Common Cause Education Fund
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE COMMON CAUSE EDUCATION FUND EMPLOYS RESEARCH, OUTREACH, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING, AND COALITION BUILDING TO INCREASE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF HOW OUR DEMOCRACY WORKS, EMPOWER CITIZENS TO HOLD THEIR GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABLE, AND PROMOTE BROAD AND EFFECTIVE CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT AT FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS.
- Income
- $26.8 million
- Spending
- $24.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 91%
- Reserves
- 6.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 98%
- Employees
- 227
- Volunteers
- 3,500
- Highest pay
- $327,392, president/ceo (as of 2/24)
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 76% of charities in its peer group (public benefit, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 6.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 6% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 7% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1591% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 5 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 44% of charities in its peer group (public benefit, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2523 of 23 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 June 30, 2025, 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 (6)
- $10.0 million spent. WE WORKED WITH COMMON CAUSE STATE ORGANIZATIONS, GRASSROOTS ADVOCATES, AND COALITION PARTNERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO SUPPORT DEMOCRACY-RELATED ADVOCACY, CIVIC PARTICIPATION, PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS AT THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL.OUR STATE OPERATIONS SUPPORTED COALITION COORDINATION, PUBLIC OUTREACH, COMMUNICATIONS ACTIVITIES, RESEARCH SUPPORT, STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY EDUCATION EFFORTS, AND STRATEGIC CONSULTING RELATED TO DEMOCRACY REFORM PRIORITIES. ACTIVITIES INCLUDED CONVENINGS, ALLIANCE MEETINGS, ADVOCACY SUPPORT, PUBLIC MESSAGING INITIATIVES, AND COORDINATION WITH EXTERNAL PARTNERS, CONSULTANTS, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS MULTIPLE STATES.WE ALSO SUPPORTED OPERATIONAL AND PROGRAMMATIC INFRASTRUCTURE NECESSARY TO SUSTAIN STATE-BASED INITIATIVES, INCLUDING COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGNS, TRAVEL AND MEETING COORDINATION, RESEARCH ACTIVITIES, ADVERTISING AND OUTREACH EFFORTS, AND COLLABORATION AMONG ADVOCATES, ORGANIZERS, POLICYMAKERS, AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO STRENGTHEN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY.
- $7.7 million spent. WE WORKED TO ENSURE THAT EVERY ELIGIBLE CITIZEN HAD THE FREEDOM TO VOTE AND THAT EVERY VOTE WAS ACCURATELY COUNTED. DURING THE 2024 ELECTION CYCLE, WE LED ONE OF THE NATION'S LARGEST NONPARTISAN VOTER PROTECTION EFFORTS TO DEFEND VOTING RIGHTS, STRENGTHEN ELECTION ADMINISTRATION, AND HELP VOTERS NAVIGATE RAPIDLY CHANGING ELECTION CONDITIONS.AS A CO-LEADER OF THE NATIONAL NONPARTISAN ELECTION PROTECTION COALITION, WE MOBILIZED MORE THAN 40,000 VOLUNTEERS ACROSS 42 STATES TO MONITOR POLLING LOCATIONS, ASSIST VOTERS, IDENTIFY ELECTION ADMINISTRATION ISSUES, AND CONNECT VOTERS TO LEGAL AND VOTER PROTECTION RESOURCES. MORE THAN 15,000 VOLUNTEERS PARTICIPATED ON ELECTION DAY ALONE, AND WE DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN $2 MILLION IN COMMUNITY REGRANTS TO LOCAL PARTNERS SUPPORTING VOTER ENGAGEMENT, VOTER EDUCATION, AND ELECTION PROTECTION EFFORTS.WE MAINTAINED A MAJOR VOLUNTEER PRESENCE DURING