Action Now Inc
Action Now Inc is a public charity based in Houston, Texas. It describes itself as a nonpartisan advocacy network supporting Arnold Ventures’ mission to maximize opportunity and minimize injustice through evidence-based policy reform.
Action Now Inc at a glance
In short: Action Now Inc gave $17.9M across 68 grants in 2025 (avg $264K), top state District of Columbia. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $17,949,562
- +65.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 68
- +61.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $263,964
- +1.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $228,927
- Total assets
- $4,434,541
- +34.2% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (42% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Action Now Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 1717 West Loop South 1800, Houston, TX 77027
Phone: (713) 554-1349
Website: https://actionnowinitiative.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Action Now Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Patients for Affordable Drugs Now ($1.8M). Together the top 10 received $7.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
164 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $250–500K range: 49 grants of 164 (30%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, DC (42%), New York (8%), Texas (7%), Virginia (6%), and Michigan (4%). Listed grants also supported organizations working in other states, including Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Colorado.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 68 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Action Now Inc gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.7M (2021) to $17.9M (2025). In 2025 it made 68 grants totaling $17.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Patients for Affordable Drugs Now Washington, DC | To Provide General Operating Support. | $1,750,000 |
| Greater Greater Washington Washington, DC | To scale up state-level pro-housing initiatives in Maryland and Virginia to advance legislative and executive branch reforms. | $945,198 |
| Families Against Mandatory Minimums Washington, DC | To promote the general operating support for grantee's second chance advocacy efforts at the state and federal level. | $750,000 |
| US Market Institute Burke, VA | To continue support of grantee's education and advocacy surrounding site-neutral pricing policies. | $698,000 |
| Othram Inc The Woodlands, TX | To support a dna analysis pilot program with the houston police department (HPD) using forensic investigative genetic genealogy (FIGG), to determine if it yields improved case outcomes. | $556,895 |
| Farella Braun Martel LLP San Francisco, CA | To support research on anticompetitive conduct in the healthcare industry. | $549,477 |
| VOX Media LLC Washington, DC | To support an expansive editorial project that breaks down the current U.S. infrastructure crisis across energy, housing, transportation, and other key infrastructure-related issues. | $522,044 |
| Open New York Inc Wilmington, DE | To expand grantee's pro-housing advocacy efforts in New York through local and state organizing and coalition building. | $500,000 |
| Committee to Protect Health Care Detroit, MI | To support grantee's education and issue advocacy activities related to commercial health care pricing reforms at the state level across multiple jurisdictions. | $495,000 |
| Abundant Housing MA Inc Boston, MA | To expand grantee's capacity to support statewide pro-housing policies in Massachusetts. | $412,800 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,434,541 | $19,104,199 | $17,973,461 | $17,949,562 | 68 | $104,199 |
| 2024 | $3,303,803 | $11,013,735 | $10,947,113 | $10,877,253 | 42 | $63,735 |
| 2023 | $3,237,181 | $3,577,720 | $3,738,775 | $3,519,330 | 19 | $77,720 |
| 2022 | $3,398,236 | $13,562,786 | $10,414,516 | $10,102,281 | 29 | $22,786 |
| 2021 | $249,966 | $1,900,044 | $1,710,061 | $1,707,585 | 6 | $44 |
| 2020 | $59,983 | $188 | $8,693 | — | — | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
In its 2025 filing, Action Now says its philanthropic work tackles pressing U.S. problems by correcting systemic failures through evidence-based solutions. Its stated program approach is to build sustainable change from the ground up and use evidence to drive public conversation, craft policy, and inspire action through education and advocacy.
The organization’s website identifies higher-education transparency and accountability, charitable-giving reform, criminal justice reform, electoral reform, and health-care reform as areas of work. Its health-care priorities include lowering prescription drug prices and privately insured patients’ costs, supporting Medicare’s financial sustainability, improving care for people with complex needs, and improving patient outcomes while reducing wasteful spending. Its criminal-justice approach covers interactions with the system from policing and pretrial proceedings through reintegration.
