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Forward Action Fund at a glanceMostly funded, not a grantmaker: see who funds it →

· Public charity

Forward Action Fund

The FORWARD ACTION FUND is organized for the promotion of social welfare including but not limited to economic, gender, climate, racial, health and social justice by: 1) advocating for legislation, regulations, and government programs related to policies that deliver concrete outcomes for people in this country; 2) educating the public…

$26M
Granted FY2024still arriving
16
Grants FY2024still arriving
8
States reached
$8.8M
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2020 to 2024.

Public Benefit$23MCivil Rights$7.0MHuman Services$2.2MCommunity Improvement$612kHealth$210k
02FY2024 · 16 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2024

  • $10k–50k1 grant · $12k
  • $50k–250k3 grants · $473k
  • $250k+12 grants · $25M
$400,000
Median grant
8
States reached
$4.3M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
MAJORITY FORWARD$8,800,000
SOMOS PAC$5,813,205
CAMPAIGN FOR A FAMILY FRIENDLY ECONOMY PAC$2,228,320
MAP USA$2,200,000
OHIO FAMILIES FOR DEMOCRACY$2,083,713
STOP POLITICAL CORRUPTION INC$1,500,000
PROMOTING AMERICAN VALUES FOR EVERYONE INC$1,000,000
MAKE NORTH CAROLINA FIRST$400,000
FREEDOM AND ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT$320,000
OHIO CITIZEN ACTION$310,000
COMMUNITIES UNITED ACTION FUND$300,000
FIGHT BIG PHARMA INC$250,000
PLANNED PARENTHOOD ACTION FUND$200,000
BLACK LEADERSHIP ORGANIZING COLLABORATIVE$150,000
NORTH MAIN STREET FUND$122,736
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Its human-services grants (FY20–20, $245k) land where the poverty rate runs at 11%, against an area that typically sits at 11%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 11%LIVING UNITED FOR CHANGE IN ARIZONA: $245k → 11%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.

Which US states its grants reach

ME
NH
MT
MI
NY
NV
OH
UT
MD
DE
AZ
NC
DC
FL
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

32%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$10M · 3 repeat orgs$22M to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +652% since the first grant, against +114% for those funded once.

3 repeat relationships: 3 still active in FY2024, 0 since wound down; 13 grantees were first funded in FY2024 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

3
17

Total granted

$10M
$4.8M

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+652%
+114%

Still filing today

33%
76%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 32% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $17M went to new ones.

50%100%’20’21’22’23’24
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’20’21’22’23’24
Community ImprovementHealthCivil RightsPublic BenefitPhilanthropyHousing & ShelterOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • SP
    SOMOS PAC
    4× · 2021–2024 · $6.4M
  • FF
    FAMILY FRIENDLY ACTION PAC
    4× · 2020–2024 · $3.7M
  • CU
    COMMUNITIES UNITED ACTION FUND
    2× · 2023–2024 · $333k · 44% of their budget

Funded once

  • HM
    HOUSE MAJORITY FORWARDgraduated
    one grant, 2022 · $1.0M · revenue +289%
  • BP
    BLACK PROGRESSIVE ACTION COALITION EDUCATION FUNDgraduated
    one grant, 2022 · $816k · revenue +786%
  • AV
    America Votesgraduated
    one grant, 2023 · $750k · revenue +53%
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Fair Democracy

Fair democracy works to ensure that the roots of american democracy are healthy with strong voting rights and access, an engaged and informed electorate, an open and accountable government and trusted messengers engaging americans in civil…

Civil Rights
2
Colorado People's Action

Colorado people's action (cpa) is a member-driven, racial justice organization dedicated to winning long-lasting progressive public policies in colorado. cpa builds power by mobilizing voters, electing our own people to office, holding…

—
3
Make Elections Fair Inc

Advocacy and passage of initiatives to eliminate the partisan primary to allow all voters to vote in the primary for any candidate.

—
4
Democracy Forward

See schedule o.this organization seeks to build collective power to defend and advance a vibrant democracy that benefits all people.

—
5
People's Independent Commission

Supports Measure to Remove Lawmakers Power to Set Their Own Pay

—
6
Advance American Democracy Inc

To protect democracy by advocating for policies to strenghten democracy, educating the public about threats to our democracy, and highlighting the unpopularity of federal policies that place money and power over the rights and freedom of…

—
7
Center for Popular Democracy Inc

The center for popular democracy (cpd) and its affiliates know that everyday people have the power to change the world. we upend business and politics as usual to forge a representative, multiracial government and society where we all…

Public Benefit
8
Progress Arizona

Progress arizona is an arizona nonprofit corporation located in phoenix, arizona. progress arizona is an organization founded in 2018 to educate the public about key policy issues using digital organizing and communications.

Civil Rights
9
Focus for Democracy Action

Focus for democracy action is dedicated to empowering donors to make the most impactful contributions possible to strengthen democracy.

—
10
Missouri Jobs With Justice Voter Action

To develop and advocate for legislation, regulations, ballot initiatives, and government programs as a voice of the working class, to promote social justice, and to stimulate the economy; and, to conduct research, educate the public, and…

Civil Rights
11
Take Back Our Republic Action

Take back action fund is a section 501(c)(4) organization that educates the public about, and lobbies for, restoring the united states election system to a republic as envisioned by our founders by changing our system of campaign financing…

—
12
Issue One

Issue one is the leading crosspartisan political reform organization that educates the public, engages capitol hill, and advocates for solutions to fix our broken political system.

