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← COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION FOR PUBLIC POLICY ALTERNATIVES

Form 990 for tax year 2023

Filed by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION FOR PUBLIC POLICY ALTERNATIVES.

Totals

Total revenue
$12,137,868
Total expenses
$10,993,169
Contributions and grants received
$11,808,248
Grants paid
$217,484
Program service revenue
$0
Investment income
$329,620
Other revenue
$0
Total assets, end of year
$6,856,601
Total liabilities, end of year
$895,921
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$5,960,680
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$8,340,121
Management and general expenses
$1,549,761
Fundraising expenses
$1,103,287
Program service expenses (Part III)
$8,340,121

Program services were 75.9% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $11,808,248

  • 1g · Noncash contributions included above

    $3,700

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $329,620 · excluded $329,620

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $217,484 · program services $217,484

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $493,701 · program services $469,016 · management and general $24,685

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $1,454,201 · program services $1,160,730 · management and general $269,032 · fundraising $24,439

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $56,043 · program services $43,625 · management and general $11,386 · fundraising $1,032

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $104,096 · program services $82,319 · management and general $19,955 · fundraising $1,822

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $140,164 · program services $116,357 · management and general $21,878 · fundraising $1,929

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $78,912 · program services $900 · management and general $78,012

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $18,304 · management and general $18,304

  • 11e · Fees: professional fundraising services

    total $685,044 · fundraising $685,044

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $4,313,221 · program services $3,310,333 · management and general $884,135 · fundraising $118,753

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $1,393,815 · program services $1,393,815

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $382,611 · program services $129,585 · management and general $99,751 · fundraising $153,275

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $117,047 · program services $97,109 · management and general $18,389 · fundraising $1,549

  • 17 · Travel

    total $271,988 · program services $238,607 · management and general $13,782 · fundraising $19,599

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $561,744 · program services $529,262 · management and general $16,467 · fundraising $16,015

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $87,092 · program services $72,256 · management and general $13,683 · fundraising $1,153

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $17,249 · program services $14,311 · management and general $2,710 · fundraising $228

  • 24a · Other expenses: CONTRACT RESEARCH

    total $375,428 · program services $342,256 · management and general $53 · fundraising $33,119

  • 24b · Other expenses: SUBSCRIPTION/MEMBERSHIP

    total $174,637 · program services $102,895 · management and general $56,019 · fundraising $15,723

  • 24c · Other expenses: GRAPHIC DESIGN

    total $112,815 · program services $83,336 · management and general $0 · fundraising $29,479

  • 24d · Other expenses: MISCELLANEOUS

    total $1,424 · program services $1,181 · management and general $224 · fundraising $19

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total -$63,851 · program services -$65,256 · management and general $1,296 · fundraising $109

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $5,032,254 · end of year $5,930,996

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $8,463 · end of year $27,105

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $81,317 · end of year $30,216

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $85,121 · end of year $60,212

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $1,015,262

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $380,911

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $231,503 · end of year $634,351

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $8,068 · end of year $7,940

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $244,644 · end of year $165,781

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $624,041 · end of year $730,140

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

    beginning of year $50,000

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $201,348 · end of year $165,781

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $4,815,981 · end of year $5,960,680

Mission and programs · 2023

Mission

THE COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION TRANSFORMS FREE-MARKET IDEAS INTO PUBLIC POLICIES, EMPOWERING ALL PENNSYLVANIANS TO THRIVE.

Activities or mission (Part I)

TRANSFORMS FREE-MARKET IDEAS INTO PUBLIC POLICIES, EMPOWERING ALL PENNSYLVANIANS TO THRIVE.

  • POLICY ANALYSIS: THE COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION CONDUCTS VIGOROUS RESEARCH TO DEVELOP DATA-DRIVEN FREE-MARKET POLICY SOLUTIONS, IN ADDITION TO OFFERING ANALYSIS OF EXISTING POLICIES AND PROGRAMS, DISSEMINATING THESE RESOURCES THROUGH OUR PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS PROGRAMS.

    Expenses $4,503,655

  • GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS: THE COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION WORKS DIRECTLY WITH LAWMAKERS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND THEIR TEAMS TO EDUCATE THEM AND ADVOCATE FOR FREE-MARKET POLICIES THROUGH MEETINGS, BRIEFINGS, AND OTHER FORMATS, INCLUDING EMAIL, MAIL, AND HAND DELIVERY TO THE STATE CAPITOL.

    Expenses $2,168,442

  • PUBLIC AFFAIRS & MEDIA: THE COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION DISTILLS AND DISSEMINATES ITS POLICY INFORMATION THROUGH COMPELLING MESSAGING TO REACH KEY AUDIENCES, INCLUDING LAWMAKERS, OTHER POLICY-FOCUSED ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE INTERESTED PUBLIC.

    Expenses $1,668,024 · Grants $217,484

As filed on the 2023 return.

Listed in Part VII

  • George Gh Coates Jr

    DIRECTOR & CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Gerard Alexander

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • William E Sordoni

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • C Bruce Kern II

    DIRECTOR & SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Thomas E Beach

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Montgomery B Brown

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Emily Wk Cox

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Brittney N Paul

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Sarah Y Simkiss

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Stephen L Bloom

    VICE PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $252,532
    From this org
    $219,926
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $32,606
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $189,982
    Bonus
    $29,594
    Other
    $350
    Deferred
    $9,082
    Nontaxable benefits
    $23,524
    Filer's total
    $252,532

  • Nathan A Benefield

    SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $215,991
    From this org
    $201,439
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $14,552
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $172,089
    Bonus
    $29,000
    Other
    $350
    Deferred
    $8,214
    Nontaxable benefits
    $6,338
    Filer's total
    $215,991

  • Charles F Mitchell

    PRESIDENT(THROUGH 9/13/24)

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

  • Andrew J Lewis

    PRESIDENT & CEO (EFFECTIVE 9/13/24)

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

  • Jennifer T Stefano

    EXECUTIVE VP(THROUGH 3/13/24)

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

  • Mark R Wilson

    CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

  • Erik M Telford

    SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

  • C Roger Custer

    VICE PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

  • David Osborne

    SENIOR FELLOW

    Total calculated
    $138,612
    From this org
    $113,317
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $25,295
    Hours/week
    40

  • Abbey Haslam

    DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

    Total calculated
    $134,612
    From this org
    $115,276
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $19,336
    Hours/week
    40

  • Elizabeth Stelle

    DIRECTOR OF POLICY ANALYSIS

    Total calculated
    $130,450
    From this org
    $120,328
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $10,122
    Hours/week
    40

  • James Miller

    DIGITAL MARKETING DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $129,029
    From this org
    $124,066
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $4,963
    Hours/week
    40

  • Kevin Kane

    DIRECTOR OF LEGISLATIVE STRATEGY

    Total calculated
    $121,047
    From this org
    $106,246
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $14,801
    Hours/week
    40

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 3 · Compensation committee
  • 3 · Form 990 of other organizations
  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2023
Filed
6 August 2025
IRS schema version
2023v6.0
Source object
202532239349300708

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