Center for Popular Democracy Inc logo

Center for Popular Democracy Inc

BROOKLYN, NY EIN: 45-3813436 Website

The Center for Popular Democracy (CPD) is a 501(c)(3) public charity based in Brooklyn, New York, with additional offices in Washington, DC. Founded in 2011 and tax-exempt since December 2012, CPD operates as an alliance and advocacy organization focused on grassroots organizing and democratic participation. The organization works in partnership with a network of base-building organizations, organizing alliances, and progressive unions to advance social and economic justice.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$42.4M

+17.9% YoY

Annual Giving

$9.2M

+15.4% YoY

Grant Count

44

-2.2% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$209K

+18.0% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

CPD's mission is to create equity, opportunity, and a dynamic democracy in partnership with high-impact base-building organizations, organizing alliances, and progressive unions. The organization strengthens collective capacity to envision and win a pro-worker, pro-immigrant, racial and economic justice agenda.

CPD's primary program areas include:

  • Campaigns: Running coordinated campaigns through an affiliate network to ensure communities have access to good schools, affordable housing, quality healthcare, equal opportunity for immigrants, criminal justice reform, greater corporate accountability, a resilient and fair economy, and a robust and responsive democracy.
  • Network Management: Providing support and capacity-building to CPD's network of affiliates, including coaching and technical assistance in data management, organizing flow, and member leadership.
  • Executive Office Programs: Including the Forge Organizing Journal and special cultural initiatives.

Grantmaking

CPD functions as both a grantmaker and grant recipient. As a grantmaker, CPD distributed approximately $9.2 million in grants in 2024. Typical grant awards range from $5,609 to $886,500. The organization's grant-making focuses on education, philanthropy, voluntarism and grantmaking, and human services, primarily in New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

CPD's grantmaking and programmatic work primarily focuses on New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, though the organization maintains a national network of 51 affiliate organizations.

Grant Distribution by State

35states
+27 more states

Cities

ALBUQUERQUEALEXANDRIAANCHORAGEATLANTAAUSTINBALTIMOREBANGORBLOOMINGTONBOQUERONBOSTONBRIDGEPORTBROOKLYNBURLINGTONCAGUASCAMBRIDGECHARLESTONCHICAGOCOMMERCE CITYDETROITDOVER

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

2024 Financial Data:

  • Total Revenue: $40.9 million
  • Total Expenses: $31.8 million
  • Total Assets: $42.4 million
  • Total Liabilities: $3.85 million
  • Total Giving: $9.2 million
  • Number of Employees: 125

2022 Financial Data:

  • Total Revenue: $30.0 million
  • Total Expenses: $25.8 million
  • Total Assets: $37.1 million

CPD maintains a strong financial position with a four-star rating based on accountability and finance metrics.

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$11M$22M$34M$45M2020202120232024
Metric202420232021
Total Assets$42,364,579$35,939,444$34,539,307
Revenue$40,876,653$28,679,099$29,210,184
Expenses$31,794,284$29,776,393$32,523,509
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income$1,854,893$647,132$22,883
Distributable Amount

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$2M$5M$7M$10M73 grants202049 grants202145 grants202344 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

MAKE THE ROAD STATES DBA…$667KARIZONA CENTER FOR EMPOW…$578KCPD ACTION CANVASS NETWO…$548KCENTER FOR LAW AND HUMAN…$479KMAKE THE ROAD STATES DBA…$460KACTION INSTITUTE NORTH C…$447KMAKE THE ROAD STATES DBA…$417KCASA DE MARYLAND$390KONEPA ACTIVIST UNITED$380KTIDES CENTER$330K

Grant Size Distribution

188 grants across all recorded years

52<$50K36$50–100K54$100–250K36$250–500K9$500K–1M1$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Make the Road States Dba Make the Road Nv ($667,000), Arizona Center for Empowerment ($578,000), Cpd Action Canvass Network Llc ($547,746).

RecipientPurposeAmount
MAKE THE ROAD STATES DBA MAKE THE ROAD NV LAS VEGAS, NVCAMPAIGNS - (ADVOCACY & MOBILIZATION)CAMPAIGNS - (HOUSING)CAMPAIGNS - (ECONOMIC JUSTICE)CAMPAIGNS - (CLIMATE JUSTICE)CIVIC ENGAGEMENTCAMPAIGNS - (HEALTHCARE)$667,000
ARIZONA CENTER FOR EMPOWERMENT PHOENIX, AZCAMPAIGNS - (ADVOCACY & MOBILIZATION)$578,000
CPD ACTION CANVASS NETWORK LLC BROOKLYN, NYBASEBUILDING - CANVASS FOR POWER$547,746
CENTER FOR LAW AND HUMAN VALUE DBA THE ACTION LAB RIDGEWOOD, NYSPECIAL PROJECTS$478,928
MAKE THE ROAD STATES DBA MAKE THE ROAD PA READING, PACIVIC ENGAGEMENT$460,000
ACTION INSTITUTE NORTH CAROLINA DURHAM, NCCAMPAIGNS - (ADVOCACY & MOBILIZATION)CAMPAIGNS - (HOUSING)$447,000
MAKE THE ROAD STATES DBA MAKE THE ROAD NJ ELIZABETH, NJBASEBUILDING - (GENERAL)CAMPAIGNS - (ADVOCACY & MOBILIZATION)CAMPAIGNS - (HOUSING)CAMPAIGNS - (ECONOMIC JUSTICE)$417,200
CASA DE MARYLAND HYATTSVILLE, MDCIVIC ENGAGEMENTBASEBUILDING - (GENERAL)CAMPAIGNS - (HOUSING)CAMPAIGNS - (CLIMATE JUSTICE)CAMPAIGNS - (ADVOCACY & MOBILIZATION)$390,000
ONEPA ACTIVIST UNITED PHILADELPHIA, PACAMPAIGNS - (CLIMATE JUSTICE) CIVIC ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGNS - (HOUSING) BASEBUILDING - (GENERAL) CAMPAIGNS - (ADVOCACY & MOBILIZATION)$380,000
TIDES CENTER DETROIT, MICIVIC ENGAGEMENTCAMPAIGNS - (ADVOCACY & MOBILIZATION)$330,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

