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The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives

Public charity · Grantmaker Harrisburg, PA EIN: 23-2473845 Website

The commonwealth foundation transforms free-market ideas into public policies, empowering all pennsylvanians to thrive.

Key facts about The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives

In short: The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives gave $75K across 3 grants in 2025 (avg $25K), mostly in Virginia. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.

EIN
23-2473845
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$75,000
Grants made (2025)
3
Average grant
$25,000
Median grant
$20,000
Total assets
$11,045,525
Primary geography
Virginia (53% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing

Total Assets

$11.0M

+61.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$75K

-63.6% YoY

Grant Count

3

-50.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$25K

-27.2% YoY

How The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives gives

  • Giving fell 29% from 2022 to 2025. Method

From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.

About The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives

Based on IRS filings

The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives is a public charity focused on public and societal benefit, based in Harrisburg, PA. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $11.0M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 3 grants totaling $75K. Net investment income was $287K.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

5states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 3 itemized grants.

Cities

HarrisburgAlexandriaPhiladelphiaPittsburghLos AngelesBryn MawrGlensideHazletonMechanicsburgMediaMount PleasantNew Orleans

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$100K$200K$300K1 grant2019 Total only2020 6 grants2021 6 grants2022 3 grants2023 6 grants2024 3 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2K (2020) to $266K (2023). In 2025 it made 3 grants totaling $75K.

Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 3 recipients in 2025

Donors Trust: $40KDonors Trust$40KPa Families for Education Choice: $20KPa Families for EducationChoice$20KTalent Market: $15KTalent Market$15K

The largest 2025 recipient was Donors Trust ($40K). Together the top 3 received $75K.

Grant Size Distribution

24 grants across all recorded years

21<$50K1$50–100K2$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 21 grants of 24 (88%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Donors Trust Alexandria, VAPlease See Schedule I-Part IV-Supplemental Information$40,000
Pa Families for Education Choice Pittsburgh, PAPlease See Schedule I-Part IV-Supplemental Information$20,000
Talent Market Mount Pleasant, SCPlease See Schedule I-Part IV-Supplemental Information$15,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Revenue
Expenses
Net Investment Income
$0$5M$10M$15M2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$11,045,525$6,856,601$5,691,370
Revenue$12,034,533$12,137,868$9,554,022
Expenses$8,874,444$10,993,169$9,040,362
Net Investment Income$287,166$329,620$205,635

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 15, 2022)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 11, 2023)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 11, 2025)
  4. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 17, 2020)
  5. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 22, 2024)
  6. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 12, 2026)
  7. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 10, 2021)
  8. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives is led by Andrew J. Lewis, President & CEO on every filing since 2024; 11 of 20 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Andrew J. Lewis

    President & CEO

    On filings since 2024

    40 hrs/week

    $82K (2025)

  • George Gh Coates Jr.

    Director & Chair

    Director, Chairman & Treasurer → Director & Chairman, 2022

    Director & Chairman → Director & Chair, 2024

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Abbey Haslam

    Director of Government Affairs

    On filings since 2023

    40 hrs/week

    $116K (2023) → $123K (2025)

  • James Miller

    Digital Marketing Director

    On filings since 2023

    40 hrs/week

    $122K (2023) → $118K (2025)

  • Kevin Kane

    Director of Legislative Strategy

    On filings since 2023

    40 hrs/week

    $100K (2023) → $112K (2025)

  • David Osborne

    Senior Director of Labor Policy

    Senior Fellow → Senior Director of Labor Policy, 2025

    On filings since 2024

    40 hrs/week

    $113K (2024) → $114K (2025)

  • Brittney N. Paul

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • C. Bruce Kern II

    Director & Secretary

    Director → Director & Secretary, 2023

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Gerard Alexander

    Director

    Director → Director & Treasurer, 2022

    Director & Treasurer → Director, 2024

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Montgomery B. Brown

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Thomas E. Beach

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Emily Wk Cox

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Sarah Y. Simkiss

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • William E. Sordoni

    Director & Treasurer

    Director → Director & Treasurer, 2025

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Nathan A. Benefield

    Chief Policy Officer

    Vice President, COO & Secretary → Senior Vice President, 2022

    Senior Vice President → Chief Policy Officer, 2025

    On filings since 2019

    40 hrs/week

    $157K (2019) → $221K (2025)

