Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives

What Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives does

Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives (FDFI) is a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 26-0757405) founded in 2007 by direct descendants of Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington — Kenneth B. Morris Jr. (great-great-great-grandson of Douglass) and Nettie Washington Douglass (great-great-granddaughter of Douglass and great-granddaughter of Washington) — to continue the anti-slavery and educational legacy of their ancestors. Headquartered in Rochester, NY since 2019, the organization delivers human trafficking prevention education through its flagship PROTECT program in K-12 schools across six states (California, Utah, Texas, Michigan, Ohio, Georgia), reaching 804,744+ students and 119,520+ adults via a four-component curriculum (school protocols, teacher professional development, trauma-informed classroom lessons, and ASU-partnered data analysis). It is co-managed with 3Strands Global Foundation and Love Never Fails.

FDFI's other core programs include the One Million Abolitionists project (launched 2018 to distribute one million copies of Frederick Douglass's Narrative), the Frederick Douglass Books publishing imprint (launched 2022 with Forefront Books, distributed by Simon & Schuster since 2023), the Shared Opportunity racial equity initiative in Rochester, and the FD200 bicentennial recognition program. The organization leverages its founders' direct historical lineage, partnerships with the California Attorney General's Office, California Department of Education, History Channel, and National Park Service, and earned media (PBS, HBO, Smithsonian Channel documentaries) to build brand authority in the abolitionist education space.

Revenue is generated through charitable donations, grants, and book/merchandise sales via shop.fdfi.org and Simon & Schuster retail distribution. The organization operates with 1-10 employees and is governed by a Board of Directors that includes family members and external professionals (e.g., Board Chair Gabrielle Koeppel of Kelliher & Salzer LLC; Treasurer Elihu Miles, Practice Manager at AWS). Specific financial figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives

Legal name

Frederick Douglass Family Foundation (Initiatives), Inc.

Website

https://fdfi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2007 by descendants of Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington, delivering K-12 human trafficking prevention education across six states, racial equity programming in Rochester, and a publishing imprint amplifying Black and Brown authors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Social Justice Education and Anti-Trafficking Prevention

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Juvenile Justice Education Programs (Detention & Correctional Education) (EDAJAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Children’s Educational & Curriculum Publishing (MPAJAFAF)

Keywords

• Human trafficking prevention
• K-12 prevention education
• Racial equity programs
• Nonprofit publishing imprint
• Youth leadership development

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FDFI delivers human trafficking prevention education to K-12 students through the PROTECT curriculum, racial equity programming via the Shared Opportunity initiative, book distribution through the One Million Abolitionists project, and publishing through the Frederick Douglass Books imprint. Core offerings are educational in nature, supported by historical scholarship and family heritage, targeting school districts, students, educators, and the general public.

Product overview

Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives is a nonprofit organization offering educational programs and initiatives rather than a technology product platform. The core offerings include PROTECT (human trafficking prevention education for K-12), One Million Abolitionists (book distribution project), Frederick Douglass Books publishing imprint (in partnership with Forefront Books/Simon & Schuster), Shared Opportunity (racial equity initiative), FD200 (bicentennial recognition program), and the Douglass Mind Blog. These programs work together to build strong children, end systems of exploitation, and expand opportunity through education, leadership development, and community partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PROTECT: Human trafficking prevention education program for K-12 schools, implemented in partnership with 3Strands Global Foundation and Love Never Fails
• One Million Abolitionists
• Frederick Douglass Books
• FD200
• Shared Opportunity

Products and services

• PROTECT Human Trafficking Prevention Education The largest and most comprehensive human trafficking prevention education program of its kind, developed in partnership with 3Strands Global Foundation and Love Never Fails. Delivers age-appropriate K-12 curriculum with four components: Protocol (district response frameworks), Professional Development (educator training), Classroom Curriculum (trauma-informed lessons), and Data Analysis (impact measurement via Arizona State University). Implemented across six states: California, Utah, Texas, Michigan, Ohio, and Georgia.
• One Million Abolitionists A book distribution initiative aimed at printing and distributing one million copies of special editions of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass to young people domestically and internationally. Partnerships include the National Park Service, History Channel, educational institutions, and community organizations.
• Frederick Douglass Books Publishing Imprint A publishing imprint established in partnership with Forefront Books to amplify voices of Black and Brown authors. Books are distributed into traditional retail outlets through Simon & Schuster. The imprint features nonfiction works on topics such as business, self-help, memoirs, and history.
• Shared Opportunity Racial Equity Initiative A racial equity initiative focused on expanding opportunity in Rochester, NY by addressing persistent economic, health, and educational disparities affecting families and young people. Partners with educators, community leaders, and families to promote leadership development and protect vulnerable youth.
• FD200 Bicentennial Recognition Program A bicentennial initiative honoring 200 individuals who embody the spirit and work of Frederick Douglass's enduring legacy, recognized across seven categories including abolitionist, writer, public servant, feminist, educator, entrepreneur, and diplomat.
• Frederick Douglass Travel Club An immersive travel experience program offering curated stays, private tours, and educational journeys in locations connected to Frederick Douglass's legacy. The inaugural featured tour is scheduled for Edinburgh, Scotland from October 6-11, 2026, in partnership with Footsteps to Freedom.

