Pennsylvania Economy League Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE PENNSYLVANIA ECONOMY LEAGUE (PEL) IS AN INDEPENDENT NON-PROFIT PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION COMPRISED OF THREE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANIES: PEL, SOUTHEASTERN PA, LLC, DBA ECONOMY LEAGUE OF GREATER PHILADELPHIA; SEE SCHEDULE O FOR CONTINUATIONTHE PENNSYLVANIA ECONOMY LEAGUE OF SOUTHWESTERN PA, LLC, DBA THE PENNSYLVANIA ECONOMY LEAGUE OF GREATER PITTSBURGH; AND THE PENNSYLVANIA ECONOMY LEAGUE, CENTRAL PA, LLC. PEL'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE INDEPENDENT RESEARCH ON EMERGING ISSUES IN ORDER TO STIMULATE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ACTION AND TO MAKE PENNSYLVANIA A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE, WORK AND DO BUSINESS. ITS PURPOSE IS TO CREATE A KNOWLEDGEABLE CORPORATE AND CIVIC AUDIENCE TO HELP ENSURE THE ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS OF THE COMMONWEALTH AND ITS REGIONS.
- Income
- $4.9 million
- Spending
- $4.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 64%
- Reserves
- -0.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 70%
- Employees
- 3
- Volunteers
- 9
- Highest pay
- $204,607, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 37 out of 100.
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 93% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 0% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 32% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1564% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 258 of 9 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. 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 (3)
- $1.5 million spent. THE ECONOMY LEAGUE OF GREATER PHILADELPHIA FOSTERS EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE GROWTH IN GREATER PHILADELPHIA BY PRODUCING IMPACTFUL, NONPARTISAN RESEARCH, CONNECTING DIVERSE LEADERS, AND ADVANCING SHARED SOLUTIONS. THE ELGP IS OUR REGION'S INDEPENDENT 'THINK-AND-DO TANK,' FOUNDED IN 1909 BY FORWARD-THINKING CIVIC LEADERS, UNITED BY THE BELIEF THAT BUSINESS HAS A CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY BEYOND PROFIT-MAKING, AND THAT IT IS THE CITIZENS BUSINESS TO ENSURE THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE LOCAL ECONOMY WORK FOR ALL. SEE SCHEDULE O FOR CONTINUATIONIN 2024 THE ECONOMY LEAGUE SERVED ITS MISSION WITH 4 DISTINCT PROGRAM LINES, OVERSEEN BY THE BOARD'S PROGRAM COMMITTEE. THESE PROGRAM LINES ARE THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA LEADERSHIP EXCHANGE (GPLEX), FOCUSED ON BUILDING 'CIVIC MUSCLE' VIA A YEAR-LONG SERIES OF PROGRAMS CULMINATING IN AN ANNUAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT; PHILADELPHIA ANCHORS FOR GROWTH & EQUITY (PAGE), WHICH HARNESSES INSTITUTIONAL PURCHASING POWER TO DRIVE JOBS AND GROWTH AMONG DIVERSE LOCAL BUSINESSES; THE RESEARCH & ANALYTICS DEPARTMENT, WHICH PRODUCES INDEPENDENT NONPARTISAN RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS AIMED AT FACILITATING INFORMED DECISION MAKING BY POLICY MAKERS AND ADVOCATES; AND IMPACT LABS, A SOCIAL INNOVATION INCUBATOR AND ACCELERATOR