Partners: Education-focused nonprofit consulting and advisory firm that supports education leaders, policymakers, and funders; comparable in working at the intersection of K-12 practice, policy, and philanthropy, though operating in a research/advisory capacity rather than direct organizing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/stand4children
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@standoregon
• Facebookfacebook.com/standforchildren
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stand-for-children

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Stand for Children