Causes: Civil Rights, Human Services

Mission: The Children's Defense Fund Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure 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.

Direct beneficiaries per year: Over 12,500 children and youth attended a CDF Freedom School; Over 1,500 college-age young adults trained, mobilized and deployed as Servant Leader Interns (SLIs); Over 600 high school youth receiving college preparation, leadership development and college scholarship assistance through CDF's Beat the Odds program; Landmark national and state research studies such as State of America's Children; Engaging and training 500 young people, seminarians and faith leaders in CDF's annual Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute on Child Advocacy Ministry

Programs: The Children's Defense Fund is a child advocacy movement that fights every day for America's children, especially for those children and youth who experience the extraordinary challenges of poverty, disability and inequality. CDF's impact areas include:Freedom Schools - a nation-wide summer school and after-school education and empowerment program for children and youth. Reading score improvement and love of learning are key outcomes as children and youth are inspired that they can make a difference in their lives and in the life of their community and nation. Changing the Odds for Children: Fighting every day to educate and inform national, state and local policymakers and practitioners about effective, research-based practices that make a positive difference in a child's journey to successful adulthood. Generation Next - a 40 year commitment to developing the leaders of tomorrow through training and engagement with youth and young adults in social action, child advocacy and positive, non-violent social change.