Better Business Bureau

Charity Contact Information BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments Programs

Tax Status Governance Fund Raising Financial

Name:	Children's Defense Fund
Address:	25 E Street NW
	Washington, DC 20001
Phone:	202-628-8787
Web Address:	www.childrensdefense.org

Children's Defense Fund (CDF) meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

CDF educates the public and public officials on the needs of all children, with particular emphasis on poor children, children of color, and children with disabilities. Through research, reports, public testimony, workshops and conferences, CDF works to strengthen programs and protections for children. CDF partners with coalitions at the national and state level to improve access and enrollment to healthcare. Through the Black Community Crusade for Children, CDF has worked to develop and highlight best practices including the CDF Freedom Schools program, which it reports to have served over 90,000 children and trained 9,000 college students. CDF's young leadership programs offer scholarships, educate young people and systematically develop future generations of leaders to speak up for children. The organization reports that over 30,000 young adults have been trained at Alex Haley Farm in Clinton, TN.

For the year ended December 31, 2010, CDF's program expenses were:

Leadership development and state and community capacity building	15,332,437
Policy and program development and implementation	1,289,389
Public education, media campaigns, internet outreach and publications	825,681
Total Program Expenses:	$17,447,507

Chief Executive : Marian Wright Edelman, President

Compensation*:

$117,272

Highest Paid Executive: Marilyn Kuhar, Chief Development Officer
Compensation*: $155,493

Chair of the Board: Geoffrey Canada, Chair
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Founder and CEO, Harlem Children's Zone, Inc.

Board Size: 23

Paid Staff Size: 179

*2010 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, special events, print advertisements, radio, grant proposals, Internet appeals, and planned giving.

Fund raising costs were 7% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $18,550,433, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)

CDF incurred joint costs of $41,976 for informational materials and activities that included fund raising materials. Of those costs, $37,778 was allocated to program expenses, $2,099 was allocated to fund raising expenses, and $2,099 was allocated to administrative expenses.

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

The following information is based on CDF's audited financial statements (consolidated with affiliate) for the year ended December 31, 2010.

Source of Funds
Foundations and corporations	13,653,881
Special events	2,243,428
Individuals	2,033,118
Training fees	1,837,925
Organizations and groups	620,006
Interest and dividends	534,060
Miscellaneous	356,416
Realized and unrealized gains, net of management fees	284,130
Sales of publications and merchandise	82,529
Haley Farm fees	35,578
Operating interest and dividends	1,254
Total Income	$21,682,325

Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 81%  Fund Raising: 6%  Administrative: 13%

Total income				$21,682,325
	Program expenses			$17,447,507
	Fund raising expenses			1,242,161
	Administrative expenses			2,850,691
Total expenses				$21,540,359
Income in Excess of Expenses				141,966
Beginning net assets				31,288,100
Ending net assets				31,430,066
Total liabilities				9,980,060
Total assets				$41,410,126