Direct Action for Rights & Equality (D.A.R.E.)

What Direct Action for Rights & Equality (D.A.R.E.) does

Direct Action for Rights & Equality (D.A.R.E.) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit grassroots community organizing organization founded in 1986 in Providence, Rhode Island, by five founders convening at Mattie Louise Smith's kitchen table. It organizes low-income families in communities of color — including system-impacted individuals and families — for social, economic, and political justice across housing, criminal justice, and economic equity. The organization operates through two main committees: the Tenant & Homeowner Association (THA) for housing justice (eviction prevention, foreclosure defense, unsafe housing remediation, rent stabilization advocacy) and the Behind the Walls Committee for criminal justice reform (incarceration support, bail reform, expungement, court debt relief). It also runs a weekly court support program at the 6th District Courthouse, a prison correspondence program reaching ~100 incarcerated people, the Community Court Debt Fund, the DARE Leadership Institute (DLI), and the adjacent Down the Road Movers social enterprise.

DARE has no proprietary technology platform — its operating model relies on in-person committee meetings (weekly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 340 Lockwood Street), door-to-door canvassing, letter-writing campaigns, and community events such as the Back to School Celebration, Black August, and Juneteenth. Its digital footprint consists of a WordPress website, social media presence across Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, and TikTok, and donation integrations via PayPal, Venmo, and Network for Good.

DARE's revenue model is a diversified nonprofit mix: annual membership dues at $30/year, individual donations including a "40 for 40" sustainer program at $40/month, event-based fundraising (Red & White Dinner Party, Community Court Debt Fundraiser, Soul Food Dinner, Welcome Spring), and foundation grants from roughly eight institutional funders including United Way of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Foundation, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of RI Blue Angel Community Health Grant, Point32 Health Foundation, Common Stream Foundation, Ben & Jerry's Foundation, Presbyterian Committee on Self-Development of People, UUA Fund for a Just Society, and NEO Philanthropy. Membership is recruited through door-knocking, community events, base-building meetings, and word-of-mouth.

Name

Direct Action for Rights & Equality (D.A.R.E.)

Legal name

Direct Action for Rights & Equality

Website

https://daretowin.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Organizing Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Child and Youth Services (62411), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

Keywords

• Grassroots community organizing
• Housing justice advocacy
• Criminal justice reform
• Tenant rights organizing
• Nonprofit advocacy campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Providence

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. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues at $30 per year per member, providing a recurring revenue stream and member governance structure.
2. Individual Donations: Individual donations accepted via PayPal, Venmo, Network for Good, and direct mail. The 40 for 40 sustainer program encourages monthly giving at $40/month. One-time and event-based donations also solicited.
3. Event-Based Fundraising: Annual and seasonal fundraising events including Red & White Dinner Party, Community Court Debt Fundraiser, Soul Food Dinner, and Welcome Spring events. Ticket sales and raffles generate revenue while building community engagement.
4. Foundation & Institutional Grants: Funding from institutional funders including United Way of Rhode Island, RI Foundation, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of RI Blue Angel Community Health Grant, Common Stream Foundation, Point32 Health Foundation, Ben & Jerry's Foundation, RI Foundation, and others. These grants support specific campaigns and operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DARE is a member-led grassroots organizing nonprofit that mobilizes low-income families in communities of color in Providence and Rhode Island for social, economic, and political justice. Its core offerings are two campaign committees — the Tenant & Homeowner Association (housing justice, eviction/foreclosure defense, rent stabilization) and the Behind the Walls Committee (criminal justice reform, prison conditions, reentry support) — supplemented by direct support services (Court Support, Community Court Debt Fund, letter-writing), leadership development through the DARE Leadership Institute, and the Down the Road Movers social enterprise for formerly incarcerated people.

Product overview

Direct Action for Rights & Equality (D.A.R.E.) is a grassroots community organizing nonprofit that offers a portfolio of interconnected advocacy campaigns, support programs, and community-building initiatives. The core programs include the Tenant & Homeowner Association (THA) for housing justice and the Behind the Walls Committee for criminal justice reform. Key advocacy campaigns are Rent Stabilization and Bail on 32. Support programs include the Community Court Debt Fund and Court Support Program. D.A.R.E. also provides leadership development through the DARE Leadership Institute (DLI), operates Down the Road Movers as a social enterprise for formerly incarcerated people, and is developing a podcast for community storytelling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tenant & Homeowner Association (THA)

Quantifiable outcome

• Just Cause Eviction Law passed in Rhode Island after more than five years of organizing
• +5 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

