American Youth Policy Forum

What American Youth Policy Forum does

American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) was a nonprofit, nonpartisan professional development organization founded in 1993 by Samuel Halperin. Its core function was to educate, inform, and engage federal, state, and local policymakers on youth and education policy issues, operating as a bridge between research, practice, and policy. AYPF did not lobby or take positions on legislation; instead it convened learning opportunities and produced evidence-based content to support equitable, youth-centered policymaking.

AYPF's product surface consisted of publications and reports (136+ produced), Capitol Hill forums, discussion groups, study tours (140+ conducted, reaching 3,000+ policymakers and researchers), topical information hubs (COVID-19, school discipline disparities, deeper learning, alternative education, competency-based learning, foster/juvenile justice youth), a staff blog (Forum for Thought), a podcast series on Credible Messengers, and a Youth Council microsite featuring Youth Policy Consultants with lived expertise in child welfare and youth legal systems. Technically, AYPF operated as a content and convening platform with no proprietary software or API surface, distributing resources through its website, social media, e-bulletins, and direct event engagement. All resources were provided at no cost to participants.

AYPF's business model was based on philanthropic foundation contributions and individual donations, including Donor-Advised Funds. With 1-10 employees, a remote workforce, and operations previously anchored at 1101 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC, the organization ceased operating as a standalone entity in August 2023 when its board approved a strategic merger with the Children's Defense Fund (CDF). Key program staff, content assets, and programming were absorbed into CDF, which now leverages AYPF's library alongside its policy advocacy, youth organizing, leadership development, and CDF Freedom Schools program (16,000+ Scholars).

Name

American Youth Policy Forum

Legal name

American Youth Policy Forum

Website

https://aypf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) was a nonprofit, nonpartisan professional development organization that educated federal, state, and local policymakers on youth and education policy through publications, study tours, and forums. It merged into the Children's Defense Fund in August 2023.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Policy Education and Professional Development

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Title I & Compensatory Education Programs (EDAJAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Youth policy education
• Policy professional development
• Education policy research
• Youth development policy
• Nonprofit policy forums

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Foundation Contributions: AYPF events and publications are made possible by contributions from philanthropic foundations. The organization is a nonprofit that relies on funder support to operate its professional development programs.
2. Donor Contributions and Donations: Individual donors can contribute to support AYPF's mission. The organization accepts Donor-Advised Funds (DAF) contributions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AYPF provides nonpartisan professional development and policy education for federal, state, and local policymakers, practitioners, and researchers working on youth and education issues. Its core services include Capitol Hill forums, discussion groups, study tours, webinars, and a library of 136+ publications and reports, supplemented by topic-focused information hubs, the Forum for Thought Blog, the Credible Messengers podcast, and a Youth Council program featuring Youth Policy Consultants with lived expertise in child welfare and youth legal systems. All resources are offered at no cost to participants, funded through philanthropic foundation contributions and individual donations.

Product overview

American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan professional development organization that provides learning opportunities for policy leaders, practitioners, and researchers working on youth and education issues. AYPF operates as a content and resource platform rather than a software product, offering topic-focused information hubs, a blog platform (Forum for Thought), podcast series, youth engagement programs, professional development events, and a library of publications. The organization has merged into the Children's Defense Fund as of August 2023 and no longer operates as a standalone organization. Key products include COVID-19 Response Information Hub, School Discipline Disparities Info Hub, Youth Council Microsite, AYPF Podcast on Credible Messengers, Youth Policy Consultants Program, various topic area resource hubs, and over 136 publications and reports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Youth Council: A youth-focused microsite and council that centers youth voices in policy discussions, specifically targeting young people with experiences in the foster care and juvenile justice systems.
• Forum for Thought Blog
• AYPF Podcast on Credible Messengers

Products and services

• Capitol Hill Forums and Professional Development Events Capitol Hill forums, discussion groups, study tours, webinars, and special events connecting federal, state, and local policymakers and researchers with practitioners implementing best practices in youth and education policy.
• Study Tours

Quantifiable outcome

• Connected over 3,000 policymakers and researchers through study tours to best practice implementations
• +1 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Children's Defense FundflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 August 2023AYPF merged into the Children's Defense Fund in August 2023. AYPF's 30-year legacy of educating policymakers will be integrated into CDF's policy advocacy, youth organizing, and leadership development programs, including the CDF Freedom Schools program reaching over 16,000 Scholars nationwide. The merger consolidates efforts to amplify young voices and leverage greater impact.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• First Focus on Children: A bipartisan children's policy advocacy organization that works with federal policymakers on legislation affecting children and youth. Directly comparable to AYPF in target audience (federal policymakers) and youth-policy subject matter.
• Forum for Youth Investment: A youth-development focused nonprofit that convenes policymakers, researchers, and practitioners on youth issues through similar convening and policy-education models. Directly comparable in mission, business model, and target audience to AYPF.
• National Center for Youth Law: A national nonprofit legal organization focused on improving outcomes for children and youth in foster care, juvenile justice, and child welfare systems. Comparable to AYPF in youth-policy focus and federal/state-level engagement, though specialized in legal advocacy rather than policy education.
• National League of Cities - Institute for Youth, Education, and Families: A municipal government-focused institute that educates and convenes city leaders on youth, education, and family policy issues. Comparable to AYPF in audience (local policymakers), educational services model, and youth-policy subject matter.
• Coalition for Community Schools: A national coalition that educates and convenes policymakers, practitioners, and community leaders on community schools and integrated student supports. Directly comparable to AYPF in convening role, youth-policy education focus, and audience of federal/state policymakers.

Broad incumbents

• Children's Defense Fund: AYPF's parent organization since August 2023 and the closest large-scale peer: a national child-advocacy nonprofit that runs policy advocacy, youth organizing, and the CDF Freedom Schools program serving 16,000+ scholars. Comparable as a youth-policy/education nonprofit serving federal and state policymakers.
• Center for American Progress - K-12 Education Team: A progressive think tank producing research, reports, and policy recommendations on K-12 education with deep federal policymaker engagement. Overlaps with AYPF's K-12 education policy focus, though primarily partisan compared to AYPF's nonpartisan stance.
• Brookings Institution - Brown Center on Education Policy: A K-12 and higher-education policy research center within a major think tank that produces influential publications and convenes policymakers on education issues — directly comparable to AYPF's policy education and publication focus, though with much larger research staff.
• American Institutes for Research: A major behavioral and social-science research organization with substantial education and youth-policy research, evaluation, and technical assistance work serving federal and state policymakers. Comparable to AYPF in education policy and audience, though operating at much larger scale.
• Aspen Institute - Education & Society Program: A national policy program that convenes leaders and produces reports on K-12 education and equity issues. Comparable to AYPF in convening policymakers around education topics, though with broader policy scope and larger staff.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AYPF_Tweets
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AmYouthPolicyForum/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-youth-policy-forum
• Instagraminstagram.com/amyouthpolicyforum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American Youth Policy Forum