Childrens Defense Fund
The children's defense fund's mission is to build community so young people grow up with dignity, hope, and joy.
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Visit www.childrensdefense.orgAbout Childrens Defense Fund
Childrens Defense Fund is a social services organization based in WASHINGTON, United States. Annual revenue: $43.8 million. EIN: 520895622.
Verified certifications
Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.
Mission
The children's defense fund's mission is to build community so young people grow up with dignity, hope, and joy.
Focus areas & reach
· What they work on and whereHow it stacks up against peers
· vs. 5 similar social services in United StatesConcerns
· None foundWhere every $1 goes
· FY2024 · IRS 990 (FY2024)GiveRadar Analysis
Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations
From what GiveRadar has verified so far, Childrens Defense Fund has a complete profile, cross-referenced across 3 independent sources including the IRS.
- Established in 1969, it is among the oldest social services charities in the United States GiveRadar tracks. View this cohort
- By reported annual revenue, it is larger than 96% of the 8,121 social services charities in the United States with financial records on GiveRadar. See the filings
- Its integrity score of 80 places it in the top 5% of the 15,199 social services charities in the United States GiveRadar tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its governance. View this cohort
- government registration
- financial records (5 filed years)
- disclosed leadership
- a website
- a contact email
- third-party accreditation
- a donation page
- an owner-submitted profile claim
Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.
Common questions
· Auto-generated from filings + methodologyChildrens Defense Fund is a registered social services nonprofit based in Washington, DC, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 1969 and has been operating for 57 years. Its EIN is 520895622. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 80/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $24M in annual revenue. 144 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.
Childrens Defense Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 520895622. This is the organization's IRS tax identification number; you can use it to verify tax-exempt status and to look up its Form 990 filings with the IRS.
Childrens Defense Fund has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 80/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 80 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for social services charities in United States is 90/100.
Childrens Defense Fund is located in Washington, DC, United States. The organization was established in 1969 and has been active for 57 years.
Based on official tax filings, Childrens Defense Fund has $24M in annual revenue. It allocates 73% of expenses to programs and services. This is in line with the average of 74% for social services charities in United States. Its revenue is significantly above the peer average of $2M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.
Childrens Defense Fund is classified as a Social Services organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)). By size, it is categorized as a large organization. It has $24M in annual revenue. The organization has 144 disclosed officers and directors.
No red flags have been detected for Childrens Defense Fund. GiveRadar automatically screens charities for concerning patterns including high executive compensation, low program spending, and missing financial filings. Based on available official data, no issues have been identified.
According to GiveRadar's records, Childrens Defense Fund holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It reports that 73% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 74%). GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.
Childrens Defense Fund is a social services organization based in WASHINGTON, United States. Annual revenue: $43.8 million. EIN: 520895622. Childrens Defense Fund is classified as a social services organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1969.
Among social services charities registered in United States: It allocates 73% of expenses to programs, in line with the peer average of 74%. Its annual revenue of $24M is well above the peer average of $2M.
Yes, donations to Childrens Defense Fund are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Childrens Defense Fund is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 520895622, which you can use for tax filing purposes. Donors can typically deduct contributions on their federal income tax return if they itemize deductions. Consult a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.
Filing history
5 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2024): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.
See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.
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Tax-deductibility for donors
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.
CHILDRENS DEFENSE FUND is registered in United States. Donations from the Netherlands to charities outside the EU/EEA are generally not tax-deductible for Dutch donors unless the charity is listed on the Dutch ANBI register with foreign-recognized status.
Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.
Staff & volunteers
From filings and published profiles
Leadership
From FY2024 filing
Officers & trustees (25)
Source: Public filings
25 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.
Latest news
From global news sources
No recent news coverage found
News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.
Activity timeline
Filings and press mentions, merged
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How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.
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Causes charities work on most.
Sources and verification
- Registration and legal identity
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search
- Financial filings
- IRS Form 990 filings - Fiscal year 2024 most recent on file.
- Officers and trustees
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 144 disclosed in the public registry.
- Supplementary verification
- Charity Navigator
Data freshness
What we know and don't know
Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.
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Financial data · FY2024 on record
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Named leadership · 144 officers on file
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Executive pay · Disclosed
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Government registration · Registered with an official registry
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Mission statement · Published
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Official website · On record
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Headquarters address · On file
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Direct contact · Email or phone published
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Tax-deductibility · Verified
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Founding date · 1969
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Programs & activitiesNo named programs listed by the charity
Methodology
GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.
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Quick facts about Childrens Defense Fund
- What is Childrens Defense Fund?
- Childrens Defense Fund is a social services publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)) based in Washington, United States. Childrens Defense Fund is a social services organization based in WASHINGTON, United States. Annual revenue: $43.8 million. EIN: 520895622.
- When was Childrens Defense Fund founded?
- Childrens Defense Fund was founded in 1969.
- Who leads Childrens Defense Fund?
- Starsky Wilson serves as President And CEO.
- Where is Childrens Defense Fund located?
- Headquartered in Washington, DC, United States.
- What is Childrens Defense Fund's annual budget?
- Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately $10M-$100M. 73% of expenses go to program services.
- Is Childrens Defense Fund trustworthy?
- Childrens Defense Fund has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 80 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
- What is Childrens Defense Fund's registration number?
- IRS EIN: 520895622.
- What is Childrens Defense Fund's website?
- http://www.childrensdefense.org