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

• Grassroots Global Justice Alliance (GGJ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008DARE is a founding member of Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, an alliance of over 60 US-based grassroots organizing groups working on climate justice, gender justice, ending war, and a just transition to a feminist economy.
• Right to the City Alliance (RTTC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007DARE is a founding member of Right to the City Alliance, a national alliance of over 90 community-based racial, economic, gender, and environmental justice organizations in 45 cities and 26 states working to halt gentrification and displacement and build democratic, just, and sustainable communities.
• Formerly Incarcerated, Convicted People and Families Movement (FICPFM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDARE is a member of FICPFM, a network of over 50 civil and human rights organizations led by people living with criminal records and their family members, working to end mass incarceration.
• RI Center for JusticecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerA nonprofit public interest law center partnering with community groups including DARE's THA to strengthen advocacy with legal representation and strategy in housing, immigration, workers' rights, and criminal justice.
• RI Legal ServicescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides high-quality legal assistance and representation to low-income individuals to improve economic condition and overall wellbeing, protect and enforce legal rights, and promote self-reliance.
• OpenDoors RImajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpenDoors leads the Stop Torture RI Coalition's campaign for the Restrictive Housing Act to limit solitary confinement. DARE supports this campaign, which meets in DARE's space.
• Black and Pink ProvidenceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLGBQ/GNC organization supporting incarcerated people. Co-hosts the annual Holiday Card Writing Party with DARE.
• FANG CollectiveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFANG Collective's local bail fund inspired DARE's Community Court Debt Fund. The CCDF was modeled on community court debt funds around the country and FANG's bail fund approach.
• Stop Torture RI CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition organized to pass the Restrictive Housing Act, limiting solitary confinement and improving conditions for incarcerated people. DARE is an active member.
• AMOR (Alliance to Mobilize Our Resistance)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAlliance providing 24-hour multilingual support for hate crime victims and state-sponsored violence survivors, connecting community members to mental health care, legal support, court accompaniment, and interpretation.
• SISTA FIREminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganization supporting women of color to build collective power for social, economic, and political transformation through networking, wellness, economic power, and organizing.
• Providence Youth Student Movement (PrYSM)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganizes queer Southeast Asian youth, families, and allies to build grassroots power for social justice. DARE follows PrYSM's leadership on Community Safety Act work.
• George Wiley CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide grassroots group committed to local community organizing for social and economic justice through changes in public policy, named for civil rights movement figure George Wiley.
• Down the Road MoversminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBlack-owned cooperative moving company founded by and for formerly incarcerated people, founded by DARE's Behind the Walls member Trent Manning. Partners with DARE to provide low-cost/free moving services for people impacted by eviction and housing instability.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Center for Popular Democracy: National network of 50+ community organizing affiliates advancing racial, economic, and immigrant justice through member-led campaigns — highly comparable structure and campaign portfolio to DARE.
• Make the Road: Member-led organizing group in multiple states combining direct services (housing, legal, health) with policy campaigns for low-income communities of color — direct functional and operational analogue to DARE.
• FICPFM: Network of 50+ civil and human rights organizations led by people with criminal records and their families. DARE is an active member; the network is a direct peer in criminal-justice-reform organizing led by directly impacted communities.
• Right to the City Alliance: National alliance of 90+ community-based racial, economic, gender, and environmental justice organizations in 45 cities working to halt gentrification and displacement. DARE is a founding member, sharing the same member-led, anti-displacement organizing model.
• Grassroots Global Justice Alliance: Alliance of 60+ US-based grassroots organizing groups working on climate, gender, and economic justice. DARE is a founding member with identical base-building and direct-action methodology.
• Faith in Action: National faith-based community organizing network running large-scale door-knocking and member-led campaigns on housing, immigration, and criminal justice — directly comparable GTM motion and constituent base to DARE.
• People's Action: National network of 1,000+ local member-led groups organizing on housing, healthcare, and criminal justice via door-knocking and direct action — same multi-issue, member-driven organizing playbook as DARE.

Broad incumbents

• Center for Community Change: Larger, established national infrastructure organization supporting grassroots groups on economic and racial justice — operates at a wider portfolio level than DARE but shares core mission and target communities.

Regional players

• Amos House: Providence, RI-based nonprofit providing workforce development, housing, and re-entry services to low-income residents and formerly incarcerated individuals — comparable geography and overlapping re-entry programming with DARE's Behind the Walls.
• OpenDoors RI: Providence, RI-based coalition partner leading the Stop Torture RI campaign for the Restrictive Housing Act; uses DARE's space for meetings. Operates in the same geography and overlapping criminal-justice reform space as DARE.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/darepvd
• Facebookfacebook.com/daretowinri
• Instagraminstagram.com/dare.pvd
• TikToktiktok.com/@provdare

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Direct Action for Rights & Equality (D.A.R.E.)