About Common Counsel Foundation
We mobilize resources to support social movements—investing in community-led organizing to achieve agency, freedom, wellbeing, and structural change for marginalized communities.
Focus Areas
Racial justiceClimate justiceHousing justiceImmigrationMovement buildingNative rights / Indigenous leadershipDemocracyHealthPhilanthropySocial justiceEconomic justice
Who They Fund
Black-led organizations and Black communitiesfarmers of color and land-based producersIndigenous/native language teachers and communities
About Common Counsel Foundation
Common Counsel Foundation’s recent giving is defined by large, movement-facing commitments: a $37.2 million fund closeout to ImpactAssets Inc in 2025 and a $15.8 million closeout to Movement 4 Black Lives Inc in the same year. Those two grants sit alongside major support for Native Land Conservancy Inc, Black Farmer Fund Inc, and The Accomplis Collective Inc, showing a pattern of backing community-led organizing, land stewardship, and structural change. The foundation describes its work as mobilizing resources for social movements, with an emphasis on agency, freedom, wellbeing, and community power for marginalized communities. Its grant list also points to sustained support for organizations working at the intersection of racial justice, climate justice, housing justice, immigration, democracy, and Indigenous leadership. New York recipients appear often, but the funding footprint is national and reaches groups in Massachusetts, Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia, and elsewhere. Recent awards include both general support and project-specific support, as well as capital-oriented grants such as a building purchase project for Lighthouse Holyoke. The mix suggests a funder that supports organizing infrastructure, land and real estate efforts, and field-building intermediaries as part of its overall strategy.
What Common Counsel Foundation Funds
In racial justice and movement-building work, Common Counsel Foundation made a $3 million project grant to Center for Third World Organizing for Persimmon Collective and a $640,000 general operating grant to Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity. Those gifts show interest in organizing infrastructure as well as direct support for Black-led movement leadership. Climate and land stewardship appear through multiple recipients. The foundation gave $1.1 million to Resist for the Northeast Farmers of Color Network and another $1.1 million to the same organization for land stewardship advocacy and organizing. It also awarded $4 million in general support to Native Land Conservancy Inc and $750,000 to Ndn Collective Inc for Community Action Fund. Food and farmer support is visible in grants to Black Farmer Fund Inc for general operating support and to Youth-n-action Inc for Fresh Greens Market. Housing-related giving includes $1 million to Lighthouse Holyoke for a building purchase project.
How Common Counsel Foundation Gives
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$101.2M
Total Assets
$67.5M
Total Revenue
$51.4M
Total Expenses
$126.1M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $20K and $50K, with a median of $30K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$30K
75th Percentile
$50K
Geographic Reach
National49 states funded
About 19% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
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