The Coalition on Human Needs

What The Coalition on Human Needs does

The Coalition on Human Needs (CHN) is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) policy advocacy coalition founded in 1981 in response to President Reagan's proposals to consolidate federal human needs funding into block grants. CHN convenes an alliance of more than 100 national organizations — including the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Food Research and Action Center, National Women's Law Center, First Focus on Children, National Low Income Housing Coalition, NETWORK Lobby, and SEIU — alongside hundreds of state and local partners through the Partnership for Basic Needs, to coordinate advocacy on federal policies affecting low-income and vulnerable populations. The organization operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees and serves as a clearinghouse of policy information on issues including SNAP, Medicaid, housing, immigration, tax, and budget reconciliation.

CHN's offerings consist of policy analysis, advocacy coordination, and member services rather than technology products. Its core capabilities include the bi-monthly Human Needs Report legislative newsletter, the Voices for Human Needs blog (with over 350 published posts), issue briefs and fact sheets, weekly Wednesday Advocates Meetings, an annual Budget Briefing, action alerts, and coordinated Capitol Hill visits and lobbying. The organization does not maintain a commercial technology platform or proprietary software products. Recent activity includes coordinating a 262-organization coalition letter against the Reconciliation 3.0 package in July 2026 and partnering with Hart Research Associates to commission national polling on public support for basic needs programs.

The organization's revenue model relies on membership dues paid by national, state, and local member organizations, supplemented by individual donations and grants. CHN is governed by a Board of Directors drawn from member organizations, with members gaining access to publications, email lists, Hill visits, briefing invitations, and eligibility to serve on the Board. In 2026, the organization underwent a leadership transition, with Christopher Kang — a former Obama White House Deputy Counsel and co-founder of Demand Justice — succeeding longtime Executive Director Deborah Weinstein as the first person of color to lead the coalition.

Name

The Coalition on Human Needs

Legal name

Coalition on Human Needs

Website

https://chn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Coalition on Human Needs is a 1981-founded Washington, DC nonprofit advocacy coalition convening over 100 national organizations to coordinate federal policy advocacy on issues including SNAP, Medicaid, housing, immigration, and tax policy affecting low-income and vulnerable populations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: CHN generates revenue through membership dues paid by national, state, and local organizations that join the coalition. Member organizations receive benefits including subscriptions to the Human Needs Report, access to CHN email lists, posting of research on the CHN website, training on the federal budget process, invitations to Capitol Hill visits and briefings, and eligibility to serve on the Board of Directors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Coalition on Human Needs (CHN) is a nonprofit alliance of more than 100 national, state, and local organizations that convenes the human needs community to advocate for federal public policies supporting low-income and vulnerable people. CHN functions as a clearinghouse of policy intelligence, coordinating coalition-wide lobbying on Capitol Hill, publishing legislative analyses, issue briefs, and the bi-monthly Human Needs Report newsletter, and convening regular Advocates' Meetings, webinars, and the annual Human Needs Hero fundraiser.

Product overview

The Coalition on Human Needs (CHN) is a nonprofit policy advocacy coalition, not a technology product company. CHN does not offer commercial software products or services. Its offerings consist of advocacy content, informational resources, and member services including: a bi-monthly legislative newsletter called the Human Needs Report, policy analyses and issue briefs, action alerts and blog posts (Voices for Human Needs), educational seminars and briefings (including annual Budget Briefing), a weekly Wednesday Advocates Meeting (WAM), webinars on poverty and human needs topics, a membership program with access to congressional updates and Hill visits, and job announcement listings. The organization also hosts the annual Human Needs Hero fundraiser and reception.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CHN Coalition Membership Program
• Partnership for Basic Needs Coalition

Quantifiable outcome

• CHN coordinated a coalition of 262 national, state, and local organizations to oppose the Reconciliation 3.0 package in July 2026.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

