People's Action Institute
Chicago, IL · EIN 36-2755109. Reported 208 grants totalling $24.0M to 91 organizations across tax years 2021-2024, 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 People's Action Institute, the IRS classifies it under community improvement rather than as a grantmaker (NTEE S16Z) -- it is an operating charity that also makes grants.
- How spread out its giving is. 91 distinct organizations, with 6% 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. 71% of one year's grantees are funded again the next, across 3 year-to-year transitions. That is about the 57% median for grantmaking charities -- noticeably lower than the 67% private foundations manage. Organizations like this one rotate more of their list each year, which is where an opening for a newcomer tends to be.
How big are its grants?
The median reported grant is $88,750. Half of what it reported fell between $35,000 and $167,222; the smallest was $6,000 and the largest $853,518. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citizen Action of Wisconsin Education Fund Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $1,406,741 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Hometown Organizing Project | Montevallo, AL | $962,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| We Are Down Home | Greensboro, NC | $844,750 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Hoosier Action Resource Center | New Albany, IN | $805,373 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Progressive Maryland Eduction Fund Inc | Upper Marlboro, MD | $790,963 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Organizing Neighborhoods for Equality Northside | Chicago, IL | $734,833 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Social Good Fund Inc | Richmond, CA | $726,403 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Pennsylvania United | Pittsburgh, PA | $700,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Arkansas Public Policy Panel Inc | Little Rock, AR | $699,250 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement | Des Moines, IA | $660,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Community Voices Heard Inc | New York, NY | $616,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Missouri Jobs With Justice | Saint Louis, MO | $613,474 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| People Organized for Westside Renewal | Los Angeles, CA | $597,583 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Maine Peoples Resource Center | Portland, ME | $563,518 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Michigan Organizing Project | Oshtemo, MI | $536,305 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Public Policy and Education Fund of New York Inc | Albany, NY | $525,963 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Rights & Democracy Education Fund Inc | Burlington, VT | $501,250 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Jane Addams Senior Caucus | Chicago, IL | $496,333 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada | Las Vegas, NV | $490,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Root Cause Research Center Inc | Louisville, KY | $485,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Voices of Community Activists & Leaders-Vocal-Ny-Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $462,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| People United for Sustainable Housing Incorporated | Buffalo, NY | $455,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| New Jersey Resource Project | West Creek, NJ | $434,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Colorado Peoples Alliance | Denver, CO | $430,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Showing Up for Racial Justice Education Fund Inc | Atlanta, GA | $425,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Tides Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $418,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Pennsylvania Stands Up Institute | Philadelphia, PA | $388,750 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Kc Tenants | Kansas City, MO | $385,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Takeaction Minnesota Education Fund | St Paul, MN | $381,673 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| United Vision for Idaho Inc | Boise, ID | $327,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Southwest Organizing Project | Albuquerque, NM | $325,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Illinois Peoples Action | Bloomington, IL | $310,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| West Virginia Citizen Action Education Fund Inc | Charleston, WV | $285,963 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Latino Community Fund of Washingtonstate | Seattle, WA | $281,750 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Connecticut Citizen Research Group Inc | Hartford, CT | $274,641 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| The Peoples Lobby Education Institute | Chicago, IL | $263,391 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts Education Fund Inc | Worcester, MA | $243,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Communities United for Action | Cincinnati, OH | $213,750 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Carolina Federation Fund | Durham, NC | $210,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Center for Health Progress | Denver, CO | $203,741 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Arch City Defenders Inc | Saint Louis, MO | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Southern Vision Alliance | Durham, NC | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition Inc | Bronx, NY | $185,613 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Center for Community Change | Washington, DC | $180,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Center for Popular Democracy | Washington, DC | $180,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Faith in Action Network | Oakland, CA | $180,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| State Democracy Project | Brooklyn, NY | $180,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Gamaliel Foundation | Chicago, IL | $165,623 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Canopy Young Adult Community House | Lexington, KY | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Lowcountry Alliance for Modelcommunities | N Charleston, SC | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Social Security Works Education Fund | Washington, DC | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| River Valley Organizing | East Liverpool, OH | $136,250 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Action St Louis | Saint Louis, MO | $135,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Pittsburgh United | Pittsburgh, PA | $115,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Arizona Center for Empowerment | Phoenix, AZ | $95,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Oneamerica | Seattle, WA | $91,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Chinese Progressive Association | Oakland, CA | $86,334 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Southside Together Organizing for Power | Chicago, IL | $83,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Texas Health and Environment Alliance Inc | Houston, TX | $74,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Progressive Leadership Initiative Education Fund Inc | Washington, DC | $59,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| New Jersey Citizen Action Education Fund Inc | Newark, NJ | $56,250 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Amplifier Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $55,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Bozseman Tenants Untied | Bozeman, MT | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Commonwealth Foundation Inc | Berkeley, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Movement Alliance Project | Philadelphia, PA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Washington Community Action Network Education & Research Fund | Seattle, WA | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Workers Defense Project Inc | Austin, TX | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| West Side Citizens Organization | Saint Paul, MN | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Berkshire Environmental Action Team | Pittsfield, MA | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Native Movement | Fairbanks, AK | $23,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Glynn Environmental Coalition Inc | Brunswick, GA | $22,150 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Alaska Community Action on Toxics | Anchorage, AK | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Del Amo Action Committee | Rosamond, CA | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Tree of Life Cog | E Liverpool, OH | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Neighbors for Clean Air | Portland, OR | $19,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Beyond Toxics | Eugene, OR | $16,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Savannah Riverkeeper Incorporated | Augusta, GA | $16,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| 350 New Hampshire | Dover, NH | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Group Against Smog and Pollution Inc | Pittsburgh, PA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Louisiana Environmental Action Network | Baton Rouge, LA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Southeast Environmental Task Force | Chicago, IL | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Environmental Community Action Inc | Atlanta, GA | $11,940 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Juxtaposition Inc | Minneapolis, MN | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Missouri Coalition for the Environment Foundation | Saint Louis, MO | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Providence Youth Student Movement | Providence, RI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Tri-Valley Communities Against a Radioactive Environment | Livermore, CA | $8,800 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Chester Residents Concerned for Quality Living | Crum Lynne, PA | $8,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Together We Can Inc | Clovis, CA | $8,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Citizens for a Healthy Community | Paonia, CO | $7,400 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Citizens Awareness Network Inc | Shelburne Fls, MA | $6,300 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Fact-Faith Communities Together for a Sustainable Future | Mentor, OH | $6,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
55 of 91 (60%) 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.
- Citizen Action of Wisconsin Education Fund
AFFILIATE STATE PROGRAMS SUPPORT
What kind of organizations it funds
By each recipient's own IRS classification, for the 81 of 91 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 51 | $6,304,440 | $75,000 |
| 2022 | 41 | $5,243,582 | $100,000 |
| 2023 | 51 | $4,058,204 | $50,000 |
| 2024 | 65 | $8,391,332 | $115,000 |
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
10% 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 $88,750 -- 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 People's Action Institute's own Form 990 Schedule I filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Nothing here is scraped, inferred or estimated.
On its most recent return it told the IRS it made grants to 63 section 501(c)(3) organizations and 2 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: 1130 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL, 60642.
EIN 36-2755109 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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