Carolina Federation

What Carolina Federation does

Carolina Federation is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit political organization founded in 2019 and headquartered in Durham, North Carolina. It operates as a multiracial, working-class movement building permanent grassroots political power through four county-based chapters: Durham For All, Forsyth Freedom Federation, Guilford For All, and New Hanover For All. The organization organizes around seven issue areas (Democracy, Economy, Safety & Justice, Housing, Healthcare, Education, Environment) and has secured over $20 million in public funding through local campaign advocacy, including $9.5 million for New Hanover County education and guaranteed income programs in Durham.

The organization's core offerings include The People's Bench candidate training program, which provides campaign infrastructure for working-class candidates seeking public office, and the Parents United: For All Kids digital storytelling initiative. Its revenue model is entirely donation-based, with affiliated entities including Carolina Federation Fund (501(c)(3)) for tax-deductible contributions and Carolina Federation PAC for electoral advocacy. The organization employs 25 staff and is governed by a five-member Council elected by the Delegate Assembly.

Carolina Federation pursues a community-led, event-driven go-to-market strategy combining door-to-door organizing, digital outreach, community events, and member-driven candidate endorsements. Its partnership ecosystem includes labor unions (UNITE HERE, CMAE, GCAE) and advocacy organizations (AFSC). The organization has no technology platform and generates no commercial revenue; all funding flows through individual donations and contributions supporting organizing, leadership development, and electoral advocacy efforts across North Carolina.

Name

Carolina Federation

Legal name

Carolina Federation

Website

https://carolinafederation.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Carolina Federation is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit political organization that builds grassroots power across North Carolina through four county chapters, organizing working-class communities for electoral advocacy and policy wins on housing, education, and healthcare.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

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 Contributions: The Carolina Federation operates as a nonprofit political organization funded primarily through individual donations and contributions. Donations fuel organizing, leadership development, and electoral advocacy across North Carolina. The organization accepts text message opt-in communications and maintains affiliated entities including Carolina Federation Fund (501c3) and Carolina Federation PAC.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Carolina Federation is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit political organization that organizes multiracial, working-class communities across North Carolina through county-based chapters. It delivers grassroots community organizing, leadership development, and electoral advocacy services, including candidate training and campaign infrastructure through The People's Bench initiative, and member-driven issue campaigns on housing, education, healthcare, and democracy.

Product overview

Carolina Federation is a political movement and grassroots organizing organization, not a technology product company. It offers programs and initiatives focused on community organizing, electoral advocacy, and leadership development across North Carolina. The organization runs chapter-based operations (Durham For All, Forsyth Freedom Federation, Guilford For All, New Hanover For All) and initiatives such as the 'Parents United: For All Kids' digital storytelling project and the 'People's Bench' candidate training program. These are social/political programs rather than technology products or services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The People's Bench

Quantifiable outcome

• $20M+ in public funding won or protected through local and statewide campaigns
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFSC collaborated with Federation members on the 'Keep Gate City Housed' campaign working towards housing justice in Guilford County. The partnership developed and led a campaign that won $1.91 million to keep people in their homes, $440,000 for eviction defense legal resources, and $1.47 million for emergency rental assistance.
• UNITE HEREcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNITE HERE is a hospitality workers' union that partnered with the Carolina Federation. A Federation delegation including staff and members met with Rev. Rodney Sadler (endorsed candidate) alongside UNITE HERE representatives, indicating collaborative relationship in candidate endorsement and governance decisions.
• CMAE (Public School Workers Union)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMAE represents public school workers and partnered with the Carolina Federation in candidate endorsement processes. A Federation delegation including CMAE members met with endorsed candidate Rev. Rodney Sadler to discuss governance and policy priorities.
• GCAE (Guilford County Association of Educators)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGCAE is a partner organization and union for educators in Guilford County. Amanda Cook, an endorsed primary candidate, was described as a member of GCAE before serving on High Point City Council, indicating a collaborative relationship between the Federation and this educator union.
• Durham For AllcoreOthersDurham For All is a county-based chapter of the Carolina Federation, serving Durham, NC. The chapter leads campaigns on housing, education, and guaranteed income, and has members who serve on the People's Bench candidate initiative.
• Forsyth Freedom FederationcoreOthersForsyth Freedom Federation is a county-based chapter serving Forsyth County, NC (Winston-Salem area). The chapter led the 'A Trust for All of Us' campaign that pushed affordable housing into public debate and secured Federation members on the Winston-Salem Housing Advisory Committee.
• Guilford For AllcoreOthersGuilford For All is a county-based chapter serving Guilford County, NC (Greensboro area). The chapter collaborated on the 'Keep Gate City Housed' campaign and organizes parents and community members for fully funded public schools.
• New Hanover For AllcoreOthersNew Hanover For All is a county-based chapter serving New Hanover County, NC (Wilmington area). The chapter led the 'Fund Our Future' education justice campaign that secured $9.5 million to protect public education and prevented cuts to nurses, counselors, and social workers.
• Carolina Federation FundminorOthersCarolina Federation Fund is a 501(c)(3) affiliated organization of the Carolina Federation, providing a vehicle for tax-deductible donations to support the organization's work.
• Carolina Federation PACminorOthersCarolina Federation PAC is a political action committee affiliated with the Carolina Federation, used for electoral advocacy and candidate endorsements.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Texas Organizing Project: Texas-based grassroots political organization building progressive power through community organizing, electoral endorsements, and campaigns on housing, education, and criminal justice. Directly comparable operating model.
• Local Progress: National network of progressive local elected officials providing training, strategy, and resources — overlapping with Carolina Federation's People's Bench candidate-development focus and progressive candidate pipeline mission.
• Florida Rising: Statewide independent civic engagement org focused on expanding power for Black and brown communities in Florida through voter engagement, member-led organizing, and issue campaigns on housing and economic justice.
• New Georgia Project: Georgia-based civic engagement organization building power through voter registration, leadership development, and issue advocacy in communities of color. Comparable scale, mission, and chapter-style operations.
• Make the Road States: Network of state-based member-led organizations (NY, NJ, CT, PA, VA) organizing working-class Black, Latino, and immigrant communities through electoral advocacy, leadership development, and service/programs. Highly comparable multi-state model and donor mix.
• New Virginia Majority: Statewide multiracial, working-class civic engagement and electoral organization in Virginia. Closely comparable mission, member-led model, county-based chapters, and electoral endorsements of progressive candidates with comparable funding mix.

Broad incumbents

• Center for Popular Democracy: National network backbone organization supporting local affiliates doing grassroots organizing, policy advocacy, and electoral work. Comparable ideological positioning and chapter-networked structure but at national scope.
• Working Families Party: Multistate progressive party and organizing vehicle that recruits candidates, runs campaigns, and builds grassroots power through state affiliates. A broader incumbent in the same movement-niche with overlapping endorsement and electoral infrastructure.
• Dêmos: National public-policy and movement-support organization working on democracy, economic justice, and racial equity through research, litigation, and partnerships with state affiliates. Comparable movement-ecosystem positioning at a larger scale.

Regional players

• Blueprint NC: North Carolina–based progressive strategic table and ecosystem organization coordinating aligned state-level groups on shared campaigns and electoral infrastructure. Directly relevant regional peer in the same state ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CarolinaFederation
• Facebookfacebook.com/carolinafederation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carolina-federation
• Instagraminstagram.com/carolinafederation/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Carolina Federation