Children's Defense Fund-Minnesota

What Children's Defense Fund-Minnesota does

Children's Defense Fund-Minnesota (CDF-MN) is the Minnesota state office of the Children's Defense Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1973 by Marian Wright Edelman to advance child-centered public policy at the intersection of child well-being and racial justice. CDF-MN, established in 1985, delivers a portfolio of programs targeting K-12 scholars, families, and community advocates in Minnesota. Core offerings include the CDF Freedom Schools® research-based summer and after-school literacy and enrichment program (delivered at 13+ Minnesota sites in partnership with school districts such as Robbinsdale, Hopkins, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and the Science Museum of Minnesota), the Bridge to Benefits online eligibility screening tool connecting Minnesota families to public programs and tax credits, the Minnesota KIDS COUNT data project, and the Voices and Choices for Children early-childhood initiative focused on Black, Brown, and American Indian communities.

The organization has no proprietary technology stack and is explicitly characterized in source material as a nonprofit advocacy organization rather than a technology company. Its intellectual capital resides in a research-based multicultural curriculum developed since 1995, a trained Servant Leader Intern pipeline (over 20,000 trained to date), and a network of 131+ sponsor organizations operating 186+ Freedom Schools sites nationwide across 26 states. CDF-MN also serves as part of a national ecosystem that includes the CDF Action Council (adjacent advocacy subsidiary), state offices in California, New York, Ohio, Texas, and a Southern Regional Office, plus the Alex Haley Farm training facility in Clinton, Tennessee.

Revenue mechanics are those of a typical multi-issue child advocacy nonprofit: CDF-MN does not sell products or services. The organization accepts charitable donations through the national CDF donation system (one-time gifts, recurring donations, stock and vehicle donations, employer matching, donor-advised funds, combined federal campaign contributions, planned giving, and eBay for Charity). Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed in available source material, and operating accountability flows through Form 990 filings and board governance under Board Chair Rev. Dr. Don Darius Butler and President and CEO Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson.

Name

Children's Defense Fund-Minnesota

Legal name

Children's Defense Fund

Website

https://childrensdefense.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Children's Defense Fund-Minnesota is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit state office delivering CDF Freedom Schools literacy enrichment, Bridge to Benefits eligibility screening, Minnesota KIDS COUNT data, and Voices and Choices for Children early-childhood programs to K-12 scholars, families, and community advocates across Minnesota.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Advocacy and Youth Education Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Educational Support Services (611710), Child Care Services (62441)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Child Rights & Protection (BPADAGAG), Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA), Protection, Child Protection & Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Response (BPAGAAAG)

Keywords

• Children's advocacy services
• Youth education programs
• Literacy enrichment programs
• Family support services
• Policy advocacy nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Children's Defense Fund-Minnesota is a nonprofit child advocacy organization that delivers the CDF Freedom Schools® K-12 summer and after-school literacy and leadership enrichment program, the Bridge to Benefits public-program eligibility screening tool, the Minnesota KIDS COUNT data research project, and the Voices and Choices for Children early childhood equity initiative. The organization also conducts policy advocacy and community organizing aimed at advancing child-centered public policy and racial equity in Minnesota and nationally.

Product overview

Children’s Defense Fund-Minnesota is the Minnesota state office of a national multi-issue children’s advocacy organization. The organization offers a portfolio of programs including the CDF Freedom Schools® (a research-based K-12 summer and after-school enrichment program), Black Student Leadership Network, CDF Alumni Network, and operates Alex Haley Farm as a training facility. State-specific programs include Bridge to Benefits (B2B) eligibility screening tool, Minnesota KIDS COUNT data project, and Voices and Choices for Children early childhood initiative. These programs focus on literacy, civic engagement, youth leadership development, and family economic stability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CDF Freedom Schools: Summer and after-school enrichment program for K-12 scholars providing academic and character-building enrichment, family involvement, civic engagement, and leadership development
• Alex Haley Farm
• Black Student Leadership Network
• CDF Alumni Network
• State of America's Children Report
• CDF Executive Listening Sessions
• Bridge to Benefits
• Minnesota KIDS COUNT
• Voices and Choices for Children
• YouthNPower
• Black Community Crusade for Children

Products and services

• CDF Freedom Schools® A research-based, multicultural summer and after-school enrichment program for K-12 scholars providing high-quality academic and character-building enrichment, parent and family involvement, civic engagement and social action, intergenerational servant leadership development, and nutrition, health, and mental health support.
• Bridge to Benefits (B2B)
• Minnesota KIDS COUNT A data resource project tracking the status of children and families in Minnesota, with annual publications of the Minnesota KIDS COUNT Data Book.
• Voices and Choices for Children An initiative launched in 2014 to involve marginalized Black, Brown, and American Indian communities in early childhood education planning, working with state officials and funders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 240,000 K-12 Scholars have experienced CDF Freedom Schools since 1995
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Urban League: Multi-issue civil rights and social justice organization with affiliate offices in many U.S. cities; closely comparable in its racial equity, advocacy, and youth/family support mission.
• NAACP: National racial justice advocacy organization with state/local branches; comparable to CDF's civil rights-rooted, racial-equity-focused child and family advocacy mission.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development nonprofit serving K-12 youth through local club sites, very comparable to CDF Freedom Schools in mission and distributed delivery model across thousands of community-based locations.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National youth mentoring nonprofit operating through a federated affiliate network, comparable to CDF's sponsor-organization model for delivering youth programs locally.

Emerging players

• National Children's Alliance: National organization supporting Children's Advocacy Centers serving child abuse victims; overlaps with CDF's child protection and welfare advocacy mission.
• Reading Is Fundamental: Literacy-focused nonprofit serving K-12 children with books and reading programs; narrower in scope but directly comparable on literacy outcomes for underserved youth.
• First Book: Nonprofit providing high-quality books and educational resources to children in underserved communities; directly comparable to the literacy and culturally relevant pedagogy core of CDF Freedom Schools.

Broad incumbents

• Save the Children Federation: Established national child welfare nonprofit with literacy, education, and child rights programs; broader in scope (including international) but overlapping in U.S. child well-being and literacy focus.
• Annie E. Casey Foundation: Major private foundation focused on U.S. child welfare, including the KIDS COUNT data network that overlaps directly with CDF's Minnesota KIDS COUNT program.
• United Way Worldwide: Federated fundraising nonprofit supporting education, income, and health programs; structurally similar to CDF in its donor-funded, locally distributed program model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cdfmn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/childrensdefense
• Facebookfacebook.com/childrensdefensefund
• Instagraminstagram.com/childdefender1973

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Children's Defense Fund-Minnesota