Children's Dyslexia Centers

What Children's Dyslexia Centers does

Children's Dyslexia Centers (CDC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1994 to provide evidence-based tutoring to children with dyslexia. Headquartered in Lexington, Massachusetts, CDC operates 40+ tutoring centers across 13 states (Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin), delivering one-on-one structured literacy instruction twice weekly after school hours, with sessions of approximately 55 minutes. The methodology is rooted in Multisensory Structured Language Education (MSLE) based on Orton-Gillingham principles, developed in partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital's Language Disorders Unit. Since inception, CDC has helped 16,000+ children, certified 4,200+ educators, and delivered over $200 million in services at no or minimal cost to families regardless of economic status. The reported 90%+ student success rate and 100% parent recommendation rate in 2024-2025 surveys underscore the clinical track record.

CDC's business model is donation-funded rather than tuition-driven. Tutoring is provided at no or reduced cost; revenue is generated through individual donations, the Sponsor a Child program ($5,000/yr), the Builders Council major donor program ($10,000+ commitment), planned giving vehicles (wills, trusts, annuities, insurance and retirement beneficiary designations), and Scottish Rite Charities philanthropic support. A secondary revenue stream comes from IMSLEC-accredited graduate-level educator training courses (minimum 9 months, 100+ hours supervised practicum), some offered tuition-free. The Tutor Directory lists 614 certified practitioners across 21 states. Founded as a partnership between Scottish Rite Freemasonry of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction and Massachusetts General Hospital, CDC maintains clinical oversight through a Clinical Director and Associate Clinical Director, with each center led by a local director and volunteer board following standardized operational and clinical policies.

Name

Children's Dyslexia Centers

Legal name

Children's Dyslexia Centers, Inc.

Website

https://childrensdyslexiacenters.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Children's Dyslexia Centers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free one-on-one structured literacy tutoring to children with dyslexia across 40+ centers in 13 states, using an Orton-Gillingham/MSLE approach, and also trains educators through IMSLEC-accredited certification programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dyslexia Intervention Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Dyslexia & Reading Intervention Programs (EDAMAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dyslexia & Structured Literacy (Orton-Gillingham) Tutoring (EDANAFAB), Multisensory Learning Programs & Curriculum for Dyslexia/LD (EDAKAJAL), Literacy & Reading Intervention (Phonics, Fluency, Comprehension) (EDAKADAA)

Keywords

• Dyslexia tutoring
• Multisensory literacy instruction
• Structured language education
• Reading intervention services
• Educator training certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: Individual donors contribute to support operations. The Sponsor a Child program costs $5,000 per child annually. The Builders Council requires a $10,000 minimum commitment. General donations and planned giving options available.
2. Planned Giving Programs: Bequests through wills and trusts, gift annuities, insurance policy beneficiary designations, and retirement account beneficiary designations allow donors to create lasting legacies.
3. Scottish Rite Masonic Support: Scottish Rite Freemasonry of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction provides philanthropic funding through Scottish Rite Charities (formerly Scottish Rite Benevolent Foundation) to support center operations.
4. Tutor Training Fees: Training courses for educators to become certified in MSLE/Orton-Gillingham approach. Courses include minimum 100 hours of supervised practicum. Some centers offer training tuition-free.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Children's Dyslexia Centers delivers one-on-one multisensory dyslexia tutoring for students in grades 1 through 12 using the MSLE/Orton-Gillingham approach at no cost to families. The Centers also provide accredited training and certification for educators in MSLE/Orton-Gillingham instruction. Operations are supported through donations, grants, and sponsorships channeled through 40+ centers across 13 states.

Product overview

Children's Dyslexia Centers is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of dyslexia intervention and educator training services. The core offerings include one-on-one structured literacy tutoring for children with dyslexia using the Orton-Gillingham/MSLE approach (Dyslexia Intervention Services), and graduate-level educator certification courses accredited by IMSLEC (Educator Training & Certification). The organization operates 40+ tutoring locations across 13 states. Supplementary services include a Tutor Directory connecting families with certified practitioners, Outreach & Research services, and multiple charitable giving programs including Sponsor A Child ($5,000/year), Builders Council ($10,000+ commitment), and Planned Giving options. Parent Resources provide educational materials and external organization links.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dyslexia Tutoring Program One-on-one multisensory structured language education tutoring for students in grades 1-12 with dyslexia, delivered at no cost to families at 40+ centers across 13 states using the MSLE/Orton-Gillingham approach.
• Educator Training and Certification

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90% of students succeed and gain 1-2 reading levels each year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Scottish Rite Freemasonry of the Northern Masonic JurisdictioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1994Founded and continues to support the Children's Dyslexia Centers through philanthropic funding via Scottish Rite Charities. 32° Scottish Rite Freemasonry is an appendant body of Freemasonry providing leadership, funding, and volunteer support for the network of centers across 13 states.
• Massachusetts General Hospital Language Disorders UnitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1994Partnered with Scottish Rite Freemasonry in 1994 to launch the first national dyslexia intervention program. Provided clinical expertise and research foundation for the MSLE/Orton-Gillingham based approach.
• International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council (IMSLEC)coreTechnology or IntegrationAccredits the Children's Dyslexia Centers' graduate-level training courses at Teaching, Instructor of Teaching, Therapy, and Instructor of Therapy levels. Establishes standards and criteria for multisensory structured language education.
• Local Masonic Lodges and ValleysmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndividual Masonic lodges across the 13-state service area provide facilities, volunteer support, and local governance for centers. Includes Scottish Rite Valleys, Commanderies, and local blue lodges that support centers through fundraising and community outreach.
• Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children - Luke Waites Center for DyslexiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated organization providing additional dyslexia research and resources. Listed as a parent resource for families seeking information.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SeacoastLearningCenter

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Children's Dyslexia Centers