PRESIDENTIAL AND STATE PRIMARIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IN FLORIDA, MORE THAN 280 POLL MONITORS WORKED ACROSS 23 COUNTIES AND EVALUATED NEARLY 150 POLLING LOCATIONS FOR ACCESSIBILITY FOR VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES, WHILE ALSO EXPANDING OUR NONPARTISAN HOTLINE TO INCLUDE A HAITIAN CREOLE LINE FOR THE FIRST TIME. IN MICHIGAN, VOLUNTEERS ASSISTED VOTERS DURING SEVERE STORM-RELATED POLLING DISRUPTIONS. IN CALIFORNIA, MORE THAN 300 VOLUNTEERS MONITORED POLLING LOCATIONS ACROSS EIGHT MAJOR COUNTIES DURING THE SUPER TUESDAY PRIMARY. IN OHIO, WE DEPLOYED 150 POLL MONITORS AND DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN 20,000 ELECTION PROTECTION HOTLINE CARDS TO VOTERS STATEWIDE.WE ALSO RESPONDED TO GROWING THREATS TO ELECTION ADMINISTRATION AND CERTIFICATION. IN GEORGIA, WE MOBILIZED ADVOCATES AND TRAINED VOLUNTEERS TO MONITOR ELECTION BOARDS AFTER ELECTION DENIERS ATTEMPTED TO UNDERMINE CERTIFICATION PROCESSES. IN ARIZONA, WE EDUCATED THE PUBLIC AND ELECTION OFFICIALS ABOUT RECOUNT-RELATED RISKS THAT COULD HAVE DISRUPTED THE STATE'S ELECTORAL COLLEGE CERTIFICATION PROCESS.OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC EDUCATION EFFORTS ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO MORE THAN 30,000 NEWS STORIES IN 2024 MENTIONING OUR ORGANIZATION OR QUOTING OUR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS.
- $923,223 spent. WE WORKED TO PROTECT A FREE AND OPEN INTERNET, DEFEND INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM, AND ENSURE THAT VOTERS HAD ACCESS TO ACCURATE AND RELIABLE INFORMATION.AFTER THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (FCC) VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO OUTLAW ROBOCALLS USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) VOICE-CLONING TECHNOLOGY TO MISLEAD VOTERS, WE LAUNCHED PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS WARNING VOTERS ABOUT DECEPTIVE AI-GENERATED ELECTION CONTENT AND ADVOCATING FOR STRONGER SAFEGUARDS AGAINST ELECTION DISINFORMATION.AS PART OF OUR LONGSTANDING NET NEUTRALITY ADVOCACY, WE COLLECTED AND DELIVERED MORE THAN 126,000 PETITION SIGNATURES TO THE FCC SUPPORTING PROTECTIONS DESIGNED TO PRESERVE EQUAL ACCESS TO ONLINE INFORMATION AND PREVENT DISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT OF INTERNET TRAFFIC.WE ALSO WORKED TO ADDRESS THE GROWING IMPACT OF ONLINE DISINFORMATION AND COORDINATED ATTACKS ON TRUSTED ELECTION INFORMATION. WE SUPPORTED LEGAL EFFORTS DEFENDING THE ABILITY OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND RESEARCHERS TO RESPOND TO HARMFUL ELECTION MISINFORMATION AND CONDUCTED PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS HELPING VOTERS RECOGNIZE MANIPULATED MEDIA, ELECTION MISINFORMATION, AND DECEPTIVE ONLINE TACTICS.
- $874,878 spent. WE WORKED TO REDUCE THE INFLUENCE OF WEALTHY SPECIAL INTERESTS IN POLITICS AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE IMPACT OF UNDISCLOSED POLITICAL SPENDING AND WEAK ETHICS RULES.THROUGHOUT THE 2024 ELECTION CYCLE, WE CONDUCTED PUBLIC EDUCATION, COALITION ADVOCACY, AND RESEARCH RELATED TO THE GROWING ROLE OF "DARK MONEY AND UNLIMITED POLITICAL SPENDING IN FEDERAL AND STATE ELECTIONS. WE EDUCATED VOTERS AND POLICYMAKERS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF UNDISCLOSED SPENDING ON ELECTIONS, JUDICIAL RACES, AND PUBLIC POLICY DECISIONS.WE ALSO SUPPORTED REFORMS DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN CAMPAIGN FINANCE DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS, IMPROVE ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY STANDARDS, AND INCREASE THE POLITICAL INFLUENCE OF SMALL-DOLLAR DONORS AND EVERYDAY VOTERS.