DESIGNED TO IDENTIFY AND SUPPORT EVERYDAY INNOVATORS WITH NOVEL IDEAS FOR TACKLING THE REGION'S MOST PRESSING PROBLEMS.THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA LEADERSHIP EXCHANGE (GPLEX) IS AN INITIATIVE OF THE ECONOMY LEAGUE AIMED AT BUILDING 'CIVIC MUSCLE' BY CREATING A CADRE OF WELL-INFORMED AND NETWORKED BUSINESS, CIVIC, NONPROFIT, AND GOVERNMENT LEADERS. THROUGH IN-REGION PROGRAMMING AND OUT-OF-REGION LEARNING VISITS, GPLEX EXPOSES LEADERS TO BEST PRACTICES, FORGES NEW CONNECTIONS ACROSS SECTORS AND INDUSTRIES AND DEEPENS PARTICIPANTS' UNDERSTANDING OF GREATER PHILADELPHIA'S POTENTIAL. FROM SEPTEMBER 29-OCT 1, MORE THAN 170 PHILADELPHIANS CONVENED IN SAN DIEGO FOR THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE. PHILADELPHIA ANCHORS FOR GROWTH & EQUITY (PAGE) IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE ECONOMY LEAGUE, THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA'S COMMERCE DEPARTMENT, AND THE CITY'S MAJOR EDS-AND-MEDS INSTITUTIONS. PAGE ANALYZES THE WAY THESE INSTITUTIONS SPEND THEIR PROCUREMENT DOLLARS AND IS BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE TO HELP THE INSTITUTIONS SHIFT MORE OF THEIR ROUGHLY $5 BN IN ANNUAL SPEND TO LOCAL DIVERSE BUSINESSES. PAGE HAS GARNERED OVER $2 MILLION IN FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE STAKEHOLDERS THEMSELVES AS WELL AS THE TD CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, THE AMERISOURCE BERGEN FOUNDATION, THE BARRA FOUNDATION, THE LENFEST FOUNDATION, THE BANK OF AMERICA FOUNDATION, THE FEDERAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY, THE WILLIAM PENN FOUNDATION, M&T BANK, AND JP MORGAN CHASE. WE HELD A VERY SUCCESSFUL AND WELL-ATTENDED PAGE SUMMIT IN FEBRUARY 2024 FEATURING MAYOR CHERELLE PARKER AS A KEYNOTE SPEAKER - AND A REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION SUMMIT IN AUGUST 2024, WHICH FEATURED CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT KENYATTA JOHNSON.SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1909, THE ECONOMY LEAGUE HAS BEEN A RESOURCE FOR IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT INTO OUR REGION'S ECONOMIC HEALTH. FOR MORE THAN 5 YEARS OUR RESEARCH TEAM HAS PRODUCED CONSISTENT BIWEEKLY LEADING INDICATORS DATA BRIEFS THAT SHED LIGHT ON THE LOCAL ECONOMY AND MANY OTHER TOPICS RELEVANT TO POLICYMAKERS, JOURNALISTS, AND CIVIC LEADERS. IN 2024 WE WERE AWARDED A $75,000 GRANT BY THE LENFEST INSTITUTE OF JOURNALISM TO BUILD A CIVIC DATE PLATFORM THAT WILL DEMOCRATIZE ACCESS TO CIVIC DATA AND ENABLE JOURNALISTS AND POLICY MAKERS TO CONSTRUCT DATA ANALYSES AND VISUALIZATIONS WITHOUT PRIOR EXPERTISE. LEVERAGING AN IMPORTANT ECONOMY LEAGUE STUDY THAT REVEALED MASSIVE RACIAL INEQUITY IN PROPERTY VALUATION, KNOW YOUR PRICE, PHILLY, WE PROPOSED AN IMPACT LABS INNOVATION CHALLENGE DESIGNED TO SOURCE COMMUNITY-DRIVE SOLUTIONS TO REVALUING PROPERTY IN HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES. WE RAISED OVER $300,000 FROM CORPORATE AND PHILANTHROPIC SOURCES AND PREPARED TO LAUNCH THE FAIR CITY CHALLENGE AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WITH THE GOAL OF AWARDING A $50,000 GRAND PRIZE IN FALL 2025.