  • Elizabeth Stelle

    Vice President of Policy

    Employee → Director of Policy Analysis, 2023

    Director of Policy Analysis → Vice President of Policy, 2025

    On filings since 2022

    40 hrs/week

    $108K (2022) → $125K (2025)

  • Mark R. Wilson

    Chief Financial Officer

    On filings since 2022

    40 hrs/week

    $78K (2025)

  • C. Roger Custerthru

    Vice President

    New on the 2025 filing

    40 hrs/week

    $75K (2025)

  • Erik M. Telfordthru

    Senior Vice President

    New on the 2025 filing

    40 hrs/week

    $109K (2025)

  • Megan L.

    COO & General Counsel

    New on the 2025 filing

    40 hrs/week

    $14K (2025)

Former officers (18)
  • Former: Stephen L. Bloom (2019–2025) — Senior Vice President · Filing note: Thru 41625
  • Former: Charles F. Mitchell (2019–2024) — President
  • Former: Jennifer T. Stefano (2019–2024) — Executive Vice President
  • Former: C. Roger Custer (2022–2024) — Vice President
  • Former: Erik M. Telford (2023–2024) — Senior Vice President
  • Former: Devon E. Liddell (2019–2023) — Director & Secretary
  • Former: Kelsey Philie (2022–2023) — Director of Marketing
  • Former: John Bouder (2020–2022) — Employee
  • Former: Eric W. Heidenreich (2021–2022) — Employee
  • Former: Bill Sordoni (2022) — Director
  • Former: Elise M. Westhoff (2019–2021) — Director · Filing note: Term ended 430
  • Former: Robert L. Ecklin Jr. (2019–2021) — Director · Filing note: Term ended 430
  • Former: Devon E. Liddell Sec (2021) — Director & Secretary
  • Former: George Gh Coates Jrtreas To (2021) — Director, Chairman & Treasurer
  • Former: Gerard Alexander Treas (2021) — Director & Treasurer
  • Former: Nathan A. Benefield Sec To (2021) — Vice President
  • Former: John F. Bitzer Iii Resign (2019) — Director
  • Former: Jonathan S. Dearmentresign (2019) — Director

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

Stephen L Bloom Thru 41625 — Senior Vice President: $227KStephen L Bloom Thru…Senior Vice President$227KNathan a Benefield — Chief Policy Officer: $221KNathan a BenefieldChief Policy Officer$221KElizabeth Stelle — Vice President of Policy: $125KElizabeth StelleVice President of Policy$125KAbbey Haslam — Director of Government Affairs: $123KAbbey HaslamDirector of Government Affairs$123KJames Miller — Digital Marketing Director: $118KJames MillerDigital Marketing Director$118KDavid Osborne — Senior Director of Labor Policy: $114KDavid OsborneSenior Director of Labor Policy$114KKevin Kane — Director of Legislative Strategy: $112KKevin KaneDirector of Legislative Strategy$112KErik M Telfordthru 41625 — Senior Vice President: $109KErik M Telfordthru 41625Senior Vice President$109KAndrew J Lewis — President & CEO: $82KAndrew J LewisPresident & CEO$82KMark R Wilson — Chief Financial Officer: $78KMark R WilsonChief Financial Officer$78KC Roger Custerthru 41625 — Vice President: $75KC Roger Custerthru 41625Vice President$75KMegan L MARTINEFFECT41625 — COO & General Counsel: $14KMegan L…COO & General Counsel$14K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $227K, to Stephen L Bloom Thru 41625 (Senior Vice President). 12 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Frequently asked questions about The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives

How much does The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives give each year?

The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives gave $75K across 3 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $206K across 6 grants.

What is The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives's typical grant size?

The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $25,000, across 3 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.

Where does The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives give grants?

The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives gives mostly in Virginia: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (27%) and South Carolina (20%).

Does The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 3 grants with a stated purpose on The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Please See Schedule I-Part IV-Supplemental Information" (3 grants).

How large is The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives?

The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives reported $11.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $12.0M.

What is The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives?

The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives is a public charity focused on public and societal benefit, based in Harrisburg, PA. It holds $11.0M in total assets as of 2025.

What is The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives's EIN?

The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-2473845. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.

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