About Child Poverty Action Lab
The Child Poverty Action Lab (CPAL) operates as an unofficial R&D department for Dallas, rethinking how data can be integrated into public systems, community programs, and neighborhood life to break cycles of intergenerational poverty.
Focus Areas
child povertyeconomic mobilitybenefits accessmaternal healthhousingsafety and criminal justiceneighborhood opportunityearly developmenteconomic connectedness
Who They Fund
neighborhood residents (St. Louis neighborhoods)pregnant people and maternal health patientsyouth (camp participants)
About Child Poverty Action Lab
Child Poverty Action Lab frames its work around Dallas child poverty as a systems problem, funding public systems, community programs, and neighborhood life with the explicit aim of breaking cycles of intergenerational hardship. That orientation shows up in grants that combine health, housing, safety, education, and place-based neighborhood work rather than a single program lane. In 2025, the foundation made a $323,704 grant to Consultorio General Hispano through the Trust Her Initiative, one of its largest recent awards, alongside a $250,000 general-support grant to Forest Forward in Dallas. The pattern suggests a funder that backs local organizations while also channeling money into initiatives with defined themes such as maternal health, eviction response, and public-private safety collaboration. Its recent portfolio also includes support for civic participation, criminal justice reform research, and neighborhood transformation efforts. Child Poverty Action Lab’s grants are concentrated in Dallas and nearby Texas communities, with a strong preference for organizations working inside the city’s broader ecosystem. The foundation operates with annual grants of $3.3 million and assets of $26.0 million, indicating a sizable local grantmaker rather than a national one.
What Child Poverty Action Lab Funds
Child Poverty Action Lab gives across several connected cause areas tied to child poverty reduction in Dallas. In maternal and reproductive health, it made a $184,067 grant to Comadre Telemedicine and a $100,000 grant to UT Southwestern Med Center for OBGYN support, both through health-oriented programming. Housing and eviction work appears in a $250,000 general-operating grant to Dallas Eviction Advocacy Cent, pointing to support for advocacy infrastructure. Public safety is another clear lane: the foundation gave $130,000 to Ground Game Fund for public-private safety initiatives and $111,000 to Next Generation Action Net for the same purpose. Neighborhood transformation also shows up in grants such as $29,500 to Popup Comfort for neighborhood transformation and $25,000 to Better Block Foundation for the same theme.
How Child Poverty Action Lab Gives
Child Poverty Action Lab’s typical grant sizes sit in the mid-five-figure range: the p25 is $24,000, median $39,719, and p75 $87,666. The recent record includes both larger catalytic awards and many smaller operating or project grants, which suggests a mixed approach to funding. Recipients appear in multiple years, including Dallas-area organizations that received support in both 2024 and 2025, indicating repeat relationships rather than one-off transactions. The foundation is local in scope, and the grants list shows it funds only U.S. recipients. Its structure appears to emphasize programmatic grantmaking and general support rather than individual aid or program-related investments.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$4.4M
Total Assets
$27.3M
Total Revenue
$16.7M
Total Expenses
$16.8M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $24K and $88K, with a median of $40K.
25th Percentile
$24K
Median
$40K
75th Percentile
$88K
Geographic Reach
Local6 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
ALAN COHEN
Unlock Deep Analysis
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeSee Similar Funders
Free Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeExplore related grant guides
Want a Personalized Pitch for Child Poverty Action Lab?
Sign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Free plan available
No contracts
Cancel anytime