Children's Defense Fund
Children's Defense Fund (CDF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit child and youth advocacy organization based in Washington, DC. Founded in 1969, the organization operates as a civil rights and social action advocacy group focused on children and youth, particularly those experiencing poverty and inequality. CDF maintains a national office in Washington, DC and operates state and regional offices in California, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Texas, and a Southern Regional Office in Mississippi, along with the Alex Haley Farm in Tennessee.
Key facts about Children's Defense Fund
- EIN
- 52-0895622
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $7,045,009
- Grants made (2024)
- 34
- Average grant
- $207,206
- Median grant
- $32,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 58% first-time grantees (19 of 33, 2024)
- Total assets
- $40,067,480
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (51% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Who Children's Defense Fund funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Children's Defense Fund's 34 itemized 2024 grants were District of Columbia (51%), Connecticut (15%) and Illinois (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (5 grants), Washington, DC (4 grants), Chicago, IL (3 grants) and Austin, TX (3 grants). None of its 34 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Supports" (34 grants).
Is Children's Defense Fund open to new grantees?
58%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 19 of 33 grantees (58%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $25K; repeat grants $470K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $120K repeat.
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with Children's Defense Fund
- How to evaluate Children's Defense Fund as a funder
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Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$40.1M
-30.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$7.0M
+95.5% YoY
Grant Count
34
+100.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$207K
-2.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: To build community so young people grow up with dignity, hope, and joy. The organization's legacy mission emphasizes ensuring every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.
Core Values:
- Justice: Rooted in the Civil Rights movement, particularly the Mississippi Freedom Struggle and Poor People's Campaign, with focus on transforming root causes of oppression and shifting power
- Equity: Ensuring just and fair inclusion into society where all can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential
- Compassion: Serving with care and dedication
Primary Program Areas:
Policy and Advocacy: Educates policymakers and the public on policies and programs that improve outcomes for poor children and children of color. Works at national, state, and local levels to promote, implement, and monitor key policy recommendations. Produces rigorous non-partisan research and reports on factors supporting children's well-being.
CDF Freedom Schools® Program: Provides high-quality, research-based reading enrichment programs for children and youth in underserved and impoverished communities. Fosters cultural pride, personal empowerment, academic confidence, and belief in young people's ability to effect change in themselves, their communities, and the world.
Building a Movement for Youth: Identifies and trains children and young adults nationwide to be leaders and advocates for the supports and services children need to thrive. Delivers empowering, multigenerational programming on social justice and civic action to young people.
The organization works at the intersection of child well-being and racial justice, with particular focus on Black and Brown children and youth.
Ready to take the next step with Children's Defense Fund?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 34 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Fiscal Year 2024:
- Total Revenue: $23,995,349
- Total Expenses: $34,918,824
- Total Assets: $40,067,480
- Total Liabilities: $12,400,000
- Number of Employees: 225
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $40,067,480 | $57,617,574 | $58,320,035 |
| Revenue | $23,995,349 | $23,484,456 | $23,874,522 |
| Expenses | $34,918,824 | $34,275,209 | $28,045,615 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $805,651 | $952,405 | $-1,565,228 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
135 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include National League of Cities Institute ($1,414,666), Center for the Study of Social Policy ($1,166,666 across 2 grants), Save the Children Federation Inc ($1,044,666).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES INSTITUTE Washington, DC | PROGRAM SUPPORTS | $1,414,666 |
| SAVE THE CHILDREN FEDERATION INC Fairfield, CT | PROGRAM SUPPORTS | $1,044,666 |
| UNIDOSUS Washington, DC | PROGRAM SUPPORTS | $1,020,000 |
| START EARLY Chicago, IL | PROGRAM SUPPORTS | $648,000 |
| CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF SOCIAL POLICY Washington, DC | PROGRAM SUPPORTS | $583,333 |
| THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF SOCIAL POLICY Washington, DC | PROGRAM SUPPORTS | $583,333 |
| THE JAMES B HUNT INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND POLICY FOUNDATIO Cary, NC | PROGRAM SUPPORTS | $556,666 |
| ARTS FOR HEALING AND JUSTICE Los Angeles, CA | PROGRAM SUPPORTS | $125,949 |
| TEXANS CARE FOR CHILDREN INC Austin, TX | PROGRAM SUPPORTS | $114,500 |
| THE CONNIE RICE INSTITUTE FOR URBAN PEACE Los Angeles, CA | PROGRAM SUPPORTS | $113,807 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
President and CEO: Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starsky Wilson | President/CEO | 35 | $366,711 |
| Sheri Brady | Vice President, Strategy & Program | 35 | $200,742 |
| Cheryl Cook-Posley | Natl Dir, MVMT Building & Programs | 35 | $160,016 |
| Oleta Fitzgerald | Director of Southern Regional Office | 35 | $155,443 |
| Kathleen Flynn | Chief Operating Officer | 35 | $143,878 |
| Kristal Clemons | National Director Freedom Schools | 35 | $137,642 |
| Alta Riggs | Controller to October 2024 | 35 | $137,349 |
| Shaquite Pegues | Managing Director Freedom Schools | 35 | $135,893 |
| Marian Edelman | President Emerita | 35 | $115,126 |
| Don Darius Butler | Chair | 5 | — |
| Deborah Jewell-Sherman | Secretary | 1 | — |
| Martin Rodgers | Treasurer | 1 | — |
| Zachary Boyers | Board Member | 1 | — |
| William Clay Grubb | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Malaak Compton-Rock | Board Member | 1 | — |
Contact Information
National Office: 840 First Street NE, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20002 Phone: (202) 628-8787 Development/Donor Inquiries: (202) 662-3654
State and Regional Offices:
- California: Los Angeles
- Minnesota: St. Paul
- New York: New York City
- Ohio: Columbus
- Southern Regional Office: Jackson, Mississippi
- Texas: Houston
- Alex Haley Farm: Clinton, Tennessee
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Children's Defense Fund fund?
**Mission:** To build community so young people grow up with dignity, hope, and joy. The organization's legacy mission emphasizes ensuring every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. **Core Values:** • **Justice:** Rooted in the Civil Rights movement, particularly the Mississippi Freedom Struggle and Poor People's Campaign, with focus on transforming root ca…
What size grants does Children's Defense Fund award?
In 2024, Children's Defense Fund awarded 34 grants totaling $7.0M — an average of about $207K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Children's Defense Fund's EIN?
Children's Defense Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-0895622. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.