A single teacher can impact more than 3,000 students over the course of a career. Behind every lesson, encouragement and classroom experience is an educator helping shape how young people see themselves, engage in learning and imagine what is possible for their future.

At Kids In Need Foundation, we believe the people closest to students are the people best equipped to tell us what they need. That belief is why we conduct our annual Teacher Insight Survey—to listen, learn and ensure our programs continue reflecting the realities educators and students face every day.

Every Classroom Has a Story. Teachers Know It Best. 

This year, more than 7,400 educators shared a candid look inside today’s classrooms. Their responses revealed both the challenges students face and the extraordinary commitment teachers bring to meeting those needs. In the words of one educator:

“It’s not simply about pencils or paper; it’s about whether a child feels prepared, included, and ready to learn.”

Again and again, teachers reminded us that school supplies are about far more than materials. They are tools that help students participate fully, build confidence, develop a sense of belonging and access opportunities that might otherwise feel out of reach. As one Minnesota educator echoed:

“Supplies aren’t extras—they’re essential tools for learning, belonging, and opportunity.”

The insights gathered through this survey do more than inform a report. They help shape KINF’s programs, partnerships and initiatives—from expanding access to literacy resources and hygiene products to strengthening support for teachers through our National Network of Resource Centers. When educators tell us what students need, we listen—and we act.

We invite you to explore the findings and hear directly from the educators whose voices continue to guide our work and inspire our mission.

Kids In Need Foundation A Pivotal Before and After

There are moments in an organization’s history that quietly change everything—not because the mission changes, but because the infrastructure finally catches up to the vision. For Kids In Need Foundation, that moment arrived when we opened the doors to our new headquarters.

Just one year ago, KINF operated from a 23,000-square-foot facility with only 17,000 square feet dedicated to warehouse operations. As demand grew, the limitations of that space required us to lease additional off-site storage and outsource portions of our fulfillment work simply to keep pace. Every inch was stretched to support growing programs, increasing demand, and expanding partnerships.

Today, KINF operates from a 75,000-square-foot headquarters with a 55,000-square-foot warehouse, more than tripling our operational capacity and bringing our work under one roof. This shift has reduced the need and cost for added space and outside fulfillment support, allowing us to operate more efficiently, strengthen coordination across teams, and direct more resources toward mission-critical work.

The impact is measured not in square footage, but in people. In Minnesota alone, our Teacher Resource Center previously served approximately 3,000 teachers each quarter. Today, that number is expanding up to 5,000 educators every quarter, providing thousands more teachers with free classroom supplies, educational resources, and a supportive community designed specifically for them. The expanded facility has also created new opportunities for professional development, educator workshops, volunteer engagement, and community connection—ensuring teachers receive not only materials, but encouragement and support.

The growth extends far beyond Minnesota. Increased storage, fulfillment, and distribution capacity have strengthened our ability to expand both the reach and depth of our impact nationwide. We are now able to support more teachers and students across the country while providing more comprehensive support within the schools we serve. What was once a space struggling to keep pace with demand has become a hub of opportunity, helping ensure that more classrooms, educators, and students have access to the resources they need to discover what they are truly capable of.

Yet despite everything this building has already made possible, we believe its most important chapter is still ahead. Today, KINF leases this facility under commercially competitive terms; however, lease costs increase each year. Purchasing the building would allow KINF to establish a permanent home for this work with fixed, substantially lower monthly expenses, reducing long-term occupancy costs, eliminating future lease uncertainty, and allowing us to reinvest more resources directly into programs that support teachers and students.

Because this building is not simply a warehouse. It is what hope looks like operationalized. It is infrastructure transformed into opportunity—a place where educators find both the resources and the reassurance that they are not doing this work alone. It is where communities come together around a shared belief that education is the greatest gateway to opportunity. And within these walls, that belief becomes action—equipping students with the tools, resources, and support they need to unlock their potential and pursue their biggest dreams.

Beyond the Backpack

The insights shared through our Teacher Insight Survey reinforced something educators have been telling us for years: school supplies are about far more than materials alone. They help students feel prepared, confident, included, and ready to learn.

That’s the inspiration behind Beyond the Backpack, a new campaign launching this summer that explores the ripple effect of access—what happens when students and teachers have the tools, resources, and support they need to thrive.

Throughout the coming months, we’ll share stories from classrooms, communities, volunteers, and educators across the country that bring this idea to life. Because while supplies may fit inside a backpack, the opportunities they create—and the potential they help unlock—reach far beyond it.