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Common Counsel Foundation
Common Counsel Foundation reported $51.4 million in revenue and $126.1 million in expenses for calendar year 2024. Of every $100 it spent, $97.32 went to program services, $2.18 to management and general costs and $0.50 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 88.6% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $339,667 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). 37 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 481% between 2019 and 2024. Source: Form 990, 2024.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $126MFor context, the median across 479 covered community improvement & capacity building charities: $90.45 programs, $9.31 management, $0.24 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $51MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2024 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 97.3% | 89.1% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 2.2% | 9.2% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.5% | 0.2% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.01 | $0.00 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 88.6% | 80.1% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 14.9% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 4.8% | 11.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $339,667 | $291,103 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.27% | 1.49% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 37 | 5 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 6.1 | 9.2 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 5 of 5 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
2024 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseStrategic and values-driven grantmaking - in 2024, Common Counsel Foundation (Common Counsel) made just over $48 million in grants to charitable organizations that are advancing effective solutions to longstanding social and environmental inequities, through its direct grantmaking. Founded in 1988, Common Counsel advances equity and environmental health through a combination of direct grant making and strategic philanthropic advising for client member funds and manages projects focused on organizational development, leadership training and sustainability and donor education. Common Counsel…
Fiscal sponsorship Common Counsel Foundation's fiscal sponsorship program ensures the health and vitality of the sponsored community-led organizations, and promotes strategic coordination in the philanthropic sector. In 2024, ccf acted as fiscal sponsor for the movement 4 black lives, rising majority, and color congress. The movement 4 black lives was created as a space for black organizations across the country to debate and discuss the current political conditions, develop shared assessments of what political interventions were necessary in order to achieve key policy, cultural and…
Philanthropic services - Common Counsel Foundation provides strategic philanthropic advice, grants management and administration, and accounting support to independent foundations that share a commitment to equity and environmental health. Ccf assists its clients in streamlining their grantmaking processes and deepening their impact. In addition to the services already noted, ccf helps clients refine their grantmaking strategy and provides research, due diligence, grant recommendations, trustee support, and legal compliance. Ccf taps community advisors, each of whom has deep connections to…
Highest reported compensation
2024 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $306,300 | $0 | $33,367 | $339,667 |
| INNOVATION LABS DIRECTOR, MEMBERSHIP Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $239,991 | $0 | $27,698 | $267,689 |
| CHIEF FINANCE OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $208,688 | $0 | $36,535 | $245,223 |
| MANAGING DIRECTOR- CCF Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $208,688 | $0 | $31,911 | $240,599 |
| DIRECTOR, FUND FOR AN INCLUSIVE CALIFORNIA Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $200,275 | $0 | $16,865 | $217,140 |
| INTERIM SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $190,000 | $0 | $16,409 | $206,409 |
| DIRECTOR OF RESOURCE STRATEGY Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $164,729 | $0 | $27,088 | $191,817 |
| INTERIM SR COMMUNICATIONS DIR Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $174,000 | $0 | $17,492 | $191,492 |
37 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Common Counsel Foundation (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.4M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
2024 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b5 · 5 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 586
- Volunteers Part I, line 65
Largest outside contractors
2024 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| STOTT DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS GROUP INC Development support | $302,000 |
| BAYARD Financial and hr consultant | $250,000 |
| BERLIN ROSEN LTD General communications support | $166,594 |
| HALYARD TASHIRA (POLITICS & FASHION) Influencer strategy | $138,000 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 12 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
42 private foundations reported grants to Common Counsel Foundation totaling $23M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Common Counsel Foundation's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Common Counsel Foundation, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Common Counsel Foundation spent in 2024, $97.32 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Pathstone CorporationRochester, NY · revenue $51M · programs 76.1% · FY2025
- NyshaMonroe, NY · revenue $52M · programs 72.5% · 2024
- Dream Machine Innovation SoLos Angeles, CA · revenue $50M · programs 93.7% · FY2024 (5 mo.)
- St Nicks Alliance CorporationBrooklyn, NY · revenue $52M · programs 87.2% · 2024
- PolicylinkOakland, CA · revenue $48M · programs 83.2% · 2024
All community improvement & capacity building charities · Largest charities in California
Questions people ask
How much of Common Counsel Foundation's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2024, Common Counsel Foundation reported that 97.3% of its $126.1 million in expenses went to program services, 2.2% to management and general and 0.5% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Common Counsel Foundation pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Common Counsel Foundation reported for one person in calendar year 2024 was $339,667, for the role of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Common Counsel Foundation get its money?
Of $51.4 million in revenue in calendar year 2024, 88.6% came from contributions and grants and 4.8% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Common Counsel Foundation a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 94-3214166 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202543219349327269 · read the filing · XML
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202433189349311003 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202313139349305731 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202243219349301239 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202143199349327369 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019 (amended), object 202022559349301217 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 94-3214166: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.