Public Benefit
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Ohio Citizen Action; the most unlike its peers is Fight Big Pharma Inc. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

25 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 25 of the 33 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

3
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
5
Early backer (in before they grew)
25/25
Grantees still filing
11/25
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

MAJORITY FORWARD: $8,800,000 · OtherMAJORITY FORWARDSOMOS PAC: $6,410,355 · OtherSOMOS PACFAMILY FRIENDLY ACTION PAC: $3,703,320 · OtherFAMILY FRIENDLY ACTION PACMAP USA: $2,200,000 · OtherMAP USAOHIO FAMILIES FOR DEMOCRACY: $2,083,713 · OtherOHIO FAMILIES FOR DEMOCRACYSTOP POLITICAL CORRUPTION INC: $1,500,000 · OtherPROMOTING AMERICAN VALUES FOR EVERYONE INC: $1,000,000 · Other+13 more: $3,271,075 · Other+13 moreHOUSE MAJORITY FORWARD: $1,000,000 · Community ImprovementAmerica Votes: $750,000 · Community ImprovementWORKER POWER: $200,000 · Community ImprovementMAINE PEOPLE'S ALLIANCE: $150,000 · Community ImprovementNORTH MAIN STREET FUND: $122,736 · Community ImprovementTHE FAIRNESS PROJECT: $500,000 · Housing & ShelterTIOGA FUND INC: $310,000 · Civil Rights+1 more: $10,000 · Civil RightsLIVING UNITED FOR CHANGE IN ARIZONA: $245,000 · Human ServicesPLANNED PARENTHOOD ACTION FUND INC: $200,000 · HealthCOMMITTEE TO PROTECT HEALTH CARE: $10,009 · HealthBLACK LEADERSHIP ORGANIZING COLLABORATIVE: $150,000 · Public BenefitBUSINESS EDUCATION FUND: $12,000 · Philanthropy
Other$28,968,463Community Improvement$2,222,736Housing & Shelter$500,000Civil Rights$320,000Human Services$245,000Health$210,009Public Benefit$150,000Philanthropy$12,000

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetMAJORITY FORWARD: $8,800,000 over 1y, 6.9% of budgetMAP USA: $2,200,000 over 1y, 12% of budgetSTOP POLITICAL CORRUPTION INC: $1,500,000 over 1y, 39% of budgetHOUSE MAJORITY FORWARD: $1,000,000 over 1y, 4.0% of budgetAmerica Votes: $750,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetTHE FAIRNESS PROJECT: $500,000 over 1y, 7.9% of budgetMake North Carolina First: $400,000 over 1y, 3.0% of budgetCOMMUNITIES UNITED ACTION FUND: $333,017 over 2y, 44% of budgetFreedom and Accountability Project: $320,000 over 1y, 36% of budgetTIOGA FUND INC: $310,000 over 1y, 16% of budgetOHIO CITIZEN ACTION: $310,000 over 1y, 9.3% of budgetFIGHT BIG PHARMA INC: $250,000 over 1y, 7.7% of budgetLIVING UNITED FOR CHANGE IN ARIZONA: $245,000 over 1y, 2.5% of budgetPLANNED PARENTHOOD ACTION FUND INC: $200,000 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetWORKER POWER: $200,000 over 1y, 5.0% of budgetMAINE PEOPLE'S ALLIANCE: $150,000 over 1y, 4.3% of budgetBLACK LEADERSHIP ORGANIZING COLLABORATIVE: $150,000 over 1y, 11% of budgetNORTH MAIN STREET FUND: $122,736 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetWESTERN ORGANIZATION OF RESOURCE COUNCILS: $120,000 over 1y, 3.7% of budgetNEW DAY NEVADA: $100,000 over 1y, 1.2% of budgetFLORIDIANS PROTECTING FREEDOM: $25,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetBUSINESS EDUCATION FUND: $12,000 over 1y, 1.7% of budgetCOMMITTEE TO PROTECT HEALTH CARE: $10,009 over 1y, 1.1% of budgetFLORIDA RISING INC: $10,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

America VotesSixteen Thirty FundTides AdvocacyOpen Society Action F…Tides FoundationNorth FundOur American Future A…Hopewell FundWay to Win Action Fun…All Hands on Deck Net…Wellness Advocacy FundGlobal Impact Social …
America VotesDC40.3× affinity17 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: America Votes · Sixteen Thirty Fund · Tides Advocacy · Open Society Action Fund Inc · Tides Foundation · North Fund · Our American Future Action · Hopewell Fund · Way to Win Action Fund Inc · All Hands on Deck Network Inc · Wellness Advocacy Fund · Global Impact Social Welfare Fund

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization Forward Action Fund funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Forward Action Fund. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 30%3%13%28%50%funder's share of their income ↑0%1%3%4%5%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    3get no government money at all
    1report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–5%
    typical government reliance, FY20–25
    How this is measured
    Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.
    05Through Plinth

    Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

    How do I get to Forward Action Fund?

    Find your warmest path to Forward Action Fund through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

    Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

    On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 33 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

    How this is measured
    Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

    Generated from the IRS Form 990 e-file return for fiscal year 2024, released 2024. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Forward Action’s filings →

    More from the funding graph

    The unnamed billions
    grants reported with no recipient in the public record
    The regranting layer
    51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
    The DAF merry-go-round
    $9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
    The endowment market
    who holds foundation money, and what just moved
    The camps
    funders cluster by geography, not ideology
    By state
    where grant money is based, and what stays home