Drug Policy Alliance
New York, NY · EIN 52-1516692. Reported 109 grants totalling $2,674,350 to 73 organizations across tax years 2020-2023, on Form 990 Schedule I.
Does this grantmaker accept applications?
Its tax return does not say, and we will not guess. Private foundations file Form 990-PF, which asks outright whether they fund only organizations they select themselves -- 78% say yes, and that one answer is what lets the rest of this site tell you which foundations are worth approaching. Grantmaking charities like this one file a regular Form 990 instead, and the IRS never puts the question to them. Anyone claiming to know the answer from the filing is inventing it.
Three things in the filing do bear on it:
- What kind of organization it is. For Drug Policy Alliance, the IRS classifies it under mental health rather than as a grantmaker (NTEE F20Z) -- it is an operating charity that also makes grants.
- How spread out its giving is. 73 distinct organizations, with 10% of the dollars going to the largest single recipient. That is genuinely spread out -- the mark of a funder making many independent decisions rather than underwriting one institution.
- How much its list changes. 19% of one year's grantees are funded again the next, across 3 year-to-year transitions. That is below the 57% median for grantmaking charities, and well below the 67% private foundations manage. A list that turns over this much is one a newcomer can realistically join.
How big are its grants?
The median reported grant is $20,000. Half of what it reported fell between $15,000 and $25,000; the smallest was $6,000 and the largest $155,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong organization.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by the EIN the filer reported, not by name, so an organization that was typed differently in two years appears once rather than twice.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voices of Community Activists & Leaders-Vocal-Ny-Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $268,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Truth Pharm Inc | Binghamton, NY | $90,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Salvation and Social Justice | Trenton, NJ | $75,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Voices of Community Activists and Leaders (vocal-Ny) | Bronx, NY | $70,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Maine Access Points | Brunswick, ME | $66,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| On Point Nyc Inc | New York, NY | $61,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Chicago Urban League | Chicago, IL | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| HIV Education and Prevention Project of Alameda County | Oakland, CA | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs Inc | Calabasas, CA | $60,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Church of Safe Injection | Lewiston, ME | $51,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| A New Way of Life Reentry Project | Los Angeles, CA | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Georgia Harm Reduction Coalition Inc | Atlanta, GA | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Institute of the Black World 21ST Century Inc | East Elmhurst, NY | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Latinojustice Prldef | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Network on Women in Prison | Emeryville, CA | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| New Path | Spring Valley, CA | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Oklahoma Donor Alliance Inc | Oklahoma City, OK | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Ordinary People Society Inc | Dothan, AL | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| William C Velasquez Institute Inc | Los Angeles, CA | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Center for Employment Opportunities Inc | New York, NY | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Center for Living and Learning | Van Nuys, CA | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Colorado Nonprofit Development Center | Denver, CO | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Intercambios Puerto Rico Inc | Fajardo, PR | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity | Oakland, CA | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Mothering Justice | Detroit, MI | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Purpose Dignity Action | Seattle, WA | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Samuel Dewitt Proctor Conference Inc | Chicago, IL | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| San Francisco Drug Users Union | Oakland, CA | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Social Good Fund Inc | Richmond, CA | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Texas Center for Justice and Equity | Austin, TX | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Women With a Vision | New Orleans, LA | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Hips | Washington, DC | $34,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| American Society of Addiction Medicine Inc | Pacific Plsds, CA | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Dance Safe Inc | Lakewood, CO | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Fresno Barrios Unidos | Fresno, CA | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Marijuana Policy Project | Washington, DC | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Mobilize Recovery | Las Vegas, NV | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Partnership for Safety and Justice | Portland, OR | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Protect Families First | Providence, RI | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Turning Point Inc | Minneapolis, MN | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Corporacion El Punto En La Montana | San Juan, PR | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Hips | Ne Washington, DC | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Little Globe Inc | Santa Fe, NM | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Marijuana Justice | Richmond, VA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| National Survivors Union Inc | Greensboro, NC | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Opencollective Foundation | Covina, CA | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| The Brotherhood Sister Sol Inc | New York, NY | $24,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Center for Intercultural Organizing | Portland, OR | $20,350 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Act 4 Sa- Accountability Compassion & Transparency for San Antonio | San Antonio, TX | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Ehs Inc | Buffalo, NY | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Fund for the City of New York Inc | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Fusion Partnerships Inc | Baltimore, MD | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Interfaith Alliance of Colorado | Denver, CO | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Mississippi Harm Reduction Coalition | Jackson, MS | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| National Coalition for Drug Legalization | Clarksburg, MD | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Poder in Action Inc | Phoenix, AZ | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Shot in the Dark Az | Phoenix, AZ | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Sonoran Prevention Works | Tempe, AZ | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Southerners on New Ground | Atlanta, GA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Texas Harm Reduction Alliance | Austin, TX | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Healthier United Fund | Denver, CO | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Step Beyond Women and Girls Inc | Mahwah, NJ | $17,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Doctors for Cannabis Regulation | Washington, DC | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii Inc | Honolulu, HI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Exponents Inc | New York, NY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Hawaii Health & Harm Reduction Center | Honolulu, HI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Health Equity Alliance | Bangor, ME | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Southern Tier AIDS Program Inc | Binghamton, NY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Drcnet Foundation Inc | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Drug Policy Forum of Texas | Houston, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Independent Media Institute | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Peoples Harm Reduction Alliance | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| New York Academy of Medicine | New York, NY | $8,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
32 of 73 (44%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold. Remember the $5,000 floor: an organization funded every year at $3,000 shows up here as never funded at all.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose column of its filings, largest first. This is the closest thing to a statement of what it funds, in its own words.
