ccdf-usa

What ccdf-usa does

Citizens Defending Freedom (CDF) is a U.S. grassroots nonprofit civic advocacy organization operating through two distinct corporate entities: a 501(c)(3) educational foundation (Citizens Defending Freedom USA Foundation, Inc.) and a 501(c)(4) social welfare corporation (Citizens Defending Freedom USA, Inc.). Headquartered in Mulberry, Florida with 11-50 employees, the organization equips American citizens, pastors, and church leaders with toolkits, legal support, and training to engage in local civic advocacy on issues including parental rights, election integrity, religious freedom, responsible fatherhood, medical freedom, and Title IX. Its core product is the Citizen Resource Library — a state-organized collection of downloadable toolkits (Responsible Fatherhood Toolkit, Medical Freedom Rights Hub, Title IX Toolkit, M.E.S.S. Framework, Church Transgender Response Guide, Public Comment Speech Toolkit, legislative contact guides) covering Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Texas, and Virginia, with additional states in buildout.

The organization's business model rests on private donations through its dual-entity structure: tax-deductible contributions to the 501(c)(3) foundation and non-tax-deductible contributions to the 501(c)(4) advocacy arm, which can accept unlimited contributions from any source without public disclosure. Secondary revenue streams include merchandise sales through CDF Supply Co. (branded apparel and goods) and ticket revenue from the annual Armor Up Pastors' Conference, priced at $199 per pastor or $248 per couple. Distribution occurs primarily through the organization's website, email/newsletter, social media channels (X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), Vimeo-hosted video content, the annual conference, and earned media coverage across outlets including The Epoch Times, Washington Post, Fox News, and Texas Scorecard.

CDF operates a regional director structure (Southeast, National Faith, Texas Faith) and has built a partner ecosystem spanning faith-based networks (Liberty Network, Patriot Academy, TPUSA Faith, Salt and Light Council, Remnant Alliance), fatherhood organizations (The Dad University, ManhoodU, Majesty Outdoors), voter education groups (iVoterGuide, Convention of States), and legal advocates (Remnant Law, Liberty Counsel). The organization is also pursuing active litigation, including lawsuits against the Polk County School Board and Plano ISD, and supporting federal cases such as Laura Cervantes's suit against Plano ISD. Co-founder Steve Maxwell leads the organization, which has received the Excellence in Giving Transparency Seal for nonprofit accountability.

Name

ccdf-usa

Legal name

Citizens Defending Freedom USA Foundation, Inc. and Citizens Defending Freedom USA, Inc.

Website

https://ccdfusa.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Citizens Defending Freedom is a Florida-based nonprofit civic advocacy organization equipping American citizens, pastors, and churches with toolkits, training, and legal support on parental rights, election integrity, and religious freedom across multiple U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lakeland

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 - CDF Foundation (501(c)(3)): Tax-deductible donations to Citizens Defending Freedom USA Foundation, Inc. Donor information is public record. Contributions are deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.
2. Donations - CDF National (501(c)(4)): Non-tax-deductible donations to Citizens Defending Freedom USA, Inc. The organization may receive unlimited contributions from any source and does not publicly disclose contributor information.
3. CDF Supply Co. Merchandise: CDF operates a merchandise store (CDF Supply Co.) that sells branded merchandise to supporters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Citizens Defending Freedom is a national grassroots nonprofit that equips Americans and churches with toolkits, guides, and educational resources to defend faith, freedom, and family at the local level. Its core deliverable is the Citizen Resource Library, which houses state-specific and topic-specific resources covering education, elections, and faith issues, supplemented by the annual Armor Up Pastors' Conference and a faith-focused initiative called CDF Faith.

Product overview

Citizens Defending Freedom (CCDF-USA) is a national grassroots nonprofit organization comprising two distinct entities: a 501(c)(3) educational foundation and a 501(c)(4) advocacy corporation. The organization offers a comprehensive suite of advocacy resources and programs centered around its Citizen Resource Library—the core product containing dozens of toolkits, guides, and educational materials organized by state and topic (Education, Elections, Faith). Supporting this core library are specialized hubs including the Medical Freedom Rights Hub and Responsible Fatherhood Toolkit, along with the annual Armor Up Pastors' Conference for direct training. The organization maintains a robust media presence through its CDF Video Gallery and Press section, faith-focused initiatives under CDF Faith, and targeted campaigns such as Stand With Laura, VA for Life & Marriage, Birthright Citizenship, and SAVE America Act initiatives. Additional sub-products include the Title IX Toolkit, M.E.S.S. Framework for election integrity, Church Transgender Response Guide, and state-specific legislative contact guides.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CDF Supply Co. Merchandise store operated by Citizens Defending Freedom
• CDF Faith
• Armor Up
• Responsible Fatherhood Campaign

