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Commonwealth Action FY2024 filing

Not tax-deductible

Bryn Mawr, PA501(c)(4)Since 2023Civil Rights & AdvocacyEIN 92-3501895Revenue $1.0M in FY2024

On file with the IRScommonwealthaction.com755 West Lancaster Ave 1049, 19010-3401 · Bryn Mawr, PATax-exempt since Nov 2024

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Commonwealth Action was established as a social welfare organization to research, analyze, and promote public policy in pennsylvania.

87¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Programs: Part IX

Before you give

FY2024 · 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
2 of 3
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $184K a year · 14% of revenue · last 3 filings
Fine: a surplus in 2 of the last 3 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 3 filings
Spent on programs
87%
of spending
Looks good: 87% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Cash reserves
8 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 8.4 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $575K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$5K
0.8% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 1% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
6
of 6 voting members
Looks good: 6 of 6 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.0M
-37% vs prior year
Spent
$861K
To programs
87%
Net assets
$614K
By yearFY2023–FY2025
Revenue
$1.0M
FY2024▼ -37%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2023$1.6M
FY2024$1.0M
FY2025$1.4M
Expenses
$861K
FY2024▼ -22%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2023$1.1M
FY2024$861K
FY2025$1.4M
Net assets
$614K
FY2024▲ +30%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2023$474K
FY2024$614K
FY2025$552K

From the FY2024 Form 990 (year ending September 2024) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2024 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Nov 2024.

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

Where the money goes

87 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 87% · $746K Management & general 13% · $111K Fundraising 0% · $4K

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

12 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2023); the FY2024 filing did not itemize Part VII
Charles F Mitchell
Director & President(res 12/31/23)
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Jennifer Stefano
Director (resigned 12/31/23)
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Erik M Telford
Director (resigned 12/31/23)
$0Pt VII · Sec A
George Gh Coates JR
Chair (effective 12/31/23)
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Julia F Goldstein
Secretary (effective 12/31/23)
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Carl O Helstrom III
Director (effective 12/31/23)
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Erik M Telford Was Elected
Senior Vice President as of 9/24
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Nathan a Benefield
Senior Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
See Commonwealth Action 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 2Yes
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo

Programs and updates

Researches, analyzes, and promotes public policy in Pennsylvania.

Questions for Commonwealth Action

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $746K · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

Commonwealth action has engaged in grassroots lobbying campaigns to advocate for free market principles and a culture of liberty throughout pennsylvania. The campaigns entailed organizing coalitions of like-minded organizations and individuals, developing policy arguments and research in support of these issues, disseminating public…

$746Kprogram 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 · FY2022
Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs INCFY2022$575K
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$575K

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

Download 990
from philanthropy.org
1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.0M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.0M
Money outPt IX
$861K
Ln 25
Programscol B$746K
Managementcol C$111K
Fundraisingcol D$4K
Owns and owesPt X
$614K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$605K
Total assetsLn 16$619K
LiabilitiesLn 26$5K
PeoplePt VI, VII
12
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a6
IndependentVI 1b6
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.0M
Total revenueLn 12$1.0M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$605K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$605K
Total assetsLn 16$619K
LiabilitiesLn 26$5K
Net assetsLn 32$614K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderSeptember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$476K$605K
Total assetsLn 16$490K$619K
LiabilitiesLn 26$15K$5K
Net assetsLn 32$474K$614K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Legal feesLn 11b$42K$2K$41K
Accounting feesLn 11c$35K$35K
Lobbying feesLn 11d$29K$29K
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$4K$4K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$35K$3K$32K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$712K$712K
Office expensesLn 13$346$88$258
TravelLn 17$378$378
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$3K$3K$250
Total functional expensesLn 25$861K$746K$111K$4K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $1.4M$1.4M−$62K$552K 990 PDF
FY2024 Viewing $1.0M$861K$140K$614K 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.6M$1.1M$474K$474K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,001,000 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,580,700$1,001,000
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,580,700$1,001,000
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $0$0
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $5,705$3,658
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,100,819$857,342
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,106,524$861,000
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $474,176$140,000
Part VI · Governance 6 of 6 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body6
VI-1b Independent voting members6
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,001,000 across 3 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,001,000
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,001,000
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$1,001,000
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $861,000 across 9 lines filed
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $1,981 · Management $40,518$42,499
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $35,276$35,276
IX-11d Lobbying feesPrograms $28,510$28,510
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $3,658$3,658
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $3,299 · Management $31,723$35,022
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $712,497$712,497
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $88 · Management $258$346
IX-17 TravelManagement $378$378
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Management $2,564 · Fundraising $250$2,814
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $746,375 · Management $110,717 · Fundraising $3,908$861,000
Part X · Balance sheet $619,195 assets, 7 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $476,123$604,976
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $13,458$14,219
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $489,581$619,195
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $15,405$5,019
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $15,405$5,019
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $474,176$614,176
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $489,581$619,195
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $614,176 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,001,000
XI-2 Total expenses$861,000
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$140,000
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$474,176
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$614,176

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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