
Advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services, and prosperity and opportunity for all working families.
American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees has used its recent grantmaking to move large sums into political and civic work tied to labor, public services, and working families. The biggest grant in the latest list is $4,000,000 to For Our Future Action Fund, followed by $2,200,000 to For Our Future and $1,750,000 to For Our Future Action Fund in earlier years, showing a repeated relationship with that network. The foundation also supported America Votes with multiple awards, including $900,000 in 2025 and $375,000 in both 2023 and 2024, alongside six-figure grants to Working America, Strategic Victory Fund, and other advocacy organizations. Beyond those larger commitments, the pattern includes support for state and local groups such as A Better Wisconsin Together, ProgressNow, and Development Now For Chicago. The foundation’s stated focus areas include labor rights and unions, public services, health care, retirement security, education and training, scholarships, and political advocacy. Its portfolio also includes scholarship and internship programs for AFSCME members and their families, indicating that its funding extends from policy and advocacy to direct educational support.
In labor and civic advocacy, the foundation gave $4,000,000 to For Our Future Action Fund and $900,000 to America Votes, both in Washington, DC, reflecting support for organizations engaged in public-facing political work. It also awarded $550,000 to Development Now For Chicago in Chicago, IL, and $400,000 to ProgressNow in Lansing, MI, showing attention to state-level organizing. Education and member advancement appear through several active scholarship and internship programs. AFSCME Family Scholarship offers renewable $2,000 awards to graduating high school seniors who are family members of full dues-paying AFSCME members. Union Plus Scholarship, also for the United States, awards $500 to $4,000 to students of working families, including AFSCME members and their families. Union Scholars provides a paid summer internship for students interested in social justice and workers’ rights.
Typical grant size sits at $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $89,750 at the 75th percentile, but the recent grant list also shows a separate tier of large awards in the hundreds of thousands and millions. The foundation is a Regular Funder and a DAF classification is listed as Regular Funder. The recent record suggests repeated support to the same organizations across multiple years, including America Votes, ProgressNow, Strategic Victory Fund, and AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer. Several active scholarship programs accept unsolicited applications, while affiliate scholarship programs and the Jerry Wurf Memorial Fund are not described as accepting unsolicited requests.
$31.4M
$393.5M
$190.3M
$169.2M
Most grants fall between $10K and $90K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$90K
About 47% of grants go to recipients in DC.
LEE SAUNDERS
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeRegístrate gratis para ver qué tan bien se adapta tu organización sin fines de lucro a este financiador, obtener un pitch generado por IA y descubrir fundaciones similares.
Grantmaking is national, and every grant in the country distribution goes to US recipients. Washington, DC appears most often in the recent grants list, with recipients such as For Our Future Action Fund, America Votes, and Working America. Other repeat locations include Raleigh, NC; Lansing, MI; and Chicago, IL. The recipient base also reaches cities such as Madison, WI, Baltimore, MD, Philadelphia, PA, and Las Vegas, NV.
The foundation funds labor rights and unions, public services, health care, retirement security, education and training, scholarships, and political advocacy. Recent grants include large awards to advocacy groups such as For Our Future Action Fund and America Votes, plus scholarship and internship programs for members and their families.
The typical grant size is $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $89,750 at the 75th percentile. The recent grant list also includes much larger awards, so the distribution spans both small programmatic support and major six- and seven-figure grants.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including America Votes, Strategic Victory Fund, ProgressNow, and AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer. That pattern shows recurring support rather than one-time-only grants.
Yes. Active programs include AFSCME Family Scholarship, Union Plus Scholarship for AFSCME members and their families, Gerald W. McEntee Scholarship, and Union Scholars. These programs support higher education, internships, and student development for working families and AFSCME-connected applicants.
