The Center for Medical Progress

What The Center for Medical Progress does

The Center for Medical Progress (CMP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit investigative journalism organization founded in 2013 by David Daleiden and headquartered in Irvine, California. The organization conducts undercover video investigations into alleged illegal activities in the medical and abortion industry, with a primary focus on the alleged trafficking and sale of aborted fetal tissue. CMP serves the general public, government officials, media outlets, and pro-life advocacy stakeholders by producing investigative content intended to inform citizens, support Congressional oversight, and drive policy changes around bioethical issues.

CMP's core methodology combines citizen journalism techniques including covert video recording, primary document gathering, public records requests, and FOIA litigation. Its flagship initiative, the 30-month "Human Capital" project launched in 2015, generated hundreds of hours of undercover footage and an extensive document archive that has been subpoenaed by Congress and used in multiple legal proceedings. The organization distributes content through a portfolio that includes the multi-part Human Capital documentary web series, a Document Vault of primary source procurement logs and contracts, fact sheets on fetal tissue law, whistleblower eyewitness testimony, specialized investigative reports (e.g., Advanced Bioscience Resources, Partial-Birth Abortion at Planned Parenthood, Fetal Experimentation at the University of Pittsburgh), and feature documentaries such as the May 2026 release "What Happened To Clementine?". Distribution channels span the centerformedicalprogress.org website, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, press releases, and formal Congressional testimony.

CMP's business model is donation-based rather than commercial. The organization does not sell products or services; it is funded through charitable contributions, with prominent donation calls-to-action on its website including a Square Cash payment option. Leadership consists of founder and president David Daleiden, undercover reporter Sandra Merritt, and associate reporter Elise Ketch, with total headcount of 1-10. CMP has faced substantial legal opposition from Planned Parenthood and its allies, including a $25 million legal campaign and a raid on Daleiden's home by then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris, and has secured three legal victories including the January 2025 dismissal of California prosecution charges with no jail time, fines, or admission of wrongdoing.

Name

The Center for Medical Progress

Legal name

The Center for Medical Progress

Website

https://centerformedicalprogress.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Center for Medical Progress is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit investigative journalism organization that conducts undercover video investigations into alleged illegal activities in the abortion and fetal tissue industry, distributing content to the general public, media, and policymakers via digital, documentary, and Congressional channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investigative Journalism

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

Keywords

• Investigative journalism
• Bioethics reporting
• Undercover video journalism
• Citizen journalism
• Fetal tissue investigations

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Center for Medical Progress is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit investigative journalism organization that produces undercover video investigations, multi-part documentary web series, primary-source document archives, and specialized research reports documenting alleged illegal activities in the abortion and fetal tissue industry. Its flagship work is the 30-month 'Human Capital' project, which combines covert recordings, eyewitness testimony, and FOIA-obtained records to expose alleged fetal tissue sales, partial-birth abortion violations, and misuse of taxpayer funding.

Product overview

The Center for Medical Progress is a nonprofit investigative journalism organization focused on bioethical issues impacting human dignity, particularly the alleged trafficking and harvesting of aborted babies for experimentation. The organization operates as a single unified investigative reporting platform offering multiple content formats: the core Human Capital documentary web series with undercover video footage capturing alleged fetal tissue sales; a Document Vault containing primary source documents including procurement logs, contracts, and internal communications; Fact Sheets on key medical and legal topics; Eyewitness Testimony from whistleblowers; and specialized research reports on fetal tissue companies like Advanced Bioscience Resources. The organization releases investigative findings through blog posts, press releases, congressional testimony, and documentary films including 'What Happened To Clementine?' (2026). The portfolio represents investigative journalism content rather than a traditional technology product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Human Capital: A 30-month investigative journalism project documenting how Planned Parenthood sells the body parts of aborted babies, including undercover footage, documentary web series, and primary source documents

