DC Action is a left-of-center nonprofit organization that advocates for increased funding of social programs to address children’s issues in Washington, D.C. ¹ It advocates for funding government programs to provide out-of-school programs, home health care, homeless shelters, and preschools. ²

DC Action is the parent organization of DC KIDS COUNT, Under 3 DC, the DC Out-of-School-Time Coalition, the DC Home Visiting Council, and the Youth Economic Housing and Justice Coalition. ³

Background

DC Action is a left-of-center nonprofit organization that advocates for policies addressing children’s issues in Washington, D.C. It was founded in February 2021 through a merger of DC Action for Children and DC Alliance of Youth Advocates. ⁴

DC Action states that it incorporates the critical race theory concept of anti-racism in its advocacy. It claims to address children’s issues and promote the idea that they are caused by discrimination based on race, sexuality, gender, language, ability, immigration status, income, or neighborhood. ⁵

Programs

Under 3 DC Coalition

Under 3 DC Coalition is a program founded in 2020 to campaign in support ofgovernment funding and implementing programs under the Birth-to-Three For All DC Act. The coalition is organized by DC Action, the DC Early Learning Collaborative, the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, the Early Childhood Innovation Network, Jews United for Justice, and SPACEs in Action. The Birth-to-Three For All DC Act was passed by the District of Columbia in 2018 to subsidize preschool and child care, requiring costs in excess of 10 percent of a parent’s income to be paid for under the bill. It also institutes funding for home visits for health-care and mental-health services. ⁶

Youth Economic Justice and Housing Coalition

The Youth Economic Justice and Housing Coalition is a DC Action initiative that advocates for “funding, policies, and programs” to the extent that it would eradicate homelessness for children and their families. ⁷

In a 2022 Washington Blade article, Youth Economic Justice and Housing Coalition and DC Action Senior Youth Policy Analyst Rachel White criticized the closure of the Casa Ruby homeless shelter in Washington, D.C. and advocated for increased funding for youth homeless shelters and mental health programs. ⁸

DC Out-of-School-Time Coalition

The DC Out-of-School-Time Coalition is a network of District of Columbia-based nonprofit organizations organized by DC Action to advocate for the funding of education programs that are provided outside of school. It claims that such programs benefit the personal development of children, increase community safety, prepare children for college, and improve academic outcomes. ⁹

District of Columbia Budget Advocacy

In June 2024, DC Action published a blog post in response to Washington, D.C.’s approved fiscal year 2025 budget, reporting that it had opposed Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) budget cuts for social programs addressing issues pertaining to children and families. It lobbied in support of increased spending to fund increased salaries for public school teachers, preschools, in-home nursing visits, instituting a $1,500 child tax credit for each child for families that earn up to 300 percent of the federal poverty line, $27 million for Out-of-School Time grants, and for funding for the Nonprofit Fair Compensation Act which would require funding for nonprofit organizations to be increased to cover “overhead and indirect costs.” ¹⁰

DC Action also advocated for increased funding in the budget for Medicaid and other publicly funded health insurance programs including the Immigrant Children’s Program. ¹¹

DC Action executive director Kimberly Perry wrote that DC Action criticized the annual budget by claiming it has never included a “viable plan” for addressing problems faced by children and families. She went on to write that there should be long-term funding programs that address health, education, public safety, housing, and employment issues with regard to how, as she claims, they are caused by racial discrimination and poverty. ¹²

Financials

In 2022, DC Action reported receiving $2.1 million in total revenue, including $499,033 in contributions and $1.6 million in program service revenue. ¹³ It also reported $1.8 million in total expenses, including $75,000 in grants paid and $1.3 million in salaries and compensation for its employees. ¹⁴

Leadership

Kimberly Perry is the executive director of DC Action. She has previously worked as the founding director of DC Hunger Solutions, vice president of the Clinton Foundation’s Alliance for a Healthier Generation, and as executive director of DC Vote. ¹⁵

1. “About Us.” DC Action, February 26, 2024. https://wearedcaction.org/about-us/.
2. “What the FY25 Budget Means for Children, Youth, and Families.” DC Action, June 13, 2024. https://wearedcaction.org/publications/what-the-fy25-budget-means-for-children-youth-and-families/.
3. “Home.” DC Action, July 3, 2024. https://wearedcaction.org/.
4. “About Us.” DC Action, February 26, 2024. https://wearedcaction.org/about-us/.
5. “Anti-Racist Principles.” DC Action, November 15, 2023. https://wearedcaction.org/about-us/anti-racist-principles/.
6. Under 3 DC Coalition.” DC Action, August 1, 2024. https://wearedcaction.org/our-coalitions/under-3-dc-coalition/.
7. “Youth Economic Justice and Housing Coalition.” DC Action, February 16, 2024. https://wearedcaction.org/our-coalitions/youth-economic-justice-and-housing/.
8. White, Rachel. “Casa Ruby Is Closed. What Happens to Homeless Youth Now?” Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News, October 13, 2022. https://www.washingtonblade.com/2022/10/13/casa-ruby-is-closed-what-happens-to-homeless-youth-now/.
9. “DC Out-of-School-Time Coalition.” DC Action, July 17, 2024. https://wearedcaction.org/our-coalitions/dc-out-of-school-time-coalition/.
10. “What the FY25 Budget Means for Children, Youth, and Families.” DC Action, June 13, 2024. https://wearedcaction.org/publications/what-the-fy25-budget-means-for-children-youth-and-families/.
11. “What the FY25 Budget Means for Children, Youth, and Families.” DC Action, June 13, 2024. https://wearedcaction.org/publications/what-the-fy25-budget-means-for-children-youth-and-families/.
12. “What the FY25 Budget Means for Children, Youth, and Families.” DC Action, June 13, 2024. https://wearedcaction.org/publications/what-the-fy25-budget-means-for-children-youth-and-families/.
13. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). DC Action for Children Today DC Act. 2022. Part I, Lines 8-12.
14. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). DC Action for Children Today DC Act. 2022. Part I, Lines 13-18.
15. “Kimberly Perry.” 2024 DC Early Educator Experience. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://dcearlyedx.org/speakers/kim-perry/.