The top state by grant count is DC, and 47% of grants go to recipients in DC. Recent DC recipients include For Our Future Action Fund, America Votes, Working America, and the AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| For Our Future Action Fund | Washington, DC | $4,000,000 | 2025 | general |
| America Votes | Washington, DC | $900,000 | 2025 | general |
| Development Now For Chicago | Chicago, IL | $550,000 | 2025 | general |
| ProgressNow | Lansing, MI | $400,000 | 2025 | general |
| AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer | Washington, DC | $388,000 | 2025 | general |
| NAACP | Baltimore, MD | $280,000 | 2025 | general |
| Strategic Victory Fund | Raleigh, NC | $250,000 | 2025 | general |
| PA Alliance Action | Philadelphia, PA | $250,000 | 2025 | general |
| One APIA Nevada | Las Vegas, NV | $250,000 | 2025 | general |
| Organizing Empowerment Project Inc | Monona, WI | $250,000 | 2025 | general |
| Citizens Not Politicians | Columbus, OH | $250,000 | 2025 | general |
| Make The Road Action Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $235,000 | 2025 | general |
| Black Men Vote Civic Action Fund | Washington, DC | $225,000 | 2025 | general |
| Center For American Progress | Washington, DC | $225,000 | 2025 | general |
| Democracy Alliance | Washington, DC | $220,000 | 2025 | general |
| Working America | Washington, DC | $200,000 | 2025 | general |
| Ballot Initiative Strategy Center | Washington, DC | $180,000 | 2025 | general |
| Project Keystone | Philadelphia, PA | $175,000 | 2025 | general |
| Economic Policy Institute | Washington, DC | $175,000 | 2025 | general |
| Western Org of Resource Councils | Billings, MT | $175,000 | 2025 | general |
| Black Ohio Leaders for Democracy | Toledo, OH | $150,000 | 2025 | general |
| Progressive Caucus Action Fund | Washington, DC | $150,000 | 2025 | general |
| Catalist LLC | Washington, DC | $143,100 | 2025 | general |
| National Public Pension Coalition | Washington, DC | $135,000 | 2025 | general |
| National Coalition On Black Civic Participation | Washington, DC | $125,000 | 2025 | general |
| Ohio Alliance for Community Education | Cleveland Heights, OH | $100,000 | 2025 | general |
| Stop Sinclair LLC | Baltimore, MD | $100,000 | 2025 | general |
| Michigan State AFL-CIO | Lansing, MI | $100,000 | 2025 | general |
| State Innovation Exchange | Madison, WI | $100,000 | 2025 | general |
| Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom | Sacramento, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | general |
| Fair Government Nevada | Henderson, NV | $100,000 | 2025 | general |
| Citizens For Tax Justice | Washington, DC | $100,000 | 2025 | general |
| Wild Montana Action Fund | Helena, MT | $100,000 | 2025 | general |
| In The Public Interest | Oakland, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | general |
| Ohio Organizing Campaign | Youngstown, TX | $100,000 | 2025 | general |
| Rural Arizona Action | Coolidge, AZ | $100,000 | 2025 | general |
| Voter Rights Colorado | Denver, CO | $80,000 | 2025 | general |
| Yes on 5 California for Safe Affordable | Sacramento, CA | $75,000 | 2025 | general |
| Jobs With Justice | Washington, DC | $75,000 | 2025 | general |
| The Leadership Conference On Civil & Human Rights | Washington, DC | $60,000 | 2025 | general |
| Badger State Research Inc | Madison, WI | $55,000 | 2025 | general |
| Good Jobs First | Washington, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | general |
| Committee on States | Raleigh, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | general |
| SIX Action | Madison, WI | $50,000 | 2025 | general |
| Dolores Huerta Action Fund | Bakersfield, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | general |
| Sixteen Thirty Fund | Washington, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | general |
| VoteRiders | Santa Monica, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | general |
| Center for Racial and Gender Equity | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | general |
| Coppersmith Brockelman PLC | Phoenix, AZ | $50,000 | 2025 | general |
| NUL CIVIC ENGAGEMENT FUND | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | general |
For Our Future Action Fund
$4,000,000general
America Votes
$900,000general
Development Now For Chicago
$550,000general
ProgressNow
$400,000general
AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer
$388,000general
NAACP
$280,000general
Strategic Victory Fund
general
PA Alliance Action
$250,000general
One APIA Nevada
$250,000general
Organizing Empowerment Project Inc
$250,000general
Citizens Not Politicians
$250,000general
Make The Road Action Inc
$235,000general
Black Men Vote Civic Action Fund
$225,000general
Center For American Progress
$225,000general
Democracy Alliance
$220,000general
Working America
$200,000general
Ballot Initiative Strategy Center
$180,000general
Project Keystone
$175,000general
Economic Policy Institute
$175,000general
Western Org of Resource Councils
$175,000general
Black Ohio Leaders for Democracy
$150,000general
Progressive Caucus Action Fund
$150,000general
Catalist LLC
$143,100general
National Public Pension Coalition
$135,000general
National Coalition On Black Civic Participation
$125,000general
Ohio Alliance for Community Education
$100,000general
Stop Sinclair LLC
$100,000general
Michigan State AFL-CIO
$100,000general
State Innovation Exchange
$100,000general
Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom
$100,000general
Fair Government Nevada
$100,000general
Citizens For Tax Justice
$100,000general
Wild Montana Action Fund
$100,000general
In The Public Interest
$100,000general
Ohio Organizing Campaign
$100,000general
Rural Arizona Action
$100,000general
Voter Rights Colorado
$80,000general
Yes on 5 California for Safe Affordable
$75,000general
Jobs With Justice
$75,000general
The Leadership Conference On Civil & Human Rights
$60,000general
Badger State Research Inc
$55,000general
Good Jobs First
$50,000general
Committee on States
$50,000general
SIX Action
$50,000general
Dolores Huerta Action Fund
$50,000general
Sixteen Thirty Fund
$50,000general
VoteRiders
$50,000general
Center for Racial and Gender Equity
$50,000general
Coppersmith Brockelman PLC
$50,000general
NUL CIVIC ENGAGEMENT FUND
$50,000general