Free Press Action Fund
Public records raise at least one point you should look into before giving.
What it says it does
FREE PRESS ACTION FUND FIGHTS FOR YOUR RIGHTS TO CONNECT AND COMMUNICATE. WE FIGHT TO SAVE THE FREE AND OPEN INTERNET, CURB RUNAWAY MEDIA CONSOLIDATION, PROTECT PRESS FREEDOM, AND PROMOTE DIGITAL CIVIL RIGHTS. WE BELIEVE THAT CHANGE HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE HAVE A REAL VOICE IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS. TO THAT END, WE MOBILIZE OUR GROWING BASE OF ACTIVISTS TO SIGN PETITIONS, MEET WITH THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND ATTEND RALLIES AND TOWN-HALL MEETINGS, TO LOBBY IN SUPPORT OF POLICIES THAT SERVE THEIR INTERESTS AND AGAINST THOSE THAT DON'T. WE ARE ACTIVE IN ALL EFFORTS TO EXPOSE THE IMPACT OF PUBLIC POLICY ON THE MOST VULNERABLE AMONG US, INCLUDING PEOPLE OF COLOR AND LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES.
- Income
- $890,009
- Spending
- $661,409
- Employees
- 43
- Volunteers
- 147,006
- Highest pay
- $215,525, co-ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. How we rate
Financial health
We do not score finances when yearly spending is very small or the return has too little detail. The ratios stop meaning much at that size.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. How we rate
Governance
This return does not answer enough of the governance questions to score.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $160,314 spent. FUTURE OF THE INTERNET AND MEDIA: CONTINUED WORK ON AVAILABILITY, ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY OF BROADBAND INTERNET NATIONWIDE. CONTINUED TO WORK IN CONGRESS AND AT THE FCC TO CREATE A PERMANENT LOW-INCOME BROADBAND SUBSIDY TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE CAN ACCESS HIGH-SPEED INTERNET. PROMOTED THE IDEA THAT DIGITAL INCLUSION IS A PUBLIC GOOD. PROVIDED TRAINING TO PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TO ADVOCATE FOR THEIR WORK IN DIGITAL EQUITY AND THEN SUPPORTED THEIR EFFORTS TO LOBBY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO DEMAND THAT THE COMMERCE DEPARTMENT RELEASE THE $2.75 BILLION IN FUNDING THEIR STATES HAD BEEN PROMISED THROUGH THE BIPARTISAN DIGITAL EQUITY ACT, A COMPONENT OF THE 2021 INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT. SUPPORTED THE BROADCAST FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE ACT OF 2025, A BILL THAT WOULD PROHIBIT THE FCC FROM PUNISHING BROADCASTERS ON THE BASIS OF VIEWPOINTS AIRED AND PROHIBIT THE FCC FROM REVOKING A LICENSE OR OTHERWISE TAKING ACTION AGAINST ANY INDIVIDUAL OR ENTITY. OPPOSED CONGRESS' RESCISSION OF $1.1 BILLION IT HAD PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED FOR THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING, FUNDING THAT INCLUDED ESSENTIAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING, INVALUABLE JOURNALISM AND LIFESAVING EMERGENCY ALERTS. EDUCATED POLICYMAKERS AND LOCAL ALLIES IN STATES AND CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO CREATE NEW FORMS OF PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR LOCAL MEDIA AND CIVIC INFORMATION. PUBLISHED A POLICY AGENDA WITH FOUR POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS: FULLY FUND PUBLIC MEDIA AND INDEPENDENT LOCAL JOURNALISM; RESTORE AND STRENGTHEN MEDIA-OWNERSHIP LIMITS; EMBOLDEN THE FCC'S AND FTC'S ROLE IN STOPPING MEDIA MERGERS THAT HARM THE PUBLIC INTEREST; AND RE-ESTABLISH FEDERAL AGENCIES' INDEPENDENCE FROM THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH.
