The Commonwealth Alliance Action Fund is a Kentucky-focused progressive civic engagement funder that prioritizes voter mobilization and advocacy infrastructure. Most of its support goes to get-out-the-vote operations and civic tables, alongside investments in racial justice, reproductive rights, and LGBTQ equality groups that build long‑term organizing capacity. Grants are overwhelmingly operational/general support, suggesting a preference for shoring up grassroots readiness and campaign readiness rather than one-off program experiments.
Commonwealth Alliance Action Fund’s largest recent grant was a $575,000 award in 2025 to Commonwealth Alliance Voter Engagement for general capacity, signaling a strong emphasis on building durable civic-engagement infrastructure rather than one-off projects. Across the recent grants list, the funder backs voter mobilization, advocacy capacity, and coalition work tied to election participation and state-level organizing. It also supports groups working in racial justice, reproductive rights, and LGBTQ equality, with funding often labeled general capacity or general operating support. The foundation’s recent portfolio shows a mix of Kentucky-based organizations and regional partners, including Fairness Campaign, Kentucky Civic Engagement Table, and Hood to the Holler in Louisville. Outside Kentucky, it has supported Showing Up for Racial Justice in Buffalo, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates serving Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, and Washington in Seattle, and Preserve Protect Defend in Washington, DC. The pattern suggests a funder focused on civic infrastructure and advocacy readiness, especially where organizations help mobilize voters and sustain grassroots campaigns.
In voter engagement, Commonwealth Alliance Action Fund gave $350,000 in 2024 to Commonwealth Alliance Voter Engagement for voter engagement, then continued with $575,000 in 2025 for general capacity. That pairing shows an interest in both direct turnout work and the staffing or infrastructure behind it. The funder also backs coalition-based civic work. It gave $25,000 in 2025 to Kentucky Civic Engagement Table for general capacity and $20,000 to Hopewell Fund for general capacity, both of which fit a broader organizing-and-infrastructure approach. On issue advocacy, the foundation supported Fairness Campaign with $25,000 in 2025 for general capacity and Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates - Serving Ak Hi Id in Ky and WA with $45,000 in 2025 for general capacity. It also funded Hood to the Holler twice, including $15,000 in 2024 for voter engagement and $20,000 in 2025 for general capacity.
Typical grant size sits at $20,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $41,250 at the 75th percentile. The recent list includes one very large award alongside a cluster of mid-sized grants, indicating a stepped pattern rather than uniform check sizes. The funder is a pure DAF provider, and the portfolio leans heavily toward operational support and capacity-building terms. Recipients appear across more than one year: Commonwealth Alliance Voter Engagement, Showing Up for Racial Justice, Hood to the Holler, and Preserve Protect Defend all received grants in multiple years. That repeat pattern points to ongoing relationships rather than isolated awards.
$552K
$484K
$1.2M
$1.2M
Most grants fall between $20K and $41K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$41K
MEGHAN ROUSE
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Concentrated, programmatic giving with a single dominant recipient (their own voter engagement arm) plus repeat smaller general‑support grants to regional grassroots and advocacy organizations; grants emphasize unrestricted/operational support over project‑specific funding.
Notable grantees: COMMONWEALTH ALLIANCE VOTER ENGAGEMENT, SHOWING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE, PLANNED PARENTHOOD ALLIANCE ADVOCATES (serving AK/HI/ID/KY/WA), HOOD TO THE HOLLER, FAIRNESS CAMPAIGN
Grants are concentrated in the United States, with all recent grants going to US recipients. Louisville, Kentucky appears repeatedly and is the most common recipient city in the list, followed by Washington, DC, Buffalo, New York, and Seattle, Washington. Kentucky recipients make up 50% of grants by recipient location, while Washington is the top state by grant count overall. The pattern shows a regional footprint anchored in Kentucky but extending to allied organizations in other states.
The recent grants center on voter engagement, civic participation, and coalition-building. The foundation also funds racial justice, reproductive rights, and LGBTQ equality organizations, with many awards described as general capacity or general operating support.
Recent grants cluster around $20,000 to $25,000, with a 25th percentile of $20,000, a median of $25,000, and a 75th percentile of $41,250. The portfolio also includes a much larger $575,000 grant in 2025.
Yes. Commonwealth Alliance Voter Engagement received grants in 2024 and 2025, Showing Up for Racial Justice was funded in both 2024 and 2025, Hood to the Holler received awards in 2024 and 2025, and Preserve Protect Defend was also funded in both years.
The funder’s top state by grant count is Washington, while 50% of grants go to recipients in Kentucky. Recent recipient cities include Louisville, Seattle, Buffalo, and Washington, DC, showing a regional reach beyond the headquarters city.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMMONWEALTH ALLIANCE VOTER ENGAGEMENT | LOUISVILLE, KY | $459,400 | 2026 | GENERAL CAPACITY |
| KENTUCKY CENTER FOR ECONOMIC POLICY | BEREA, KY | $40,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CAPACITY |
| PROTECT OUR SCHOOLS KY | FRANKFORT, KY | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CAPACITY |
| NEW AMERICANS INITIATIVE | LOUISVILLE, KY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CAPACITY |
| FOUNDATION FOR APPALACHIAN KENTUCKY | HAZARD, KY | $7,500 | 2026 | GENERAL CAPACITY |
| COMMONWEALTH ALLIANCE VOTER ENGAGEMENT | LOUISVILLE, KY | $575,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CAPACITY |
| PLANNED PARENTOHOOD ALLIANCE ADVOCATES - SERVING AK HI ID IN KY AND WA | SEATTLE, WA | $45,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CAPACITY |
| FAIRNESS CAMPAIGN | LOUISVILLE, KY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CAPACITY |
| KENTUCKY CIVIC ENGAGEMENT TABLE | LOUISVILLE, KY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CAPACITY |
| SHOWING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE | BUFFALO, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CAPACITY |
| HOOD TO THE HOLLER | LOUISVILLE, KY | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CAPACITY |
| HOPEWELL FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CAPACITY |
| PRESERVE PROTECT DEFEND | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CAPACITY |
| COMMONWEALTH ALLIANCE VOTER ENGAGEMENT | LOUISVILLE, KY | $350,000 | 2024 | VOTER ENGAGEMENT |
| SHOWING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE | BUFFALO, NY | $40,000 | 2024 | VOTER ENGAGEMENT |
| PRESERVE PROTECT DEFEND | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2024 | VOTER ENGAGEMENT |
| HOOD TO THE HOLLER | LOUISVILLE, KY | $15,000 | 2024 | VOTER ENGAGEMENT |
COMMONWEALTH ALLIANCE VOTER ENGAGEMENT
$459,400GENERAL CAPACITY
PROTECT OUR SCHOOLS KY
$35,000GENERAL CAPACITY
NEW AMERICANS INITIATIVE
$10,000GENERAL CAPACITY
COMMONWEALTH ALLIANCE VOTER ENGAGEMENT
$575,000GENERAL CAPACITY
GENERAL CAPACITY
FAIRNESS CAMPAIGN
$25,000GENERAL CAPACITY
SHOWING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE
$25,000GENERAL CAPACITY
HOOD TO THE HOLLER
$20,000GENERAL CAPACITY
PRESERVE PROTECT DEFEND
$15,000GENERAL CAPACITY
COMMONWEALTH ALLIANCE VOTER ENGAGEMENT
$350,000VOTER ENGAGEMENT
PRESERVE PROTECT DEFEND
$25,000VOTER ENGAGEMENT
HOOD TO THE HOLLER
$15,000VOTER ENGAGEMENT