The 2025 grants also show support for organizations working on housing, infrastructure, health-care pricing, and criminal-justice issues. For example, grantee Patients for Affordable Drugs Now says it mobilizes patients to support legislation to lower drug prices. Families Against Mandatory Minimums says it advocates for fair and proportionate sentencing laws and prison reform. Abundant Housing MA says it works to advance abundant housing in Massachusetts through state and local policy, organizing, and statewide networks.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Action Now reported 68 grants totaling $17,949,562. Grants ranged from $15,000 to $1,750,000, with a median of $228,927. Among the largest grants were $1,750,000 to Patients for Affordable Drugs Now for general operating support; $945,198 to Greater Greater Washington to scale up state-level pro-housing initiatives in Maryland and Virginia; and $750,000 to Families Against Mandatory Minimums for second-chance advocacy at the state and federal levels.
Other notable 2025 grants included $698,000 to US Market Institute for education and advocacy on site-neutral pricing policies; $556,895 to Othram Inc for a DNA analysis pilot with the Houston Police Department; $522,044 to Vox Media for an editorial project on U.S. infrastructure issues; and $500,000 to Open New York for local and state pro-housing advocacy. The filing also lists grants of $495,000 to Committee to Protect Health Care for education and issue advocacy on commercial health-care pricing reforms, $412,800 to Abundant Housing MA for statewide pro-housing policy capacity, and $400,000 to FWD US for criminal-justice reform and public-safety advocacy.
The filing describes grant monitoring as involving a grant agreement and follow-up communication or confirmation, typically through grant reports. It says the organization may investigate information indicating a diversion of grant funds and, if diversion is determined to have occurred, seek repayment and require changes before making future grants.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kelli Rhee as president and CEO, Elizabeth Banks as treasurer, Roxanne Almaraz as secretary, and John Arnold and Laura Arnold as directors. The filing states that John and Laura Arnold have a family relationship and that both have business relationships with Kelli Rhee, Elizabeth Banks, and Roxanne Almaraz.
Action Now Inc is led by Kelli Rhee, President & CEO since 2021 (on filings since 2020); none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kelli Rhee
President & CEO
Director, President & CEO → President & CEO, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Arnold
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Arnold
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Banks
Treasurer
Treasurer & Director → Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Roxanne Almaraz
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Action Now Inc
How much does Action Now Inc give each year?
Action Now Inc gave $17.9M across 68 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $10.9M across 42 grants.
What is Action Now Inc's typical grant size?
Action Now Inc's median grant in 2025 was $228,927, and its average grant was $263,964, across 68 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Action Now Inc give grants?
Action Now Inc's top state is District of Columbia, with 42% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were New York (8%) and Texas (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (22 grants), New York, NY (4 grants), Austin, TX (4 grants) and Denver, CO (4 grants).
Does Action Now Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 15% of Action Now Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 68) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are Action Now Inc's largest grantees?
Action Now Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Patients for Affordable Drugs Now ($1,750,000), Greater Greater Washington ($1,105,740 across 2 grants) and US Market Institute ($948,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 21% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Action Now Inc?
Action Now Inc reported $4.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $19.1M.
What does Action Now Inc fund?
In its 2025 filing, Action Now says its philanthropic work tackles pressing U.S. problems by correcting systemic failures through evidence-based solutions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Action Now Inc?
Action Now Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check actionnowinitiative.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Action Now Inc's EIN?
Action Now Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-4083809. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 20, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-EZ for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 11, 2021)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Action Now Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Action Now Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/action-now-inc-morg_825bde3d27b24d88bf0fbeb0732360dc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_454083809_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Action Now Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/action-now-inc-morg_825bde3d27b24d88bf0fbeb0732360dc},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Action Now Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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