- $175,841 spent. DEMOCRACY AND DIGITAL CIVIL RIGHTS: CONTINUED HIGHLIGHTING THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES IN THE PERPETUATION OF HOAXES, DISINFORMATION, AND HATE SPEECH AND THE IMPACT TO SOCIETY AND ESPECIALLY TO MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, WOMEN, AND PEOPLE OF COLOR. CONTINUED TO ASSERT THAT LAWMAKERS SHOULD PASS A COMPREHENSIVE FEDERAL PRIVACY LAW THAT LIMITS HOW TECH COMPANIES COLLECT, STORE, ANALYZE AND SELL OUR PERSONAL DATA. HELPED DEFEAT A PROVISION IN FEDERAL LEGISLATION THAT WOULD HAVE ENACTED A 10-YEAR MORATORIUM BLOCKING STATE GOVERNMENTS FROM REGULATING AI. SUPPORTED THE REINTRODUCTION OF THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT, WHICH WOULD HELP ELIMINATE BIASES FROM AI TOOLS.
- $188,293 spent. FUTURE OF JOURNALISM: CONTINUED TO WORK IN AND WITH COMMUNITIES AROUND HOW LOCAL NEWS CAN BE REVIVED, STRENGTHENED AND TRANSFORMED. PROMOTED POLICIES THAT WILL BOOST MEDIA OWNERSHIP AMONG WOMEN AND PEOPLE OF COLOR AND CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL MEDIA OWNERS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO SERVING THEIR COMMUNITIES. DEFENDED A FREE PRESS AND URGED PROTECTIONS FOR JOURNALISTS. TESTIFIED BEFORE NEW JERSEY'S SENATE LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE URGING LAWMAKERS TO INVEST IN PUBLIC MEDIA AND TO SPECIFICALLY SUPPORT THE NEW JERSEY CIVIC INFORMATION CONSORTIUM. SUPPORT FROM STATE CIVIC LEADERS AND RESIDENTS SECURED $2.5 MILLION FOR THE CONSORTIUM IN NEW JERSEY'S 2026 BUDGET. BUILT SUPPORT AND MOMENTUM FOR TWO BILLS IN PENNSYLVANIA, ONE WOULD CREATE A PENNSYLVANIA CIVIC INFORMATION CONSORTIUM AND THE OTHER CREATES A STATE FELLOWSHIP FOR LOCAL REPORTERS. ADVOCATED IN CALIFORNIA FOR INVESTMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS TO ADDRESS COMMUNITY-INFORMATION NEEDS. ENCOURAGED CALIFORNIA'S ALLOCATION OF $15 MILLION TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING THE LOCAL NEWS FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM, WHICH HELPS EARLY-CAREER JOURNALISTS WORKING IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE.
- FREE PRESS ACTION FUND CONDUCTS EDUCATION, ORGANIZING AND MOBILIZING EFFORTS TO SUPPORT OUR MEMBERS TO ADVOCATE FOR BETTER MEDIA, OPEN TECHNOLOGY AND A HEALTHIER DEMOCRACY. AREAS OF FOCUS INCLUDE NETWORK NEUTRALITY, AFFORDABLE INTERNET ACCESS, ONLINE PRIVACY, CORPORATE AND GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE, JOURNALISM, CIVIC INFORMATION, PUBLIC MEDIA, MEDIA CONSOLIDATION, MEDIA DIVERSITY, AND GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. IN 2025, FREE PRESS ACTION CONTINUED TO BUILD PUBLIC AWARENESS AND ENTHUSIASM FOR BETTER MEDIA IN THE UNITED STATES BY PROVIDING EDUCATION, RESOURCES AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR MEMBERS. OUR MEMBERS ACTED MORE THAN 60,000 TIMES TO SIGN PETITIONS AND MAKE PHONE CALLS TO THEIR LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL ELECTED LEADERS. FREE PRESS ACTION FILED PUBLIC COMMENTS, PARTICIPATED IN SEVERAL FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION AND FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION PROCEEDINGS, AND DESIGNED AND ADVOCATED FOR POLICIES RELATED TO INTERNET, JOURNALISM, PUBLIC MEDIA AND DISINFORMATION. WE GARNERED MORE THAN 840 PRESS HITS IN OUTLETS INCLUDING THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, THE GUARDIAN, LA OPININ, MOTHER JONES, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE NEW YORKER, NBC NEWS, NPR AND THE WASHINGTON POST. WE SECURED FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM 2,068 UNIQUE DONORS. TOTAL PROGRAM EXPENDITURES ARE DETAILED IN THE THREE CORE PROGRAM AREAS ABOVE.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Caution.
The IRS master file records contributions to this 501(c)(4) social welfare organization as not deductible.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since November 2004.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.