- $1.4 million spent. THE PENNSYLVANIA ECONOMY LEAGUE OF GREATER PITTSBURGH (PELGP), ALONG WITH OUR AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS ALLEGHENY CONFERENCE ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (ACCD), PITTSBURGH REGIONAL ALLIANCE (PRA) AND GREATER PITTSBURGH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (GPCC) - AND OUR REGIONAL INVESTOR COUNCIL PARTNERS, TOOK IMPORTANT STEPS TOWARD ACHIEVING THE GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE REGION WE STRIVE FOR.SEE SCHEDULE O FOR CONTINUATIONPELGP HAS FOCUSED ITS EFFORTS ON STRENGTHENING ITS THOUGHT LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE TO STEP UP ITS EXPERTISE AND INFLUENCE ON STRATEGIC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ISSUES. AS PART OF THEIR COMMITMENT TO LEADING THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLICY SOLUTIONS AND ENGAGING CRITICAL STAKEHOLDERS TO DRIVE POLICY AND PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES ACROSS INTEREST AREAS, THE COMMITTEE HAS SUCCESSFULLY HOSTED SEVERAL ENTREPRENEURIAL SUMMITS, EXPANDED PARTNERSHIPS WITH UNIVERSITIES AND SMALL BUSINESSES, AND ADVANCED SUPPORT FOR CRITICAL LEGISLATION THAT REINFORCES ACCD'S DEDICATION TO DRIVING SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH. A CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL TEAM, GUIDED BY THE THOUGHT LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE, HAS DEVELOPED A COMPREHENSIVE WORK PLAN ALIGNED WITH THREE PRIMARY GOALS: WORKFORCE AND TALENT, INCLUSIVE ECONOMIES, AND CLUSTER STRATEGY AND BUSINESS GROWTH. THE THOUGHT LEADERSHIP TEAM HAS CONTINUED TO PRODUCE REGULAR REPORTS AND ANALYSIS ON THE STATE OF THE REGION'S ECONOMY AND HAS BEGUN DEVELOPING AND PRODUCING NEW REPORTS THAT BRING GREATER INSIGHT INTO SOCIO-ECONOMIC TRENDS AND POLICY ISSUES.IN ADDITION TO THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, THE THOUGHT LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE ALSO MANAGES THE REGIONAL GROWTH AND COMPETITIVENESS SUBCOMMITTEE, WHICH IS MADE UP OF REGIONAL BUSINESS LEADERS FROM THE REGIONAL INVESTOR COUNCIL. THE SUBCOMMITTEE CONVENES ONCE PER QUARTER FOR A ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION OF CURRENT BUSINESS CONDITIONS, ECONOMIC TRENDS, AND GROWTH EXPECTATIONS WHICH HELP TO INFORM THOUGHT LEADERSHIP'S STRATEGIC GOALS AND RESEARCH PRIORITIES.
- $293,660 spent. 2024 MARKED A YEAR OF TRANSITION AND CONTINUED IMPACT FOR THE PENNSYLVANIA ECONOMY LEAGUE, CENTRAL PA, LLC.SEE SCHEDULE O FOR CONTINUATIONFOCUS ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL DISTRESSTHROUGHOUT 2024, THE PERSISTENT ISSUE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL DISTRESS REMAINED AT THE HEART OF PEL'S RESEARCH, CIVIC EDUCATION, AND PROJECT AGENDA. ONGOING ECONOMIC CHALLENGES AND GLOBAL UNCERTAINTIES REINFORCED THE NEED FOR ROBUST STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS THIS CRISIS. PEL CONTINUED PROVIDING MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH WITH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, BUILDING ON ITS ESTABLISHED EXPERTISE.HOME RULE CHARTER PROJECTSSIGNIFICANT STRIDES WERE MADE IN SUPPORTING GOVERNMENT STUDY COMMISSIONS, WITH THE PURPOSE OF ADOPTING HOME RULE CHARTERS: BOROUGH OF WILKINSBURG: AFTER RESIDENTS VOTED TO ESTABLISH A GOVERNMENT STUDY COMMISSION IN NOVEMBER 2022, PEL WAS RETAINED AS A CONSULTANT IN MAY 2023. BY AUGUST, THE COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO DRAFT A HOME RULE CHARTER. CITY OF LANCASTER: FOLLOWING A MAY 2023 VOTE TO FORM A GOVERNMENT STUDY COMMISSION, PEL WAS HIRED IN JUNE. WORK CONTINUED INTO 2024 AS THE COMMISSION EXPLORED POTENTIAL REFORMS. CITY OF SHAMOKIN: AFTER TWO PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS TO FORM A GOVERNMENT STUDY COMMISSION, THE CITY OF SHAMOKIN ELECTED COMMISSIONERS IN APRIL 2024. PEL WAS RETAINED AS A CONSULTANT TO ASSIST WITH THIS WORK. LUZERNE COUNTY: LUZERNE COUNTY RESIDENTS VOTED TO REEXAMINE ITS HOME RULE CHARTER. PEL WAS RETAINED AS THE CONSULTANT TO SUPPORT THESE EFFORTS. THESE PROJECTS SIGNIFY A SHIFT IN PEL'S TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORK, MOVING FROM MERELY ASSESSING ECONOMIC LANDSCAPES TO RECOMMENDING STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION FOR LONG-TERM MUNICIPAL SUSTAINABILITY.ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCEBEYOND THE HOME RULE PROJECTS, PEL'S TECHNICAL SUPPORT EXTENDED TO A RANGE OF OTHER INITIATIVES: A COLLABORATION WITH ECKERT SEAMANS FOR AN ASSESSMENT OF HANNOVER AREA FIRE AND RESCUE, FINALIZED IN AUGUST 2023, EVALUATING FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AND ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONS FOR THE REGIONAL FIRE DEPARTMENT OF HANOVER BOROUGH AND PENN TOWNSHIP. AS ONE OF THE FEW PAID BOROUGH AND TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN PENNSYLVANIA, PEL'S ASSESSMENT PROVIDED SUPPORT OF PREVIOUS RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (DCED), AND RECOMMENDED BEST PRACTICES FOR FUTURE SUSTAINABILITY AND SUCCESS. POST-ACT 47 ASSISTANCE FOR THE CITY OF SCRANTON, ACT-47 SUPPORT FOR THE CITY OF SHAMOKIN, AND SUPPORT IN EXITING ACT 47 FOR THE CITY OF HAZLETON AND THE BOROUGH OF MAHANOY CITY. STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PLANNING PROGRAM SUPPORT FOR THE MUNICIPALITIES OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, AND THE BOROUGHS OF DUNMORE, COUDERSPORT, LUZERNE, AND CATASAUQUA. A FINANCIAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT, A NEW DCED INITIATIVE, FOR THE BOROUGH OF STARRUCCA.CIVIC EDUCATION AND POLICY ENGAGEMENTIN 2024, PEL EXPANDED ITS CIVIC EDUCATION EFFORTS. REGIONAL COMMITTEES WERE CONTINUED IN YORK, READING (BERK COUNTY), AND SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE (NEPA). PEL ALSO HOSTED AN IN-PERSON ISSUES FORUM ON HOME RULE IN YORK, FEATURING DR. BRIAN ADAMS (CHAIR OF LANCASTER'S GOVERNMENT STUDY COMMISSION) AND YORK MAYOR MICHAEL HELFRICH, ON THE POLICY FRONT, PEL REMAINED ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN STATE-LEVEL DISCUSSIONS: PROVIDED TESTIMONY ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS TO THE PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE. PRESENTED ON THE HOME RULE PROCESS AND INTRICACIES TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING BETTER YORK AND THE HOURGLASS FOUNDATION. PROVIDING TESTIMONY ON SCHOOL DISTRICT MERGERS BEFORE THE BASIC EDUCATION FUNDING COMMISSION. CONTINUED PRESENTING ON ITS NOT 1965 ANYMORE AT THE PENNSYLVANIA BUSINESS PRIVILEGE AND MERCANTILE TAX COLLECTORS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE. PRESENTED ON PEL'S WORK RELATED TO THE HERMITAGE-WHEATLAND MERGER TO THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONPEL'S WEEKLY NEWSLETTERS KEPT SUBSCRIBERS INFORMED ABOUT KEY PROJECTS AND PUBLIC POLICY TOPICS. THE GROWING SUBSCRIBER BASE AND ABOVE-AVERAGE CLICK-THROUGH RATES REFLECT THE HIGH VALUE OF THE CONTENT SHARED.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. 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)(3) charitable 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? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, 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 2024.
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 September 1945.
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.
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