Common Counsel Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
COMMON COUNSEL FOUNDATION 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.
- Income
- $51.4 million
- Spending
- $126.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 97%
- Reserves
- 1.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 89%
- Employees
- 86
- Volunteers
- 5
- Highest pay
- $339,667, 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: 45 out of 100. Higher than 15% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 6% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 145% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 50% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1597% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 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. Higher than 42% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 255 of 5 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)
- $101.4 million spent. STRATEGIC 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 PARTNERS WITH FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUAL DONORS TO EXPAND PHILANTHROPIC RESOURCES FOR GRASSROOTS GROUPS COMPOSED OF AND LED BY MEMBERS OF VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS. IN ORDER TO EXPAND THE SCALE OF PHILANTHROPIC RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITY-LED GROUPS, COMMON COUNSEL UTILIZES TWO GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ITS STRATEGIC GRANTMAKING. FIRST, COMMON COUNSEL INVESTS IN COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP TO ADVANCE MEANINGFUL SOLUTIONS TO CRITICAL SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL CHALLENGES. SECOND, COMMON COUNSEL SUPPORTS INCREASED COLLABORATION THROUGH SHARED CAMPAIGNS AND LONG-TERM ALLIANCES THAT SERVE TO AMPLIFY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF LOCAL EFFORTS. FOR DECADES, THESE TWO STRATEGIES HAVE ALLOWED GROUPS TO DEVELOP COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP, TO ADVANCE SYSTEMIC SOLUTIONS DEFINED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS THEMSELVES, AND TO ENSURE HEALTH AND EQUITY FOR EVERYONE.
- $17.9 million spent. 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.
- $3.4 million spent. 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.
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since July 1995.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 2026.
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