Common Cause Education Fund
Common Cause Education Fund (CCEF) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization based in Washington, DC, founded in 2000. It serves as the public education and research affiliate of Common Cause, a nonpartisan lobbying organization. The two organizations share staff and offices but maintain separate legal structures to enable different types of advocacy work. CCEF operates 25 state offices led by on-the-ground organizers and has 1.5 million members and supporters across all fifty states.
Key facts about Common Cause Education Fund
- EIN
- 31-1705370
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,242,181
- Grants made (2025)
- 89
- Average grant
- $25,193
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $34,104,797
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (41% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Common Cause Education Fund funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Common Cause Education Fund's 89 itemized 2025 grants were North Carolina (41%), California (17%) and District of Columbia (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Durham, NC (6 grants), Charlotte, NC (6 grants), Washington, DC (5 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (4 grants). 19% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "NC - Voting & Elections" (9 grants), "CA - Voting & Elections" (8 grants) and "Pa - Election Protection" (7 grants).
How Common Cause Education Fund gives
- 6% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with Common Cause Education Fund
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Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$34.1M
+9.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.2M
+137.3% YoY
Grant Count
89
+187.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$25K
-17.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
CCEF is dedicated to restoring the core values of American democracy, reinventing open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest, and empowering ordinary people to make their voices heard in the political process.
The organization's work focuses on:
- Strengthening public participation and faith in institutions of self-government
- Ensuring government and the political process serve the general interest rather than special interests
- Curbing the excessive influence of money on government decisions and elections
- Promoting fair and honest elections and high ethical standards for government officials
- Protecting civil rights and civil liberties of all Americans
- Voter education and registration
- Civic participation
CCEF employs research, public education, citizen engagement, policy development, litigation, and coalition building to advance national, state, and local efforts to strengthen democracy.
Ready to take the next step with Common Cause Education Fund?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
CCEF operates across all fifty states through its network of 25 state offices.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 89 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Fiscal Year 2025 (most recent):
- Total Revenue: $26,755,383
- Total Expenses: $24,929,252
- Net Income: $1,826,131
- Net Assets: $32,177,902
Revenue Breakdown (FY2025):
- Contributions: $26,191,397 (97.9%)
- Investment Income: $497,197 (1.9%)
- Net Fundraising: $39,178 (0.1%)
- Program Services: $1,300 (0.0%)
- Other Revenue: $37,058 (0.1%)
Expense Breakdown (FY2025):
- Other Salaries and Wages: $11,048,518 (44.3%)
- Executive Compensation: $1,051,542 (4.2%)
- Professional Fundraising Fees: $48,000 (0.2%)
The organization maintains strong financial reserves and operates with a surplus. It holds a four-star rating from Charity Navigator and maintains a Gold Seal of Transparency.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $34,104,797 | $31,288,949 | $21,785,469 |
| Revenue | $26,755,383 | $25,064,451 | $13,368,234 |
| Expenses | $24,929,252 | $17,030,050 | $16,648,806 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $486,450 | $399,302 | $143,326 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
120 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest recipients include Blueprint North Carolina Inc ($282,000 across 2 grants), Washington Council of the Blind ($100,000), Arab American Institute Foundation ($75,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| BLUEPRINT NORTH CAROLINA INC Durham, NC | NC - GENERAL | $250,000 |
| WASHINGTON COUNCIL OF THE BLIND Yakima, WA | ELECTION PROTECTION | $100,000 |
| ARAB AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOUNDATION Washington, DC | ELECTION PROTECTION | $75,000 |
| ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE INC Washington, DC | ELECTION PROTECTION | $75,000 |
| FLORIDA RISING TOGETHER Miami, FL | FL - ELECTION PROTECTION | $65,000 |
| INLAND EMPIRE UNITED EDUCATION FUND Los Angeles, CA | CA - VOTING & ELECTIONS | $60,000 |
| LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF CALIFORNIA EDUCATION FUND Sacramento, CA | CA - VOTING & ELECTIONS | $60,000 |
| WE ARE DOWN HOME Greensboro, NC | NC - GENERAL | $57,500 |
| MIGRANT EQUITY SOUTHEAST INC Savannah, GA | GA - ELECTION PROTECTION | $52,500 |
| DISABILITY RIGHTS NORTH CAROLINA Raleigh, NC | NC - GENERAL | $50,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and Directors (as of most recent filing):
- President: Karen Hobert Flynn
- Interim Co-Presidents: Marilyn Carpinteyro and Jordan Davis
- Chair: Martha Tierney
- Vice Chair: Nancy Ratzan
- Treasurer: Olena Berg Lacy
- Secretary: Olga Kauffman
- CFO: Elizabeth Marchant
Board Members: Nicole Austin-Hillery, Ric Bainter, Emmet Bondurant, Rebecca Cokley, Dan Conley, Greg Diskant, Archon Fung, William Hubbard
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martha Tierney | Chair | 1 | — |
| Olga Kauffman | Secretary | 1 | — |
| Wendy Fields | Vice Chair | 1 | — |
| Shareen Punian | Treasurer | 1 | — |
| Nicole M Austin-Hillery | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Richard Bainter | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Braxton Brewington | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Rebecca Cokley | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Dan Conley | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Gregory Diskant | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Archon Fung | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Vanessa Gonzalez | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Jennifer Gremmert | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Shae Harris | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Chris Melody Fields-Figueredo | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Lenny Mendonca | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Peter Reinke | Board Member | 1 | — |
| David Beaumont Smith | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Reverend Mark Thompson | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Wes Tomer | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Jessie Ulibarri | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Tracy Westen | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Alan Wiersba | Board Member | 1 | — |
| William N Hubbard III | Board Member (Until 12/24) | 1 | — |
| Virginia Kase Solomon | President/CEO (As of 2/24) | 21 | $313,981 |
| Reginald Brewington Jr | SVP, Fin. & Admin | 24.5 | $206,266 |
| Marilyn Carpinteyro Interim | Pres. to 2/24, Then SVP, Programs | 35 | $194,430 |
| Jordan Davis Interim | Pres. to 2/24, Then SVP, Pei | 35 | $201,958 |
| Elena Nunez | SVP, State Ops | 17.5 | $175,400 |
| Dalton Fuqua | Associate VP, Development | 17.5 | $148,580 |
| Jonathan Stein | Executive Director, CA | 35 | $144,307 |
| David Vance | National Media Strategist | 17.5 | $142,894 |
| Catherine Scally | Director, Communications | 17.5 | $139,700 |
| Samuel Vorhees | Director, Foundation Relations | 17.5 | $139,352 |
| Elizabeth Marchant | Chief Fin. Officer (Until 3/24) | 17.5 | $145,054 |
| Pamela Wilmot | VP, State Operations (Until 7/24) | 17.5 | $101,629 |
Contact Information
Address: 805 15th Street NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-833-1200
Website: commoncause.org/education-fund/
Giving Contact: giving@commoncause.org or 202-736-5791
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Common Cause Education Fund fund?
CCEF is dedicated to restoring the core values of American democracy, reinventing open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest, and empowering ordinary people to make their voices heard in the political process. The organization's work focuses on: • Strengthening public participation and faith in institutions of self-government • Ensuring government and the political process serve the general interest rather than special interests • Curbing the excessive influence of…
Where does Common Cause Education Fund make grants?
CCEF operates across all fifty states through its network of 25 state offices.
What size grants does Common Cause Education Fund award?
In 2025, Common Cause Education Fund awarded 89 grants totaling $2.2M — an average of about $25K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Common Cause Education Fund's EIN?
Common Cause Education Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1705370. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.