Products and services

• Investigative Footage (Human Capital Undercover Video Series) Undercover video footage documenting alleged fetal tissue trafficking and sales practices at abortion clinics, including full footage of undercover encounters with Planned Parenthood officials and fetal tissue procurement organizations. Made available for free public viewing, with subpoenaed full footage accessible to Congress.
• Human Capital Documentary Web Series Multi-part documentary series integrating expert interviews, eyewitness accounts, and undercover interactions documenting Planned Parenthood's commercial exploitation of aborted fetal tissue. Includes 4 episodes covering black market in baby parts, supply site operations, custom abortions for superior product, and criminal enterprise allegations.
• Document Vault Primary source documents relating to Planned Parenthood's alleged participation in fetal tissue sales, including procurement logs, consent forms, fee schedules, contracts, and emails from fetal tissue companies such as StemExpress and Advanced Bioscience Resources.
• Fact Sheets Educational documents on topics related to fetal tissue sales including key terms, digoxin, partial-birth abortion, tissue procurement organizations, federal laws, government funding, and fetal stem cells.
• Eyewitness Testimony Whistleblower testimony from former StemExpress procurement technician Holly O'Donnell and documentation of alleged illegal practices observed inside Planned Parenthood abortion clinics.
• Special Report: Advanced Bioscience Resources Comprehensive report on ABR, the oldest fetal tissue wholesaler in the U.S., documenting billing practices, criminal referrals, and alleged violations of federal fetal tissue laws.
• Special Report: Partial-Birth Abortion at Planned Parenthood Report documenting Planned Parenthood's alleged use of partial-birth abortion procedures to obtain intact fetal body parts, including analysis of PPFA's Manual of Medical Standards and Guidelines.
• Fetal Experimentation at the University of Pittsburgh and Planned Parenthood Investigation Investigation into alleged experiments on aborted human infants at University of Pittsburgh, including fetal scalping onto lab rats, kidney exports, and live infant harvesting, funded by NIH grants.
• What Happened To Clementine? Documentary Documentary investigating the alleged case of an infant born alive and body parts harvested at Cherry Hill Women's Center in New Jersey, featuring victim family interviews and medical record analysis.
• Fetal Trafficking Under Oath (Investigative Series) Compilation of unsealed sworn testimony and documents from Planned Parenthood representatives and abortion industry witnesses concerning harvesting and sale of aborted fetal tissue, including admissions about partial-birth abortions and infanticide.

Quantifiable outcome

• Generated $7.8 million settlement from fetal tissue companies that admitted guilt
• +3 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

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Americans for Prosperity Foundation: Large conservative advocacy and grantmaking foundation that funds investigative and policy work. Comparable to CMP as a politically aligned nonprofit that drives policy change through evidence-based advocacy, though at a much larger scale and broader issue set.
• Center for Investigative Reporting (Reveal): Nonprofit investigative newsroom producing investigative journalism across healthcare, labor, and government. Comparable to CMP in nonprofit investigative journalism model and documentary content production, though with broader subject matter and more mainstream distribution.
• ProPublica: Major nonprofit investigative journalism outlet producing long-form investigative reporting on healthcare, government, and bioethics. Comparable to CMP in nonprofit investigative journalism model and donor funding, but operates at a much larger scale with a broader editorial focus.
• The Heritage Foundation: Conservative think tank producing investigative reports, policy briefs, and Congressional testimony on bioethics and healthcare. Comparable to CMP in its Congressional influence and donor-funded conservative policy advocacy, though operating at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Live Action: Nonprofit that uses undercover investigations to expose alleged misconduct in the abortion industry. Directly comparable to CMP in mission, undercover investigative methodology, and target audience of conservative donors and policymakers.
• Judicial Watch: Conservative-leaning nonprofit that uses FOIA litigation, public records requests, and undercover-style investigations to expose alleged governmental and institutional misconduct. Comparable to CMP in legal-investigation methodology, donor funding model, and policy-influence goals.
• Project Veritas: Nonprofit investigative journalism organization that uses undercover video and hidden cameras to expose alleged misconduct. Directly comparable to CMP in methodology (covert recording), funding model (donations), and operational structure (small team, founder-led).
• National Right to Life Committee: Federation of state right-to-life organizations that investigates and lobbies against abortion industry practices. Directly comparable to CMP in shared mission around abortion-industry accountability, congressional advocacy, and donor-funded investigative output.

Regional players

• Alliance Defending Freedom: Nonprofit legal organization that litigates and advocates for conservative causes including bioethics and abortion-related issues. Comparable to CMP in its use of legal and advocacy tools to drive policy change, with overlapping donor base and Congressional relationships.

Others

• Human Rights Watch: Large nonprofit that conducts investigative research and advocacy on human rights issues using undercover and document-based methodologies. Comparable to CMP as a nonprofit investigative outfit that produces policy-influencing reports, though operating at vastly larger scale and on a different political alignment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CtrMedProgress
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/centerformedprogress
• Facebookfacebook.com/centerformedicalprogress
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-medical-progress

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 The Center for Medical Progress