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Children First Action Fund

Not tax-deductible

Philadelphia, PA501(c)(4)Human Services EIN 37-1866867Revenue $441K in FY2025

On file with the IRSchildrenmatteractionfund.org990 Spring Garden St Ste 600, 19123-2640 · Philadelphia, PATax-exempt since Dec 2020

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Children First Action Fund strategically works on both sides of the aisle, in a non-partisan fashion, to help lawmakers learn what IT takes for Children to succeed and persuade them to support our legislative measures. We are singularly focused on increasing the number of elected officials who will champion investments and policies needed to ensure that disadvantaged Children grow up in healthy, safe, and nurturing environments where they can learn and participate in enrichment activities that contribute to their lifetime success Children First Action Fund employs three proven strategies to accomplish this goal. 1.deploying highly effective government affairs strategies to educate and persuade lawmakers to fight for the policies and resources we know are necessary. 2.publishing and disseminating information to citizens to enable them to judge how well lawmakers are delivering on their duty to provide services and opportunities to help Children thrive from infancy to college graduation.

501(c)(4) social-welfare organization; gifts are not tax-deductible as charitable contributions.
91¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 30 volunteers.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(4)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
No
Donations are not tax-deductible
Worth a look: the IRS does not list gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
4 of 4
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $95K a year · 28% of revenue · last 4 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 4 of the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
Spent on programs
91%
of spending
Looks good: 91% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Cash reserves
11 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 11.0 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $300K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$20K
5% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 5% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
15
of 15 voting members
Looks good: 15 of 15 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$441K
+199% vs prior year
Spent
$286K
To programs
91%
Net assets
$409K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$441K
FY2025▲ +199%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$177K
FY2022$290K
FY2023$464K
FY2024$147K
FY2025$441K
Expenses
$286K
FY2025▲ +294%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021Not on file
FY2022$159K
FY2023$445K
FY2024$73K
FY2025$286K
Net assets
$409K
FY2025▲ +61%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$29K
FY2022$160K
FY2023$180K
FY2024$254K
FY2025$409K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending May 2025) · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Dec 2020.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

91 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 91% · $260K Management & general 5% · $13K Fundraising 4% · $13K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

15 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
David Laigaie
Board Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Nancy Lucas
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Carolyn Adams
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Harriet Dichter
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Bill Ewing
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Amy Ginensky
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Linda Hansell
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
See Children First Action Fund executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo

Programs and updates

Educates lawmakers on children's needs to champion supportive policies and investments.

Questions for Children First Action Fund

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Your first name shows with your question. Children First Action Fund answers here, for everyone.

Provided by the organization

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1 program · $260K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Children first action fund strategically works on both sides of the aisle, in a nonpartisan fashion, to help lawmakers learn what it takes for children to succeed and persuade them to support our legislative measures.

$260Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2025
Hereafter Impact Fellows Action FundFY2025$300K
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$300K

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

Download 990
from philanthropy.org
1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$441K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$441K
Money outPt IX
$286K
Ln 25
Programscol B$260K
Managementcol C$13K
Fundraisingcol D$13K
Owns and owesPt X
$409K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$263K
Total assetsLn 16$429K
LiabilitiesLn 26$20K
PeoplePt VI, VII
15
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a15
IndependentVI 1b15
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$441K
Total revenueLn 12$441K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$263K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$263K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$17K
Total assetsLn 16$429K
LiabilitiesLn 26$20K
Net assetsLn 32$409K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 630
Fiscal year endsHeaderMay
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$262K$263K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$17K
Total assetsLn 16$262K$429K
LiabilitiesLn 26$8K$20K
Net assetsLn 32$254K$409K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Lobbying feesLn 11d$83K$83K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$114K$91K$11K$11K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$49K$49K
Office expensesLn 13$11K$9K$1K$1K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$5K$5K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$4K$4K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$19K$19K$426$121
Total functional expensesLn 25$286K$260K$13K$13K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $441K$286K$155K$409K 990 PDF
FY2024 $147K$73K$75K$254K 990 PDF
FY2023 $464K$445K$20K$180K 990 PDF
FY2022 $290K$159K$131K$160K 990 PDF
FY2021 $177K$29K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $440,776 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $137,005$440,776
I-9 Program service revenue$0
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $10,417$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $147,422$440,776
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefits$0
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $72,555$286,014
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $72,555$286,014
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $74,867$154,762
Part VI · Governance 15 of 15 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body15
VI-1b Independent voting members15
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $440,776 across 3 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$440,776
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$440,776
VIII-12 Total revenue$440,776
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $286,014 across 7 lines filed
IX-11d Lobbying feesPrograms $82,650$82,650
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $91,188 · Management $11,399 · Fundraising $11,399$113,986
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $49,374$49,374
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $8,923 · Management $1,098 · Fundraising $1,098$11,119
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $5,305$5,305
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $4,200$4,200
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $18,833 · Management $426 · Fundraising $121$19,380
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $260,473 · Management $12,923 · Fundraising $12,618$286,014
Part X · Balance sheet $429,371 assets, 10 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $262,355$262,571
X-3 Pledges and grants receivable$150,000
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, net$16,800
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $262,355$429,371
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $7,866$20,120
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $7,866$20,120
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $237,822$209,251
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $16,667$200,000
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $254,489$409,251
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $262,355$429,371
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $409,251 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$440,776
XI-2 Total expenses$286,014
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$154,762
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$254,489
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$409,251

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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