- Voices of Community Activists and Leaders (vocal-Ny)
TO BUILD A UNIFIED STATEWIDE NETWORK OF HARM REDUCTION PROVIDERS ACROSS NEW YORK; BUILDER SPONSORSHIP. - Onpoint Nyc
TO SUPPORT A CAMPAIGN TO LEGALIZE OVERDOSE PREVENTION CENTERS. - Vocal-Ny
TO CAMPAIGN FOR THE FOLLOWING DRUG POLICY REFORMS: UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO HARM REDUCTION TOOLS, UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT (MAT), AND SECURING CRITICAL RESOURCES AND WINNING LEGISLATION FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS DURING COVID-19 AND GALA SPONSORSHIP - Church of Safe Injection
TO EDUCATE AND MOBILIZE A STRONG BASE OF SUPPORT ACROSS MAINE TO PROMOTE A PERSONAL POSSESSION DECRIMINALIZATION POLICY REFORM AGENDA. - Maine Access Points
MOVEMENT AND BASE BUILD TO SUPPORT ALL-DRUG DECRIMINALIZATION POLICY IN MAINE. - Oklahoma Donor Alliance Inc
TO SUPPORT "GET OUT THE VOTE" WORK IN OKLAHOMA IN RELATION TO SQ820 TO LEGALIZE ADULT USE CANNABIS.
What kind of organizations it funds
By each recipient's own IRS classification, for the 64 of 73 recipients we could match to a registered organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses -- Schedule I reports the recipient's EIN, so this is a lookup rather than a name match.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants reported | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 44 | $907,850 | $20,000 |
| 2021 | 35 | $806,500 | $20,000 |
| 2022 | 16 | $473,000 | $22,500 |
| 2023 | 14 | $487,000 | $25,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- Form 990 arrives about a year after the year it covers, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a grantmaker winding down.
Where its money goes
28% of its giving went to organizations in New York. Community foundations and federated funds are usually the most geographically bounded funders there are -- being outside the footprint is normally disqualifying in a way that a weak programme fit is not.
Down to the city
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Funders that support the same organizations
These grantmakers and private foundations gave to organizations this one also funded. Shared grantees are the strongest signal available that two funders have overlapping priorities -- and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
How to approach this grantmaker
- Look for a published programme first. Unlike most private foundations, organizations of this kind often do run open, deadlined grant cycles with written guidelines. Its own website is the authority on that; this page is the authority on who it has actually paid.
- Check you are its size. The median reported grant is $20,000 -- and because grants under $5,000 need not be reported, it very likely writes smaller cheques than this page can see.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving concentrates in New York.
- Read the recipient list for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer and a cheap one to get.
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Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Drug Policy Alliance's own Form 990 Schedule I filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2020-2023). Nothing here is scraped, inferred or estimated.
On its most recent return it told the IRS it made grants to 14 section 501(c)(3) organizations and 0 other organizations. That is the filer's own count for one year; the totals above cover every year we hold.
Address of record on the latest return: 131 W 33RD Street 15TH Floor, New York, NY, 10001.
EIN 52-1516692 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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