Media Voices for Children

What Media Voices for Children does

Media Voices for Children is a tax-exempt 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded around 2007 and headquartered in Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts, on Martha's Vineyard. Its mission is to promote children's rights through education and media, guided by a human rights-based approach rooted in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The organization directly serves children affected by child labor in Kenya through a 30-year program with ANPPCAN, supports Ngäbe-Buglé migrant children in Costa Rica via the Houses of Joy program in partnership with UNICEF and the Costa Rican government, and reaches educators and students through the Childhood Unbound curriculum and a content library of documentary films including Stolen Childhoods, The Same Heart, Children of Bal Ashram, and Butterfly Butterfly.

The core product portfolio comprises six offerings: documentary films (sold and rented on Vimeo), the MVC Magazine (a youth-contributed publication), the Childhood Unbound interactive high school curriculum, the Kenyan Schoolhouse Program, a merchandise online store (Wishing Flags, art prints, ocean towels, direct trade Costa Rican coffee), and an advocacy blog. The underlying technology is a Squarespace-hosted website with an integrated online store, Vimeo on Demand for documentary rentals, and Givebutter for donations; no proprietary software platform, AI capabilities, or app infrastructure is indicated. The organization operates with 11-50 employees.

The revenue model is donation-driven at its core, with 100% tax-deductible charitable contributions as the primary stream, supplemented by merchandise e-commerce (with 70% of Wishing Flag proceeds supporting the Kenyan Schoolhouse Program), direct trade coffee sales through a Martha's Vineyard Coffee Company channel partnership (10% donated back), and one-time documentary purchases ($150) or Vimeo rentals ($3.99). Customers and beneficiaries are split between program beneficiaries (children in Kenya and Costa Rica), educators and students using the curriculum, and a broad base of individual donors and supporters reached through website, social media, documentary screenings, and film festivals. Two individual donors, Leigh and Procter Smith, are publicly acknowledged as major supporters.

Name

Media Voices for Children

Legal name

Media Voices for Children

Website

https://mediavoicesforchildren.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Media Voices for Children is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that promotes children's rights through education and media, operating the Kenyan Schoolhouse Program, Costa Rica Houses of Joy, a documentary film library, and the Childhood Unbound curriculum for global educators and students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Rights Advocacy and Educational Nonprofit

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s & Youth Educational Entertainment (Edutainment) (EDAGALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s Digital & Interactive Publishing (E-books, Apps, Enhanced Content) (MPAJAFAJ), Live-Action Kids & Family Production (MPADABAF)

Keywords

• Children's rights advocacy
• Educational nonprofit
• Documentary filmmaking
• Human rights curriculum
• Child labor prevention

Headquarters

HQ city

Vineyard Haven

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization relying on charitable donations from individuals and supporters. Donations are 100% deductible.
2. Product Sales: Online store selling merchandise including wishing flags, art prints, direct trade coffee, and ocean towels. 70% of wishing flag proceeds support the Kenyan Schoolhouse Program.
3. Coffee Sales: Direct trade specialty coffee from Costa Rica (El Chiral and Finca Temática) sold through the store. Martha's Vineyard Coffee Company roasts on the island.
4. Documentary Sales and Screenings: Documentary films sold or screened publicly. Butterfly Butterfly available for $150. Documentary rentals available on Vimeo for $3.99.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Media Voices for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes children's rights through education and media. Its core offerings include documentary films on child labor, an interactive high school curriculum on children's human rights, a youth-authored magazine, and the Kenyan Schoolhouse Program that educates children removed from hazardous labor. The organization funds operations through charitable donations and online merchandise sales.

Product overview

Media Voices for Children is a nonprofit organization operating a portfolio of documentary films, educational curricula, advocacy content, and merchandise to promote children's rights through media. The core offerings include documentary films (Stolen Childhoods, Children of Bal Ashram, The Same Heart, Butterfly Butterfly), an interactive high school curriculum called Childhood Unbound, the MVC Magazine for youth, the Kenyan Schoolhouse Program providing educational scholarships in Kenya, and an online store selling Wishing Flags art and Direct Trade Coffee. These products work together to amplify children's voices, advocate against child labor, and fund educational programs through merchandise sales and donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kenyan Schoolhouse: A 30-year-old program that provides direct aid to children and families in Kenya, removing children from hazardous child labor and protecting them from exploitation.
• Childhood Unbound
• Kenyan Schools Program