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

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Partnership for Basic NeedsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Partnership for Basic Needs is a coordinated alliance of national, state, and local groups fighting to block cuts to programs that support families struggling to meet their basic needs. CHN co-leads this alliance and uses it to aggregate and amplify advocacy efforts across the country, including co-commissioning polling research on public attitudes toward basic needs programs.
• Hart Research AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHart Research Associates conducted a national survey of 1,503 registered voters in March 2026 for the Partnership for Basic Needs coalition, providing polling data on public support for Medicaid, SNAP, childcare, housing, and other basic needs programs. The research demonstrates strong and unmoved public support for these programs.
• Food Research and Action Center (FRAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFRAC is a leading member organization of CHN and co-sponsor of the National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference. CHN and FRAC frequently co-organize webinars, lobby visits, and advocacy campaigns on SNAP and food nutrition policy.
• National Low Income Housing CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization of CHN represented on the Board of Directors (Brooke Schipporeit, Director of Field Organizing). CHN and NLIHC co-host webinars on housing policy and coordinate field advocacy on affordable housing and homeless assistance.
• Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBPP is a key member organization represented on CHN's Board of Directors (Ellen Nissenbaum, Senior Advisor to CBPP's President). CHN and CBPP collaborate closely on budget and tax policy analysis, joint Congressional lobbying strategies, and coalition letters on reconciliation packages.
• NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization of CHN represented on the Board of Directors (Laura Peralta-Schulte, Chief Lobbyist). CHN and NETWORK co-organize webinars on social justice, budget advocacy, and lobbying campaigns, and co-host community organizing initiatives.
• First Focus on ChildrencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization represented on CHN's Board of Directors (Bruce Lesley, President). CHN and First Focus collaborate on child welfare, child poverty, and children's health advocacy, including joint Congressional testimony and policy analyses.
• National Association of Social WorkerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization represented on CHN's Board of Directors (Dina Kastner, Public Policy and Advocacy Manager). CHN coordinates with NASW on social services policy, workforce issues, and advocacy training.
• Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization represented on CHN's Board Executive Committee (Vice-Chair: Amelia Kegan, Associate General Secretary for Policy and Advocacy). CHN and FCNL coordinate on budget, immigration, and social justice advocacy.
• Economic Policy Institute (EPI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization of CHN. CHN promotes EPI's research on wages, inequality, and economic policy through its email lists and joint events such as the 'Future of Work and Care' briefing.
• The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights / Census CountscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization represented on CHN's Board (Meeta Anand, Senior Director of Census & Data Equity). CHN and The Leadership Conference collaborated on Census Counts campaign and coordinated advocacy on Census data accuracy and funding.
• Zero to ThreecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization represented on CHN's Board (Melissa Boteach, Chief Policy Officer). CHN and Zero to Three collaborate on child care, early childhood development, and family policy advocacy.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Center for American Progress: Major progressive policy think tank and advocacy organization headquartered in Washington, DC. Operates a much larger staff and budget on overlapping human-needs, economic, and social-justice policy advocacy, competing for the same coalition member attention and Hill influence as CHN.
• Demos: Progressive public-policy organization working on economic equity, democracy, and racial justice. Comparable to CHN as a federal advocacy organization engaging on overlapping human-needs policy themes, though operating more as a think tank than a coalition convener.

Direct peers

• People's Action: National progressive advocacy network of state and local member organizations running federal and field campaigns on housing, healthcare, and economic justice. Closely comparable to CHN as a multi-issue coalition that convenes member organizations to influence federal policy.
• National Council of Nonprofits: Network of nonprofit organizations focused on nonprofit-sector advocacy and capacity building. Comparable to CHN as a coalition-style convening body that mobilizes member organizations around federal policy, though with a broader sector-wide scope rather than CHN's human-needs focus.
• Independent Sector: National membership coalition of nonprofits, foundations, and corporate giving programs. Comparable to CHN as a DC-based coalition that represents and convenes charitable organizations on federal policy, advocacy, and cross-sector issues.
• Faith in Action: Faith-based community organizing network with national scale running federal advocacy campaigns on economic justice, immigration, and human needs. Comparable to CHN as a large national coalition of member institutions influencing federal policy on overlapping issues.
• Bolder Advocacy: Advocacy support organization that trains and supports nonprofits in lobbying and advocacy. Comparable to CHN as an intermediary that strengthens the advocacy capacity of member organizations on federal issues, though focused on capacity-building rather than direct policy wins.
• Center for Popular Democracy: Progressive advocacy network of state and local affiliate organizations running federal campaigns on economic and racial justice. Comparable to CHN as a coalition-style umbrella running coordinated campaigns on federal policy with member-driven structure.

Emerging players

• Roosevelt Institute: Progressive think tank driving policy on economic inequality, labor, and social welfare. Comparable to CHN on the policy domain (human-needs programs, tax, budget) but operates primarily as a research and ideas shop rather than a coalition convener.

Others

• National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy: Advocacy and research organization promoting responsive philanthropic practices and supporting advocacy by grantees. Adjacent to CHN as an intermediary working in the nonprofit advocacy ecosystem and engaging on overlapping federal policy themes affecting vulnerable communities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/voice4humanneed
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClWqprobEimvTPHDHqUNjUQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/voice4humanneed
• Instagraminstagram.com/voice4humanneed
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coalition-on-human-needs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Coalition on Human Needs