National Right to Work Legal Defense and Education Foundation

What National Right to Work Legal Defense and Education Foundation does

The National Right to Work Legal Defense and Education Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c) nonprofit charitable organization established in 1968 and headquartered at 8001 Braddock Road, Springfield, Virginia. Its mission is to eliminate coercive union power and compulsory unionism abuses through strategic litigation, public information, and education programs. The Foundation provides free legal aid to employees whose civil or human rights have been violated by forced unionism, including representation in NLRB charges and federal court cases, assistance with decertification elections, religious-objection accommodations, and challenges to unlawful dues deductions and political use of forced dues. The Foundation played a role in the landmark Janus v. AFSCME Supreme Court decision, which established that public-sector workers cannot be compelled to pay union dues, and operates the MyJanusRights.org educational site to inform workers of those rights.

The Foundation's core offerings are service-based rather than technology-based: a Free Legal Aid Program (no charge to workers), the MyJanusRights.org educational website, a bi-monthly Foundation Action newsletter, Right to Work States information resources covering 27 states with such laws, and Know Your Rights educational materials. Distribution is direct-to-individual via the website, mail, phone, and social media (Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube), with a full Spanish-language site (nrtw.org/es) extending reach to Hispanic workers. The organization does not sell products, license technology, or charge for services; it has no disclosed app, API, SDK, or AI/ML components, and the input data explicitly states that technology is 'not applicable' to its operations.

The Foundation is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from individuals, corporations, associations, and foundations, accepting cash, annuities, legacies, stocks, bonds, real estate, and life insurance policies. It receives no government or tax money. The legal entity is incorporated in Virginia under the name National Right to Work Legal Defense and Education Foundation, Inc., and is organizationally separate from the National Right to Work Committee (founded 1955), which handles political lobbying, and the National Institute for Labor Relations Research, which conducts labor-relations research. Governance is provided by a Board of Trustees led by Dr. Frederick C. Fowler III as Board President, with Reed E. Larson as Executive Committee Chairman, Mark A. Mix as President, and Raymond J. LaJeunesse Jr. as Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer. The Foundation employs 11–50 staff and operates as a community-led, donor-supported model with no parent company, subsidiaries, or M&A activity.

Name

National Right to Work Legal Defense and Education Foundation

Legal name

National Right to Work Legal Defense and Education Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://nrtw.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The National Right to Work Legal Defense and Education Foundation, established in 1968, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Springfield, Virginia that provides free legal aid to U.S. workers whose rights have been violated by compulsory unionism, funded entirely by voluntary contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Legal Aid Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Labor Unions and Similar Labor Organizations (813930), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Labor, Worker Rights & Employment Policy Advocacy (BPAGAFAH), Employment & Labor Law (BPAHAAAD), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Nonprofit legal aid
• Labor law services
• Union rights advocacy
• Workplace rights education
• Free legal services

Headquarters

HQ city

Springfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Voluntary Charitable Contributions: The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is a nonprofit charitable organization that receives no government or tax money. It is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from individuals, corporations, companies, associations, and foundations. The organization accepts donations including cash, annuities, legacies, stocks, bonds, real estate, life insurance policies and dividends.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The National Right to Work Legal Defense and Education Foundation provides free legal aid to employees whose civil or human rights have been violated by compulsory unionism abuses, including representation in NLRB charges and federal court cases. It conducts strategic litigation to challenge forced union membership, unlawful dues deductions, decertification efforts, religious objections, and the use of forced dues for political purposes. The Foundation also delivers public information and education programs about worker rights, including the rights established by the U.S. Supreme Court in Janus v. AFSCME.

Product overview

The National Right to Work Legal Defense and Education Foundation operates as a nonprofit legal aid organization established in 1968 that provides free legal assistance to workers whose rights have been violated due to compulsory unionism. The Foundation's core offerings include a Free Legal Aid Program that provides strategic litigation and NLRB representation, the MyJanusRights.org educational platform for teaching workers about their Janus rights following the landmark Supreme Court ruling, the Foundation Action Newsletter for updates on labor law developments, Right to Work States Information resources detailing state-by-state statutory protections, and Know Your Rights educational materials covering union membership, dues, strikes, and decertification processes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Legal Aid Program Provides free legal assistance to employees whose civil or human rights have been violated due to compulsory unionism abuses, including representation in NLRB charges and court cases.
• MyJanusRights.org Educational Website Educational website that teaches workers about their Janus rights, explaining rights under the Janus v. AFSCME Supreme Court ruling and how to exercise them.
• Foundation Action Newsletter
• Right to Work States Information Resource Comprehensive resource detailing Right to Work laws across 27 states, including statutory text and legal interpretations for each state.
• Know Your Rights Resources Educational materials explaining worker rights regarding union membership, dues, strikes, religious objections, and decertification processes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Southwest Airlines flight attendant Charlene Carter received $946,102.87 in damages following a decade-long legal battle
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• National Right to Work CommitteeminorOthersRelated organization that advocates for right to work principles through political advocacy and education. Founded in 1955, the Committee lobbies Congress and state legislatures to eliminate compulsory unionism. The two organizations are separate and distinct but share common goals.
• National Institute for Labor Relations Research (NILRR)minorOthersRelated organization conducting research on labor relations issues. Listed as a related link on the Foundation's website, serving as a resource for research and data on labor relations topics.
• MyJanusRights.orgminorOthersEducational website helping workers understand and exercise their Janus rights under the Supreme Court's Janus v. AFSCME decision. The Foundation directs workers to this resource for learning about rights to refrain from union membership and dues payment.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National Right to Work Committee: Closely related sister organization founded in 1955 that advocates for the same Right to Work principles through political lobbying and legislative advocacy. Operates as a 501(c)(4) lobbying counterpart to the Foundation's legal defense work, sharing goals but a different legal toolkit.
• Pacific Legal Foundation: Nonprofit public interest law firm that litigates individual liberty and limited-government cases in federal and state courts, including workplace freedom and compelled association disputes. Operates a similar model of free legal representation plus strategic precedent-setting litigation.
• National Institute for Labor Relations Research (NILRR): Research arm of the Right to Work movement, listed as a related link on the Foundation's website. Produces studies and data on labor relations that support the Foundation's litigation and education programs, making it a closely aligned ecosystem peer.

Broad incumbents

• ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union): National civil liberties advocacy organization that litigates constitutional and statutory rights cases, including First Amendment and compelled-speech claims that overlap with the Foundation's Janus-style arguments. Much larger in scale and broader in scope, but shares the civil-liberties litigation mission.
• National Right to Life Foundation: Nonprofit legal defense and education foundation that operates a similar model of strategic litigation, donor-funded legal aid, and educational outreach in a different policy area. Useful structural peer because both are issue-driven legal defense foundations with donor-funded free representation.
• The Fund for Individual Rights and Education (FIRE): Nonprofit civil liberties organization that litigates First Amendment and compelled-speech cases, including disputes involving compelled association or speech in workplace and union contexts. A broader civil liberties organization but one with comparable compelled-speech litigation expertise.

Emerging players

• National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA): National membership organization of employee-side employment lawyers, including those handling union-related disputes. Membership-based and educational rather than a direct legal aid provider, but its members overlap the Foundation's referral network.
• Legal Aid at Work: Nonprofit legal aid organization providing free services to low-wage workers, including representation in employment matters. Differs from the Foundation in serving a broader employment-law client base rather than a focused compulsory-unionism niche.
• Workplace Fairness: Nonprofit that educates workers about employment rights and connects them with attorneys. Shares the Foundation's educational outreach mission but operates primarily as an information and referral hub rather than a direct litigator.

Regional players

• National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB): Small-business advocacy organization that frequently files amicus briefs in labor and regulatory cases aligned with worker freedom. Engages in legal and policy advocacy that often aligns with the Foundation's pro-employee-choice positions, although its primary constituents are employers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RightToWork
• YouTubeyoutube.com/righttowork
• Facebookfacebook.com/NationalRighttoWorkFoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 National Right to Work Legal Defense and Education Foundation