- $851,651 spent. WE WORKED TO ADVANCE FAIR REPRESENTATION THROUGH TRANSPARENT, PEOPLE-CENTERED REDISTRICTING PROCESSES AND ADVOCACY AGAINST PARTISAN AND RACIAL GERRYMANDERING.WE SUPPORTED LITIGATION, GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING, AND PUBLIC EDUCATION EFFORTS DESIGNED TO ENSURE ELECTORAL DISTRICTS FAIRLY REPRESENTED COMMUNITIES AND COMPLIED WITH CONSTITUTIONAL AND VOTING RIGHTS ACT PROTECTIONS.IN INDIANA, WE SUCCESSFULLY CHALLENGED THE CITY OF ANDERSON'S FAILURE TO REDRAW CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS THAT HAD REMAINED UNCHANGED SINCE 1982 DESPITE SIGNIFICANT POPULATION SHIFTS. FOLLOWING LITIGATION, A NEW CONSTITUTIONALLY COMPLIANT MAP WAS IMPLEMENTED IN TIME FOR THE 2024 ELECTION.IN MICHIGAN, WE SUPPORTED BLACK VOTERS AND COMMUNITY ADVOCATES PARTICIPATING IN THE MICHIGAN INDEPENDENT CITIZENS REDISTRICTING COMMISSION PROCESS TO HELP ENSURE THAT COMMUNITIES OF COLOR WERE FAIRLY REPRESENTED AND PROTECTED FROM RACIAL GERRYMANDERING.WE ALSO CONTINUED NATIONWIDE ADVOCACY FOR FAIR MAPS AND REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY BY SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSIONS, MOBILIZING COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN PUBLIC HEARINGS, AND EDUCATING VOTERS ABOUT THE HARMS OF PARTISAN GERRYMANDERING AND THE IMPORTANCE OF TRANSPARENT MAP-DRAWING PROCESSES.
- $2.4 million spent. WE ADVANCED NATIONWIDE PUBLIC EDUCATION, ADVOCACY SUPPORT, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, AND COALITION-BUILDING ACTIVITIES ALIGNED WITH OUR ORGANIZATIONAL MISSION AND DEMOCRACY-RELATED PRIORITIES.OUR NATIONAL PROGRAMS SUPPORTED COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGNS, DIGITAL OUTREACH, MEDIA INITIATIVES, WEBSITE AND TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT, STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, RESEARCH ACTIVITIES, AND PUBLIC EDUCATION EFFORTS DESIGNED TO INCREASE CIVIC PARTICIPATION AND STRENGTHEN PUBLIC AWARENESS AROUND DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE ISSUES. ACTIVITIES INCLUDED COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY, DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT, GRAPHIC DESIGN, VIDEO AND MEDIA PRODUCTION, WEBSITE MAINTENANCE, AND OUTREACH INITIATIVES INTENDED TO INFORM AND ENGAGE COMMUNITIES NATIONWIDE.WE ALSO SUPPORTED NATIONAL OPERATIONAL AND ADVOCACY INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH CONSULTING SERVICES, DIGITAL ACQUISITION AND ORGANIZING TOOLS, TECHNOLOGY AND DATA MANAGEMENT RESOURCES, COALITION PARTNERSHIPS, TRAININGS, CONFERENCES, MEDIA MONITORING, AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. THESE EFFORTS HELPED STRENGTHEN NATIONWIDE COORDINATION, SUPPORT LONG-TERM CIVIC ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES, AND EXPAND THE ORGANIZATION'S CAPACITY TO COMMUNICATE AND COLLABORATE EFFECTIVELY WITH SUPPORTERS, ADVOCATES, AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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 November 6, 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 June 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 July 2000.
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 November 4, 2026.
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