Quantifiable outcome

• 804,744+ students received PROTECT Prevention Education
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Simon & SchustercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023Simon & Schuster distributes the Douglass Family Edition of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass to retail outlets nationwide, expanding the reach of the One Million Abolitionists project.
• Forefront BookscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Forefront Books and FDFI launched a joint publishing imprint called Frederick Douglass Books, with the goal of amplifying voices of Black and Brown authors and establishing a pathway to publish books distributed into traditional retailers through Simon & Schuster.
• 3Strands Global FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner3Strands Global Foundation manages the PROTECT program, the largest and most comprehensive human trafficking prevention education program of its kind. FDFI partnered with 3Strands Global and Love Never Fails to develop PROTECT, which delivers grade-level appropriate prevention education to K-12 students across six states.
• Love Never FailscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLove Never Fails is a California-based nonprofit partner in the PROTECT initiative, collaborating with FDFI and 3Strands Global Foundation to develop comprehensive human trafficking prevention education curricula for students from grade school to high school.
• Arizona State UniversitysupportingTechnology or IntegrationArizona State University partners with FDFI to process and analyze surveys from the PROTECT program as part of the Data Analysis component, helping measure the impact of prevention education in every community.
• History Channel (Save Our History)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerHistory Channel's Save Our History initiative partnered with FDFI on the One Million Abolitionists book project, helping bring Douglass's Narrative to students worldwide through filmed content and collaborative programming.
• National Park ServicesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe National Park Service is a partner in the One Million Abolitionists project, contributing to efforts to print and distribute one million copies of Frederick Douglass's Narrative to young people across the country.
• Office of the Attorney General of CaliforniasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPROTECT was developed in cooperation with the Office of the Attorney General of California and the California Department of Education as a domestic and international program.
• California Department of EducationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPROTECT was developed in cooperation with the California Department of Education, supporting the implementation of human trafficking prevention education in California schools.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Polaris: Polaris (formerly Polaris Project) operates the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline and runs a broad portfolio of anti-trafficking programs. It is comparable to FDFI on mission and is a likely collaborator/competitor for the same donor and policy attention.
• Thorn: Thorn is a large, well-funded nonprofit building technology and policy tools to combat child sexual exploitation and trafficking. It overlaps with FDFI on the prevention side of child trafficking but operates at significantly greater scale and with a tech-product orientation.
• Facing History and Ourselves: Facing History and Ourselves is an established K-12 social-justice and history curriculum provider that competes with FDFI for the same school-district adoption budgets. It is highly comparable on educational product, customer (K-12 schools and teachers), and racial-justice subject matter.
• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC): NCMEC is the largest U.S. nonprofit working on missing and exploited children, including trafficking prevention resources for schools and families. It is a broad incumbent addressing an overlapping child-protection mandate at much larger scale.
• Shared Hope International: Shared Hope International is a policy-heavy anti-trafficking organization focused on demand reduction, juvenile justice, and survivor services. It is comparable to FDFI's PROTECT on the juvenile-justice prevention axis and pursues state-level legislative pathways.
• ECPAT-USA: ECPAT-USA is part of an international network ending the sexual exploitation of children, with K-12 education and policy advocacy components. It overlaps with FDFI on trafficking prevention curriculum and federal policy engagement.
• International Justice Mission (IJM): IJM is a large global anti-slavery and anti-trafficking organization combining direct rescue, aftercare, and prevention work. It is comparable to FDFI on the modern-slavery mission and on influencing state and federal anti-trafficking policy.

Direct peers

• 3Strands Global Foundation: 3Strands Global Foundation is FDFI's PROTECT program manager and co-developer, with a parallel mission of human trafficking prevention education and survivor support. It is the closest comparable in both subject matter and K-12 prevention delivery model.
• Love Never Fails: Love Never Fails is the third PROTECT co-developing nonprofit alongside FDFI and 3Strands Global, delivering trafficking prevention and recovery programming with a strong K-12 and community focus in California. It shares FDFI's curriculum-based, prevention-first operating philosophy.

Emerging players

• Free the Slaves: Free the Slaves is a smaller anti-slavery nonprofit focused on community-based prevention and survivor rehabilitation. It shares FDFI's abolitionist framing and grassroots education approach but with an international rather than K-12 focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/kmorrisjr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/frederick-douglass-family-foundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/FrederickDouglassFamilyInitiatives
• Instagraminstagram.com/fdfi_org

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives