Common Counsel Foundation
97% goes to programs $1 to raise $100 Strong reserves Declining revenue
Common Counsel Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Oakland, California, registered in 1995, with $51,414,712 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it C, and it directs about 97% of spending to programs.
1624 Franklin St 11th Floor, Oakland, CA, 94612 EIN 94-3214166 Since 1995
Revenue (FY2024)
$51.4M
▼ 49.6% vs prior year
Community median: $184K
Expenses (FY2024)
$126.1M
Net assets
$63.7M
Employees
86
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
C
★★★★
Rated on 4 of 4 criteria.
Held down by its weakest criterion — a strong score on one criterion can't hide a weak one.
How the rating works →A+Program efficiency40% of the rating97% to programs · $1 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Common Counsel Foundation: 97% to programs · $1 to raise $100 earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
FFinancial health25% of the rating6 mo reserves · -145% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Common Counsel Foundation: 6 mo reserves · -145% margin earns a F on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Common Counsel Foundation: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Common Counsel Foundation: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
Ccf 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 sustainability and donor education.
What they do
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 political wins, convene organizational leadership in order to debate and cocreate a shared movement wide strategy. the rising majority is a coalition that commits to developing a collective strategy and shared practice that brings together labor, youth, abolition, immigrant rights, climate justice, feminist, anti-war, and economic justice forces to amplify their collective power. color congress is an intermediary and a funder that is building a national collective of majority people of color (poc) and pocled organizations aimed at centering and strengthening nonfiction storytelling by, for and about people of color across the united states and territories.
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 community-led organizations and whose knowledge and expertise adds to the knowledge and expertise of ccf's staff. ccf's community advisors and staff ensure that the organization is aware of the latest innovations emerging from local communities and of pioneering solutions developed by local leaders. ccf's staff and advisors are able to identify community leaders who have exciting vision and organizations with promising new models and approaches.
Contact & location
- Address
- 1624 Franklin St 11th Floor, Oakland, CA, 94612
- City
- Oakland
- State
- California
- Subcategory
- Nonprofit Management Support
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $4.2M (FY2015) to $51.4M (FY2024) across 10 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $3.8MNet assets $63.7M
Operating margin
-145.3%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$67.5M
Total liabilities
$3.8M
Net assets
$63.7M
Salaries & benefits
$12.0M
10% of expenses
Board members
5
5 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $51,414,712▼49.6% | $126,096,528▲117% | $63,725,251▼53.9% | $67,481,943▼52.1% | 990 |
| 2023 | $102,103,417▲85.7% | $58,024,164▲7.2% | $138,245,956▲46.8% | $141,024,064▲44.8% | 990 |
| 2022 | $54,978,381▼35.8% | $54,119,812▲68.1% | $94,155,388▲0.9% | $97,359,062▲0.6% | 990 |
| 2021 | $85,692,119▲107% | $32,200,833▲143% | $93,301,647▲137% | $96,797,040▲137% | 990 |
| 2020 | $41,302,609▲367% | $13,228,031▼19.2% | $39,440,657▲222% | $40,793,744▲229% | 990 |
| 2019 | $8,852,562▼53.9% | $16,366,674▲123% | $12,256,510▼38.0% | $12,395,528▼37.8% | 990 |
| 2018 | $19,222,706▲86.0% | $7,346,268▲53.1% | $19,770,622▲150% | $19,926,636▲145% | 990 |
| 2017 | $10,334,037▲181% | $4,797,632▲22.6% | $7,894,184▲235% | $8,148,926▲199% | 990 |
| 2016 | $3,681,973▼13.0% | $3,914,023▲23.7% | $2,357,779▼10.3% | $2,729,957▼10.4% | 990 |
| 2015 | $4,230,072 | $3,163,376 | $2,629,420 | $3,047,765 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2024)
Highest-paid: Sangeeta Chowdhry — $306,300 (0.24% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sangeeta Chowdhry | Executive Director | 40 | $306,300 |
| Karissa Lewis | Innovation Labs Director, Membership | 40 | $239,991 |
| Philip Smith | Chief Finance Officer | 40 | $208,688 |
| Sarah Gort | Managing Director- Ccf | 40 | $208,688 |
| Jazmin Segura Moctezuma | Director, Fund For An Inclusive California | 40 | $200,275 |
| Chelsea Fuller | Interim Senior Communications Director | 40 | $190,000 |
| Amara Enyia | Interim Sr Communications Dir | 40 | $174,000 |
| Christen Lee | Director of Grant Mgmt. and Learning | 40 | $164,745 |
| Ronnie Goines | Director of Resource Strategy | 40 | $164,729 |
| Celeste Faison | Polit. Strategy/campaigns Exec. Lead | 40 | $158,092 |
| Mary Hooks | National Field Secretary | 40 | $150,000 |
| Carly Bad Heart Bull | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Chandra Alexandre Phd | Chair | 1 | — |
| Ed Sungkyu Lee | Secretary | 1 | — |
| Garrett Collins | Treasurer | 1 | — |
| Vanessa Moses | Trustee | 1 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Davis Wright Tremaine LLP | Legal Support - General Employment Advis | $442,560 |
| 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 |
Grants received · $60.2M total
181 grants to Common Counsel Foundation totaling $60.2M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Inc | General operating support and project support | 2024 | $2,722,000 |
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Civic participation | 2024 | $1,550,000 |
| Tides Foundation | Healthy individuals and communities | 2024 | $362,500 |
| Impactassets Inc | General support | 2024 | $250,000 |
| Impactassets Inc | General support | 2024 | $200,000 |
| Beyond Impact | General support | 2024 | $108,731 |
| New Hampshire Charitable Foundation | For movement for black lives, to support the black hive program | 2024 | $100,000 |
| Impactassets Inc | General support | 2024 | $52,000 |
| Philadelphia Foundation | General operating support for color congress initiative | 2024 | $50,000 |
| Tides Center | Equity, human rights, and economic empowerment | 2024 | $50,000 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Community devel | 2024 | $47,000 |
| Greater Kansas City Community Foundation | Public, societal benefit | 2024 | $30,000 |
| The Bessemer Giving Fund | General support | 2024 | $25,000 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $20,000 |
| Network For Good Inc | Unrestricted | 2024 | $16,300 |
Grants made · $101.2M in FY2024
621 grants totaling $101.2M in FY2024 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by Common Counsel Foundation →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Impactassets Inc | Fund closeout | $37,233,011 |
| Movement 4 Black Lives Inc | Fund closeout | $15,817,927 |
| Native Land Conservancy Inc | General support | $4,000,000 |
| Accomplis Collective | 80 acres | $2,500,000 |
| Neo Philanthropy Inc | Cypress fund | $1,500,000 |
| Resist Inc | Northeast farmers of color network | $1,100,000 |
| Lightworks Collective Inc | Building purchase project | $1,000,000 |
| Ekvnv Yefolecvlke | General support | $1,000,000 |
| Freedom Org | General support | $1,000,000 |
| Social Good Fund Inc | Braiding seeds fellowship | $1,000,000 |
| Ndn Collective Inc | Community action fund | $750,000 |
| Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Inc | To support community organizing purposes | $719,900 |
| Center For Third World Organizing | Praxis power groups | $540,000 |
| Groundswell Fund | General support | $500,000 |
| Haymarket Peoples Fund Inc | General support and 50th anniversary campaign | $500,000 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Common Counsel Foundation a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Common Counsel Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 94-3214166, based in Oakland, California. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Common Counsel Foundation's EIN?
- Common Counsel Foundation's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 94-3214166.
- How much revenue does Common Counsel Foundation report?
- Common Counsel Foundation reported $51,414,712 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Common Counsel Foundation's spending goes to programs?
- Common Counsel Foundation spends about 97% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Common Counsel Foundation have?
- CharityIndex grades Common Counsel Foundation C, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Common Counsel Foundation's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Common Counsel Foundation's latest Form 990 is $306,300, paid to Sangeeta Chowdhry (Executive Director).
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Explore more
Data for Common Counsel Foundation (EIN 94-3214166) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.