Products and services

• Documentary Films Feature documentaries on children's human rights and child labor, including Stolen Childhoods (first feature documentary on global child labor), Children of Bal Ashram, The Same Heart, Butterfly Butterfly, Rescuing Emmanuel, and Vipi Watoto. Available for purchase or rental to educators, advocates, and the general public.
• MVC Magazine A magazine by and about youth, with articles and artwork contributed by young people around the world, hosted on the learnchildrights.org platform.
• Childhood Unbound Curriculum An interactive high school curriculum covering children's human rights over seven units, featuring video and photographic resources, music, and classroom activities for educators and students.
• Kenyan Schoolhouse Program A 30-year-old program providing direct aid to children and families in Kenya through the ANPPCAN partnership, including scholarships, removal from hazardous child labor, and protection from exploitation, abuse, and trafficking.
• Online Store (Merchandise and Coffee) Online store selling merchandise including Wishing Flags (art prints), Direct Trade Coffee from Costa Rica (El Chiral, Finca Temática, roasted by Martha's Vineyard Coffee Company), and Ocean Towels. 70% of Wishing Flag proceeds support the Kenyan Schoolhouse Program.

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of children educated through Kenyan Schools Program who were once subjected to child labor
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ANPPCAN (African Network for the Prevention and Protection Against Child Abuse and Neglect)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner30-year partnership with ANPPCAN's Regional Office in Nairobi to manage the Kenyan Schoolhouse Program. ANPPCAN field officers help transform lives through education and help children stay out of labor. Sophie Omutanyi serves as Chief Child Protection Officer at ANPPCAN. The program removes children from hazardous and worst forms of child labor and protects them from exploitation, abuse, and trafficking.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNICEF collaborated with the government of Costa Rica, local government, coffee farmers, and civil society to improve conditions for Ngäbe-Buglé children through the Houses of Joy program, which provides childcare services and social protection.
• UNHCRminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNHCR has supported efforts to provide identification documents for Ngäbe-Buglé indigenous peoples who were at risk of statelessness, facilitating access to education, healthcare, and adult employment.
• Martha's Vineyard Coffee CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMartha's Vineyard Coffee Company sells direct trade specialty coffee from Costa Rica through their store. Using code MVC10, 10% of purchases turn into donations to Media Voices for Children. The coffee supports the 'Casas de la Alegría' (Houses of Joy) project to prevent child labor in the coffee supply chain.
• Government of Costa RicacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Costa Rican government subsidizes payment of caretakers and food at Houses of Joy childcare centers, holding a minimum of 15 children per center. The state also provides identification documents for Ngäbe-Buglé families.
• Coffee Farmers (Costa Rica)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoffee farmers agreed to provide spaces within their farms and take care of utilities and other expenses such as transportation to care centers for the Houses of Joy program, which prevents child labor during the coffee harvest season.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Compassion International: Compassion International is a broad-incumbent child sponsorship organization operating in Kenya and dozens of other countries. Comparable to MVC's sponsorship-and-education model in Kenya, but at significantly larger scale and broader reach.
• Participant Media: Participant Media is a documentary film production company focused on social impact content. Comparable to MVC's documentary production arm (Stolen Childhoods, Children of Bal Ashram) as a producer of issue-driven films, though Participant operates at much larger commercial scale.
• Save the Children: Save the Children is a broad incumbent in children's rights and education, operating globally at much larger scale. It is comparable to MVC because it addresses child labor, education, and rights, but serves a much wider portfolio of programs and geographies.

Direct peers

• Defence for Children International: Defence for Children International is a global child rights advocacy and direct-service organization. It is comparable to MVC because both promote children's rights through advocacy, programs, and documentation, with a focus on protection from exploitation and labor.
• War Child: War Child is a peer nonprofit that supports children affected by conflict through education, advocacy, and media. Comparable to MVC because both serve vulnerable children, produce documentary content, and operate rights-based education programs.
• Free The Children (WE Charity): WE Charity is a youth-focused nonprofit combining education, advocacy, and child welfare programming. It is comparable to Media Voices for Children in its mission of empowering youth, operating ME to WE-style merchandise/commerce streams, and running educational programs.
• Free the Slaves: Free the Slaves is a direct peer addressing forced and child labor through field programs, research, and advocacy. Comparable to MVC's mission of removing children from hazardous labor and protecting them from exploitation, particularly in Kenya and supply-chain contexts.
• Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation (KSCF): KSCF is a direct peer in the children's rights and child labor abolition space. Media Voices for Children has actually partnered with KSCF on the Children of Bal Ashram documentary with Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, making this a highly direct mission overlap.
• ChildFund International: ChildFund operates a child sponsorship model for children in developing countries, directly parallel to MVC's Kenyan Schoolhouse Program. Both organizations fund education, child protection, and welfare programs through individual donor relationships.
• Human Rights Watch (Children's Rights Division): HRW's Children's Rights Division conducts advocacy, research, and produces documentary-style video content on child labor and welfare — overlapping with MVC's documentary-as-advocacy model and rights-based mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MediaVoicesForChildren
• Xx.com/mediavoices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/media-voices-for-children

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Media Voices for Children