Products and services

• Citizen Resource Library
• Armor Up Pastors' Conference
• CDF Supply Co. Merchandise
• CDF Faith Initiative
• CDF Video Gallery
• CDF Press & Updates

Quantifiable outcome

• Communities in 20 states engaged with Responsible Fatherhood Campaign
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

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

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Dad UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF partners with The Dad University, which provides practical advice, faith-based guidance, and community support for fathers, supporting the Responsible Fatherhood Campaign initiative.
• ManhoodUminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Responsible Fatherhood Campaign providing resources and support for fathers.
• Majesty OutdoorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting fatherhood initiatives and community engagement programs.
• Liberty NetworkcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFaith-based network partner working with CDF on pastor engagement and civic mobilization initiatives.
• Patriot AcademycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides Biblical Citizenship courses and educational resources for churches and citizens, complementing CDF's civic engagement mission.
• Salt and Light CouncilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFaith-based organization partner in CDF's network of civically engaged ministries.
• Child and Parental Rights CampaigncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides the Church Transgender Response Guide and resources to equip churches and parents on gender ideology issues.
• Remnant AllianceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization in CDF's faith network focused on cultural engagement.
• TPUSA FaithcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerConservative student organization faith division partner in civic engagement initiatives.
• Recover AmericaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in faith-based civic engagement and voter education efforts.
• Convention of StatesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in constitutional advocacy and state-level legislative engagement.
• National School Chaplain AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner supporting chaplain engagement in public schools and communities.
• iVoterGuidecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFaith-based voter education resource partner providing voter guides for churches.
• All Pro PastorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPastors network partner in CDF's ministry engagement initiatives.
• Remnant LawcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal partner providing attorney support for pastors and citizens defending constitutional rights, including representation in cases like Pastor Steve Ceh's legal victory.
• Liberty CounselminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal organization representing individuals in religious freedom cases, such as Kayleigh Bush's pageant case.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Focus on the Family: Long-established Christian advocacy and family-support organization. Broad incumbent because it addresses many of the same faith-and-family themes as CDF but through a multi-million-dollar budget, broadcast media, and a broader parenting ministry portfolio rather than civic-advocacy toolkits.
• Heritage Foundation: Large conservative think tank producing policy research and advocacy. Broad incumbent because it shapes the same policy ecosystem on election integrity, parental rights, and constitutional issues that CDF engages at the grassroots level, but operates with policy research and federal advocacy rather than toolkit distribution.
• Liberty Counsel: National religious-liberty legal organization providing litigation and counsel on faith-based issues. Broad incumbent because it underpins CDF's case work (e.g., Kayleigh Bush matter) and competes for the same faith-based legal-defense donor pool at a much larger scale.
• Family Research Council: Established Christian policy and advocacy organization operating at the federal level on faith, family, and constitutional issues. Broad incumbent because it overlaps substantively with CDF's agenda but functions at a larger scale with policy-research, lobbying, and Capitol Hill engagement rather than state-level grassroots mobilization.

Direct peers

• Moms for Liberty: Parental-rights grassroots organization focused on school board accountability and curriculum transparency. Direct peer because it competes directly with CDF for parent-driven civic-advocacy donors in Florida and other priority states, and overlaps heavily on school-related issue campaigns.
• Convention of States Action: Constitutional advocacy organization pushing Article V convention and state legislative engagement. Direct peer because it is an explicit CDF partner operating on overlapping constitutional-rights messaging and engages the same grassroots donor base on federalism and constitutional reform.
• Alliance Defending Freedom: Legal organization focused on religious freedom, parental rights, and constitutional advocacy cases. Directly comparable because CDF's legal support wing (via Remnant Law and Liberty Counsel) and ADF compete for the same donor base and case pipeline, including school board, parental rights, and religious liberty matters.
• Child and Parental Rights Campaign: Parental rights and child protection advocacy organization that co-produced CDF's Church Transgender Response Guide. Direct peer because it operates on identical parental-rights issues and shares both content and audience with CDF.
• Turning Point USA Faith: Faith division of Turning Point USA, a large conservative youth and civic advocacy organization. Direct peer because it operates in the same pastor/citizen civic-advocacy space, partners with CDF, and runs parallel programming to mobilize churches on conservative policy issues.

Emerging players

• Patriot Academy: Biblical citizenship and civic-education provider for churches and families. Emerging player because it is a smaller, more curriculum-focused complement to CDF's broader advocacy work, and partners with CDF to deliver civic training through church channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cdfusa
• Facebookfacebook.com/citizensdefendingfreedom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ccdfusa
• Instagraminstagram.com/citizensdefendingfreedomusa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 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 ccdf-usa