THE CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND'S MISSION IS TO BUILD COMMUNITY SO YOUNG PEOPLE GROW UP WITH DIGNITY, HOPE, AND JOY. TO REALIZE THIS VISION, CDF PURSUES A MOVEMENT-BUILDING AND INSTITUTIONAL GROWTH STRATEGY TO BUILD POWER FOR CHILD-CENTERED PUBLIC POLICY INFORMED BY RACIAL EQUITY AND THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH. CDF SERVES AND ADVOCATES FOR THE LARGEST, MOST DIVERSE GENERATION IN AMERICA: THE 74 MILLION CHILDREN AND YOUTH UNDER THE AGE OF 18 AND 30 MILLION YOUNG ADULTS UNDER THE AGE OF 25, WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THOSE LIVING IN POVERTY AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. CDF IS THE ONLY NATIONAL, MULTI-ISSUE ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION WORKING AT THE INTERSECTION OF CHILD WELL-BEING AND RACIAL JUSTICE BY WIELDING THE MORAL AUTHORITY OF PROGRAMMATIC PROXIMITY AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZING TO INFORM PUBLIC POLICY.
Executive compensation, broken down
Form 990 · Schedule J · 11 reported individuals · Filing year 2023
- Base
- $325k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- —
- Benefits
- —
- Base
- $201k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- —
- Benefits
- —
- Base
- $190k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- —
- Benefits
- —
- Base
- $191k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- —
- Benefits
- —
- Base
- $168k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- —
- Benefits
- —
- Base
- $167k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- —
- Benefits
- —
- Base
- $157k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- —
- Benefits
- —
- Base
- $158k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- —
- Benefits
- —
| Position | Base | Bonus | Other | Benefits | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
President/ceo | $325k | — | — | — | $335k $367k |
Vice President, Strategy and Program vice president | $201k | — | — | — | $207k $227k |
California State Director and National Litigation highest compensated employee | $190k | — | — | — | $197k $216k |
VP of Institutional Advancement vice president | $191k | — | — | — | $197k $216k |
Director of Southern Regional Ofc highest compensated employee | $168k | — | — | — | $173k $190k |
New York State Director highest compensated employee | $167k | — | — | — | $172k $188k |
National Director, Cdf Freedom Schools highest compensated employee | $157k | — | — | — | $162k $177k |
National Director, Public Affairs highest compensated employee | $158k | — | — | — | $161k $176k |
Vice President Operations vice president | — | — | — | — | $130k $142k |
President Emerita | — | — | — | — | $121k $132k |
Chief of Staff officer (unspecified) | — | — | — | — | $30k $33k |
Teal figures restate each filed amount in 2026 dollars.
Estimated with Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro-area CPI-U, restating filed pay into May 2026 dollars. A restatement of past pay, not current or projected pay.
Plus 12 unpaid individuals.
Browse compensation in Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy →
Down 2%
from 2022
From $343k in 2022 to $335k in 2023.
Estimated with Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro-area CPI-U, restating filed pay into May 2026 dollars. A restatement of past pay, not current or projected pay.
Revenue and expenses over time
CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND reported revenue and expenses across 2 filing years.
What Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy executives earn
Comparable civil rights, social action & advocacy organizations nationwide pay their highest-earning executive a median of $77,000.
These are civil rights, social action & advocacy sector-wide figures, not this organization's reported pay. Based on 527 organizations across 527 filings (2021 – 2023).
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