Proteus Action League
Waltham, MA · EIN 22-3888268. Reported 156 grants totalling $3,673,330 to 97 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 Proteus Action League, the IRS classifies it under civil rights rather than as a grantmaker (NTEE R99) -- it is an operating charity that also makes grants.
- How spread out its giving is. 97 distinct organizations, with 7% 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. 46% 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 $15,000. Half of what it reported fell between $10,000 and $25,000; the smallest was $6,000 and the largest $150,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong organization.
52 of those grants were non-cash -- goods, property or services worth $1,013,122 in total. In-kind giving is real support but it is not a cheque.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niac Action | Washington, DC | $259,300 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Neo Philanthropy Action Fund Inc | New York, NY | $250,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Tirrc Votes | Nashville, TN | $250,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Beyond Impact | W Hollywood, CA | $240,000 | 8 | 4 | 2024 |
| Emgage Action | Lakeland, FL | $225,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Ohio Families Unite for Political Action and Change | Hilliard, OH | $105,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Nc for the People Action | Raleigh, NC | $95,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Proteus Fund Inc | Waltham, MA | $85,122 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Arkansas Public Policy Panel Inc | Little Rock, AR | $80,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Washington Community Alliance Action-Dba People Powered Elections Pac | Bellingham, WA | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Progressive Maryland Inc | Lanham, MD | $65,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Justice Not Politics | Des Moines, IA | $60,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Protect Maine Elections | Raymond, ME | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Common Cause | Washington, DC | $59,500 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Mcce Action | Portland, ME | $55,000 | 3 | 2 | 2022 |
| Adrc Action | Tempe, AZ | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Floridians for Open Democracy | Tallahassee, FL | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Grassroots Global Justice Action Fund | Washington, DC | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Reform for Illinois | Evanston, IL | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| African Communities Together | New York, NY | $45,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Hometown Action | Montevallo, AL | $45,000 | 3 | 2 | 2022 |
| Showing Up for Racial Justice Action | Buffalo, NY | $45,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Poder in Action Inc | Phoenix, AZ | $43,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Southern Center for Human Rights | Atlanta, GA | $41,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Oakland Fair Elections Sponsored By Civic Advocacy Organizations | Oakland, CA | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Think Tennessee | Nashville, TN | $38,500 | 3 | 2 | 2024 |
| Marypirg Citizen Lobby Inc | Baltimore, MD | $35,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Voters Not Money | Ann Arbor, MI | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Organization for Black Struggle | Saint Louis, MO | $34,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Woven Action Inc | Honolulu, HI | $33,762 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Emancipate Nc Inc | Durham, NC | $32,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Missouri Jobs With Justice Voter Action | Saint Louis, MO | $31,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Jewish Voice for Peace Action Incorporated | Washington, DC | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Mi Familia Vota | Phoenix, AZ | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Project Say Something | Florence, AL | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| United Working Families | Brooklyn, NY | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Black Collective Inc | Miami, FL | $27,826 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Arab Americans for Progress | Detroit, MI | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Equity Action | Austin, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Justice Not Politics Alaska | Anchorage, AK | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| New Disabled South Rising Inc | Atlanta, GA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| South Asian American Coalition to Renew Democracy Acts | Chicago, IL | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Action Center on Race and the Economy | Chicago, IL | $22,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Land Stewardship Project | Minneapolis, MN | $20,500 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| Organize Action Inc | Cloverdale, CA | $20,320 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Emancipate Votes | Durham, NC | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Sage Leaders | Seattle, WA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Working Families Organization Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Kcc-the Kentucky Conservation Committee Inc | Frankfort, KY | $18,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| America Votes | Washington, DC | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee | Washington, DC | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Center for Racial and Gender Equity Nfp | Chicago, IL | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Citizen She United | Orleans, LA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Council for a Livable World | Washington, DC | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Faith in Minnesota | Saint Paul, MN | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Forward Mt | Missoula, MT | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Action Fund | Des Moines, IA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Kansas Values Institute | Lawrence, KS | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Living United for Change in Arizona | Phoenix, AZ | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Ncaat in Action | Raleigh, NC | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| New Era Colorado Action Fund | Denver, CO | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| New Pennsylvania Project | Harrisburg, PA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| New York State Immigrant Action Fund | New York, NY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Ohio Women's Alliance Action Fund | Gahanna, OH | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Open Democracy Action | Concord, NH | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Opportunity Arizona | Phoenix, AZ | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Poder | Phoenix, AZ | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Project Say Something Direct Action | Florence, AL | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Show Me Integrity | St Louis, MO | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Bloc | New York, NY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Good Nation Foundation Inc | New York, NY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| West Virginia Citizen Action Group Inc | Charleston, WV | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Congregations Caring for Creation | Minneapolis, MN | $13,250 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Equity Alliance | Nashville, TN | $13,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Center for Empowered Politics | Oakland, CA | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Black Phoenix Votes | Phoenix, AZ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Citizen Action of New York Inc | Albany, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Council on American-Islamic Relations - Ohio | Hilliard, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Groundswell Action Fund | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Il Muslim Civic Coalition Activate | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Indiana Muslim Advocacy Network | Indianapolis, IN | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Indigenous Iowa Dba Great Plains Action Society | Iowa City, IA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Institute for Middle East Understanding Policy Project | Tustin, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Marked By Covid | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Movement Voter Project | Northampton, MA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| National Association for the Advancement of Colored People | Baltimore, MD | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| New Georgia Project Action Fund | Atlanta, GA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Northern Plains Resource Council | Billings, MT | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Opportunity 2 Restore | New Orleans, LA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Re Power | St Paul, MN | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Right to the City Action Fund | Brooklyn, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Texas Freedom Network | Austin, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Way to Win Action Fund Incorporated | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Organize Ohio Inc | Cleveland, OH | $9,250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Organize Tennessee | Nashville, TN | $8,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Unitarian Universalist Justice Ohio | Columbus, OH | $8,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Missouri Jobs With Justice | Saint Louis, MO | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
26 of 97 (27%) 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 kind of organizations it funds
By each recipient's own IRS classification, for the 65 of 97 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 | 52 | $1,013,122 | $15,000 |
| 2022 | 34 | $831,326 | $16,500 |
| 2023 | 28 | $573,500 | $15,000 |
| 2024 | 42 | $1,255,382 | $15,000 |
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
12% 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 $15,000 -- 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.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Proteus Action League'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.
Address of record on the latest return: 303 Wyman Street 300, Waltham, MA, 02451.
EIN 22-3888268 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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