Common Counsel Foundation EIN 94-3214166

Common Counsel Foundation

EIN  94-3214166 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Oakland, CA Founded 1988 1 follower
Form 990 (PDF) Compare with another nonprofit →
Verified accurate 7/9/26 · see original filing: IRS
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Size
$10–100M
What they do
Advances equity and environmental health by providing strategic philanthropic advising, grants management, and administrative support to independent foundations and donor-advised funds.
Leadership
Sangeeta Chowdhry · Executive Director · $306K
Money in and out
$51.4M revenue, $126.1M expenses
Bottom line
97% program efficiency

Advances equity and environmental health by providing strategic philanthropic advising, grants management, and administrative support to independent foundations and donor-advised funds. For fiscal year 2024 it reported $51.4M in revenue, $126.1M in expenses, and $63.7M in net assets.Pt I

Where the money goes · FY2024
Total revenue
$51.4M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$126.1M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$63.7M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): −$74.7M
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.97 Management & general $0.02 Fundraising $0.00
Program efficiency
97%
of spending reaches programs▲ +1% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
4.5mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▼ -83% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
-145%
revenue over expenses, this year▼ -436% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2024 · Form 990
Revenue
$51.4M
FY2024▼ -50%
Expenses
$126.1M
FY2024▲ +117%
Total assets
$67.5M
FY2024▼ -52%
Total liabilities
$3.8M
FY2024▲ +35%
Total revenue
$51.4M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$126.1M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$63.7M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19−$74.7M
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$67.5M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B97%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 35
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 45
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $122.7M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Strategic and Values-Driven Grantmaking

In 2024, common counsel foundation (common counsel) made just over $48 million in grants to charitable organizations that are advancing effective solutions to longstanding social and environmental inequities, through its direct grantmaking.

$101.4Mprogram expense
02

Fiscal sponsorship common counsel foundation's fiscal sponsorship program ensures the health and vitality of the sponsored community-led organizations, and promotes strategic coordination in the philanthropic sector. In 2024, CCF acted as fiscal sponsor for the movement 4 black lives, rising majority, and color congress.

$17.9Mprogram expense
03

Philanthropic Services

Common counsel foundation provides strategic philanthropic advice, grants management and administration, and accounting support to independent foundations that share a commitment to equity and environmental health. CCF assists its clients in streamlining their grantmaking processes and deepening their impact.

$3.4Mprogram expense

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Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CCommon Counsel Foundation
EINHdr · item D94-3214166
Principal addressHdr · item COakland, CA
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.commoncounsel.org
Year of formationHdr · item L1988
State of legal domicileHdr · item MCA
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFCommunity Development (S50)
Ruling yearIRS BMFJul 1995

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a5
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b5
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2No

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$306,300Pt VII · Sec A
Innovation Labs Director, Membership
$239,991Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Finance Officer
$208,688Pt VII · Sec A
Managing Director- Ccf
$208,688Pt VII · Sec A
Director, Fund for an Inclusive California
$200,275Pt VII · Sec A
Interim Senior Communications Director
$190,000Pt VII · Sec A
Interim SR Communications Dir
$174,000Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Grant Mgmt. and Learning
$164,745Pt VII · Sec A

Sangeeta Chowdhry’s $306K as Executive Director is at the 55th percentile of top reported officer pay among 572 $10–100M community development nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Sangeeta Chowdhry$306,300$126,154
Karissa Lewis$239,991$195,750$188,428$133,660
Peggy Saika$214,583$179,023$150,000
Philip Smith$208,688$198,855$194,189$150,619
Sarah Gort$208,688$207,133$194,672$149,027
M Adams$206,500$161,833
Jazmin Segura Moctezuma$200,275$185,605
Allistair Mallillin$192,996$186,208

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$45.6M · 89%
Investment income$3.3M · 6%
Program service revenue$2.5M · 5%
Contributions & grants89%$45.6M
Investment income6%$3.3M
Program service revenue5%$2.5M
Other revenue$46K
Total revenueLn 12$51.4M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.97 Management & general $0.02 Fundraising $0.00
Program services97%$122.7M
Management & general2%$2.7M
Fundraising$630K
Total functional expensesLn 25$126.1M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$47.1M
Total assetsLn 16$67.5M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$3.8M
Total net assetsLn 32$63.7M
Months of cash on handcomputed4.5

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2024 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $47.1M · Operating expenses/yr $126.1M
4.5 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $122.7M · Total expenses $126.1M
97%
Management & General
Management & general $2.7M · Total expenses $126.1M
2%
Fundraising
Fundraising $630K · Total expenses $126.1M
0%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $366K · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $65.2M
$0.01 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $45.6M · Total revenue $51.4M
89%
Government reliance
Government grants — · Total revenue $51.4M
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $2.5M · Total revenue $51.4M
5%
Investment reliance
Investment income $3.3M · Total revenue $51.4M
+6%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $2.5M · Total expenses $126.1M
2%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $51.4M · Prior year $102.1M
-50%
Revenue CAGR
FY2020 $41.3M · FY2024 $51.4M
+6%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $63.7M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $51.4M · Expenses $126.1M
-145%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $67.5M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $63.7M · Total assets $67.5M
94%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) — · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $67.5M
Excludes program-related investments (Pt X, ln 13)
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Sangeeta Chowdhry · Reported title EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR · Highest reported compensation $306K · Total expenses $126.1M
0%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $12.0M · Total expenses $126.1M
10%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 97%
Overhead ratio 2%
Fundraising cost ratio 1%
Revenue growth -50%
Investment management fee ratio 0%
Legal fee ratio 1%
Accounting fee ratio 0%

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
See all 57 funders →
Grants paid · 2,369 grants · $195.9M · 2020–2024
ImpactassetsincMD · FY2024$37,233,011
Movement 4 Black Lives INCGA · FY2024$15,817,927
Native Land Conservancy INCMA · FY2024$4,000,000
The Accomplis Collective INCNY · FY2024$2,500,000
Neo Philanthropy INCNY · FY2024$1,500,000
Resist INCMA · FY2024$1,100,000
Social Good Fund INCCA · FY2024$1,000,000
Lighthouse HolyokeMA · FY2024$1,000,000
Freedom OrgNC · FY2024$1,000,000
Ekvnv YefolecvlkeAL · FY2024$1,000,000
Ndn Collective INCSD · FY2024$750,000
Haymarket Peoples Fund INCMA · FY2024$500,000
See all 2,369 grants →

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Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2024 (Latest)$51.4M revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$102.1M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$55.0M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$85.7M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$41.3M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2024IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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