CPD's leadership includes:

  • Ana Maria Archila (Executive Director)
  • Andrew Friedman (Executive Director)
  • Brian Kettenring (Executive Director)
  • Jennifer Epps-Addison
  • DaMareo Cooper (Co-Executive Director)
  • Analilia Mejia (Co-Executive Director)

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

DAMAREO COOPERCO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR$197KOONA CHATTERJEECHIEF OF STAFF$196KANALILIA MEJIACO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR$195KJENNIFER FREEDMANCHIEF OPERATING OFFICER$170KSTEVEN KESTSENIOR ADVISOR$168KJULIO LOPEZ VARONACO-CHIEF OF CAMPAIGNS$167KELIZABETH ALEXCHIEF OF BASEBUILDING$154KALISHA BROOKSCHIEF OF EQUITY, PEOPLE & CU…$153KSTEVEN DOOLEYDIRECTOR OF ORGANIZING$153KCLAIRE DAVISDIRECTOR OF FINANCE$152KSTEPHANIE YAZGICHIEF OF NETWORK ENGAGEMENT$152KJENNIFER ALICE FLYNN…CO-CHIEF OF CAMPAIGNS$148K

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
DAMAREO COOPERCO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR34.4$197,247
ANALILIA MEJIACO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR34.8$195,272
AARON DORFMANBOARD CHAIR1
BRIANNA BROWNBOARD VICE CHAIR1
JOSE LOPEZBOARD SECRETARY1
RAFAEL NAVARBOARD TREASURER1
MATT HOLLAMBYBOARD MEMBER1
CHRISTINA LIVINGSTONBOARD MEMBER1
LADON LOVEBOARD MEMBER1
KIRK NODENBOARD MEMBER1
RAMON RAMIREZBOARD MEMBER1
ALICIA RUSSELLBOARD MEMBER1
JENNIFER FREEDMANCHIEF OPERATING OFFICER37.8$169,841
CLAIRE DAVISDIRECTOR OF FINANCE40$152,363
OONA CHATTERJEECHIEF OF STAFF37.9$196,187
JULIO LOPEZ VARONACO-CHIEF OF CAMPAIGNS39.8$166,827
STEVEN DOOLEYDIRECTOR OF ORGANIZING39.3$152,835
ELIZABETH ALEXCHIEF OF BASEBUILDING36$154,289
STEVEN KESTSENIOR ADVISOR40$167,918
STEPHANIE YAZGICHIEF OF NETWORK ENGAGEMENT40$151,614
ALISHA BROOKSCHIEF OF EQUITY, PEOPLE & CULTURE40$152,871
JENNIFER ALICE FLYNN WALKERCO-CHIEF OF CAMPAIGNS39$147,914

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Center for Popular Democracy Inc fund?

CPD's mission is to create equity, opportunity, and a dynamic democracy in partnership with high-impact base-building organizations, organizing alliances, and progressive unions. The organization strengthens collective capacity to envision and win a pro-worker, pro-immigrant, racial and economic justice agenda. CPD's primary program areas include: • **Campaigns**: Running coordinated campaigns through an affiliate network to ensure communities have access to good schools, affordable housing, qu…

How do I apply for a grant from Center for Popular Democracy Inc?

CPD functions as both a grantmaker and grant recipient. As a grantmaker, CPD distributed approximately $9.2 million in grants in 2024. Typical grant awards range from $5,609 to $886,500. The organization's grant-making focuses on education, philanthropy, voluntarism and grantmaking, and human services, primarily in New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. In 2024, CPD worked with 51 affiliates and other partners to achieve over 30 campaign victories and over 15 key defensive fights.

Where does Center for Popular Democracy Inc make grants?

CPD's grantmaking and programmatic work primarily focuses on New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, though the organization maintains a national network of 51 affiliate organizations.

What size grants does Center for Popular Democracy Inc award?

In 2024, Center for Popular Democracy Inc awarded 44 grants totaling $9.2M — an average of about $209K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

What is Center for Popular Democracy Inc's EIN?

Center for Popular Democracy Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-3813436. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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