Washington, D.C. · Nonprofit
CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND
CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND (Washington, D.C.) receives grants from 25 organizations whose IRS filings report $20,690,184 to it, the largest being SIXTEEN THIRTY FUND ($5,355,000). 9 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- Revenue FY2024
- $22M
- Funders on record
- 25
- Grants received
- $21M
- Net assets
- $4.4M
What Center for American Progress Action Fund does
Mission
The Center for American Progress Action Fund's (the action fund) mission is to impact the national debate and transform progressive ideas into policy through rapid response communications, public education, grassroots organization and advocacy in partnership with american citizens, executive and legislative branch policymakers and progressive leaders throughout the country and the world.
As stated on its FY2024 Form 990.
Programs
On its FY2023 return the organization reported starting a significant new program.
The Action Fund engaged in limited foreign activities in 2023 to support its mission to put forward a progressive vision for U.S. engagement internationally under its Global Progress Action initiative. Global Progress Action is an international incubator for innovative strategies and ideas on a global scale, engaging with leaders, thinkers, and policymakers to explore how, together, we can overcome obstacles, advance policy solutions, govern thoughtfully, and shape thriving and inclusive societies. Global Progress Action is designed to defend and promote liberal democracy and inclusive societies, at a time when democracy faces threats from both foreign autocrats and domestic illiberal forces. By addressing the underlying roots of social unrest and building policy ideas for inclusive and sustainable economies, the initiative sets out a policy direction that can advance progressive solutions for societies around the globe.
Its own explanation, from Schedule O of that return (Part III, line 2).
Outreach and advocacy: the outreach and advocacy department led the effort to build positive economic branding centered around major legislative accomplishments such as the inflation reduction act, the chips and science act, and the infrastructure investment and jobs act. The department conducted extensive message research, created digital content, and worked with a wide range of partners (organizations and elected officials) to align on branding and core messaging.
$8,339,362 spentof which $120,000 as grants88% of program spendingPolicy programs: public policy research and analysis was conducted across five cross-cutting priorities: democracy, economy, climate, racial equity and justice, and health.
$510,848 spentof which $200,000 as grants5% of program spendingCommunications: advanced progressive ideas and messages through communications and expanded use of digital and social media as well as traditional news media. Addressed timely public policy and political issues through rapid response and analysis. Major accomplishments included shaping the messaging around a progressive economic agenda, tackling the climate crisis, and restoring voting rights.
$453,969 spent5% of program spendingExecutive office
$124,326 spent1% of program spending
The 4 programs described on its FY2023 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $9,428,505.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2017, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2017, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended. The shaded band is where the middle 50% of its peers' revenue would sit, given their growth.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2023 to 2024, from $6.3M to $14M (+118%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
99% of CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND’s revenue is contributions — more reliant on donations than three-quarters of its peers (30% for the typical peer).
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 5 of the last 8 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Who funds it, year by year
2017 → 2023: the base broadened from 3 funders to 6 funders, grant income rose $393k → $2.5M.
2 of 25 of your funders are donor-advised or pass-through sponsors (tagged DAF) — 27% of grant dollars received. That money is really individual donors directing a sponsor; the institutions to cultivate are the non-DAF funders.
Left out of every figure on this page: $45M from one payer (the payer shares this organization's board, largest Center for American Progress). These are real filings, and they are not money CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND raised.
From the IRS filings of CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND’s funders (the co-funder graph). Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND has a broad base — no single funder exceeds 26% of grant income, and it takes 3 funders to reach half.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 3 funders to its left
100% of the income these shares are computed over arrives through pass-through sponsors or from payers whose filings do not say what kind of payment it is. Concentration is still measured over all of it, because the money is real; what it does not support is a claim about how many institutions have chosen to fund CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND.
Largest funder’s share by year: 2017 64% · 2018 57% · 2019 94% · 2020 34% · 2021 44% · 2022 47% · 2023 78% — growing more concentrated.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How long its funders stay
29% of CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND's funders are still giving 3 years after their first grant; 36% give in more than one year at all.
Share of funders still giving k years after their first recorded grant, pooled across every acquisition cohort. A funder counts as retained in a year only if it made a grant that year. Measured to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving — a funder cannot be counted as lapsed in a year most filers have not reached.
Where its funders are
CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND draws 90% of its grant income from funders outside Washington, D.C., across 6 states in all.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. $5.6M arriving through sponsors registered in 2 states is excluded from the map and the split above: a sponsor holds money on a donor’s behalf, so its registered address would place those dollars somewhere no donor need ever have been. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND runs a healthier operating margin than half of the 269 public benefit nonprofits its size.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 269 public benefit nonprofits $10M–$100M, FY2024
Organizations like CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In Washington, D.C.
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
91% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 38 states
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND?
- CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND (Washington, D.C.) receives grants from 25 organizations whose IRS filings report $20,690,184 to it, the largest being SIXTEEN THIRTY FUND ($5,355,000). 9 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- How many funders does CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND have?
- IRS filings report 25 organizations giving $20,690,184 in grants to CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND, 9 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND?
- SIXTEEN THIRTY FUND is the largest funder on record, with $5,355,000 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in Washington, D.C.. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2024 (financials across 2017–2024), and the filings of 25 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 14, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing