The Center for American Progress is an independent, nonpartisan policy institute that is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans through bold, progressive ideas, as well as strong leadership and concerted action. Our aim is not just to change the conversation, but to change the country.
Center For American Progress gives at a high level to public education and advocacy work, with a three-year pattern of very large grants to its affiliated Action Fund: $4.61 million in 2023, $4.2 million in 2024, and $3.6 million in 2025. That recurring support shows a funding style centered on sustained policy communications rather than isolated one-off awards. The foundation also backs other nonprofit policy organizations working on charitable education activities, including the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the Center for Law and Social Policy, and the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality, each at $613,750 in 2023. Smaller awards extend the same pattern to civic and issue-education groups such as The Partnership Project, Community Change, and Foreign Policy for America Foundation. Across the recent grant list, the foundation’s dollars flow to organizations tied to policy analysis, public education, and advocacy campaigns, which aligns with its stated interest in progressive ideas and concerted action. The recent grants suggest a funder that uses restricted project support to reinforce organizations already active in public-facing policy work.
Public education and advocacy are the clearest through line in the recent grants. Center For American Progress gave $4.61 million in 2023, $4.2 million in 2024, and $3.6 million in 2025 to its Action Fund for public education and advocacy. In climate-related work, it supported The Partnership Project twice, with $350,000 in 2023 and $250,000 in 2024, both labeled support for charitable education activities. Environmental justice also appears through grants to West Harlem Environmental Action and GreenLatinos, including $110,000 to WE ACT in 2023 and $40,000 to GreenLatinos in 2024. The foundation also funded public education on foreign policy with a $7,500 grant in 2025 to Foreign Policy for America Foundation. These examples point to issue advocacy, civic education, and nonprofit-led outreach as recurring uses of its grants.
Typical grants cluster around six figures, with a p25 of $40,800, a median of $150,000, and a p75 of $613,750. The recent record also shows a few much larger awards in the multimillion-dollar range, concentrated in the foundation’s own policy-advocacy ecosystem. Recurrence is common: several recipients appear in multiple years, including The Partnership Project, Center for Earth Energy and Democracy, and the foundation’s Action Fund. The funder is classified as a regular funder, not a donor-advised fund, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Grants in the recent list are framed as restricted support for charitable education, public education, and advocacy campaign work.
$4.1M
$84.5M
$37.4M
$48.3M
Most grants fall between $41K and $614K, with a median of $150K.
25th Percentile
$41K
Median
$150K
75th Percentile
$614K
About 60% of grants go to recipients in MN.
DEANNA NESBURG
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Grantmaking is heavily concentrated in the United States, with all recent grants going to U.S. recipients. Washington, DC is the main hub: 60% of grants go to recipients in the HQ city/state, and many recent awards land there, including policy and advocacy groups in the District. Minnesota is the top state by grant count, reflected by repeated support for Minneapolis-based Center for Earth Energy and Democracy. Other recipient locations in the recent list include New York, Boulder, Miami, Brattleboro, Honolulu, and Washington, DC.
The recent grants are aimed at nonprofit organizations engaged in public education, policy and civic advocacy, charitable education activities, and nonprofit-led outreach and education. Recipients include policy institutes, advocacy organizations, and issue-education groups working on climate, housing, foreign policy, and related public-interest issues.
Its typical grant size is mid-sized to large: the p25 is $40,800, the median is $150,000, and the p75 is $613,750. The recent record also includes several multimillion-dollar grants to a policy-advocacy affiliate, so the distribution ranges from smaller project support to very large recurring awards.
Yes. Several organizations appear in more than one year, including the foundation’s Action Fund, The Partnership Project, and Center for Earth Energy and Democracy. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than entirely one-time grants.
All recent grants in the dataset go to U.S. recipients. Washington, DC is especially prominent, with 60% of grants going to recipients in the HQ city/state, while Minnesota leads by grant count among recipient states.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center for American Prog Action Fnd | Washington, DC | $3,600,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC EDUCATION & ADVOCACY |
| The Partnership Project | WASHINGTON, DC | $250,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES |
| Center for Earth Energy and Democ | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $241,222 | 2025 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES |
| Coming Clean | Brattleboro, VT | $30,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES |
| The Cleo Institute | MIAMI, FL | $20,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES |
| Foreign Policy for America Foundation | Washington, DC | $7,500 | 2025 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES |
| CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $4,200,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC EDUCATION & ADVOCACY |
| The Partnership Project Inc | Washington, DC | $250,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE |
| Center for Earth Energy and Democracy | Minneapolis, MN | $150,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE |
| GreenLatinos | Boulder, CO | $40,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE |
| The CLEO Institute | Miami, FL | $23,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE |
| CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $4,610,000 | 2023 | PUB. EDU. & ADVOCACY |
| GEORGETOWN CENTER ON POVERTY AND INEQUALITY | WASHINGTON, DC | $613,750 | 2023 | SUPP CHARI EDU ACT |
| CENTER ON BUDGET AND POLICY PRIORITIES | WASHINGTON, DC | $613,750 | 2023 | SUPP CHARI EDU ACT |
| CENTER FOR LAW AND SOCIAL POLICY | WASHINGTON, DC | $613,750 | 2023 | SUPP CHARI EDU ACT |
| THE PARTNERSHIP PROJECT INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $350,000 | 2023 | SUPP CHARI EDU ACT |
| CENTER FOR EARTH ENERGY & DEMOCRACY | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $150,000 | 2023 | SUPP CHARI EDU ACT |
| WEST HARLEM ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION (WE ACT) | NEW YORK, NY | $110,000 | 2023 | SUPP CHARI EDU ACT |
| COMMUNITY CHANGE | WASHINGTON, DC | $41,600 | 2023 | SUPP CHARI EDU ACT |
| BANK OF JAPAN | WASHINGTON, DC | $12,148 | 2023 | SUPP CHARI EDU ACT |
| AINA MOMONA | HONOLULU, HI | $7,500 | 2023 | SUPP CHARI EDU ACT |
Center for American Prog Action Fnd
$3,600,000PUBLIC EDUCATION & ADVOCACY
The Partnership Project
$250,000SUPPORT CHARITABLE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES
Center for Earth Energy and Democ
$241,222SUPPORT CHARITABLE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES
Coming Clean
$30,000SUPPORT CHARITABLE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES
The Cleo Institute
$20,000SUPPORT CHARITABLE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES
Foreign Policy for America Foundation
$7,500SUPPORT CHARITABLE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES
CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND
$4,200,000PUBLIC EDUCATION & ADVOCACY
The Partnership Project Inc
$250,000SUPPORT CHARITABLE
Center for Earth Energy and Democracy
$150,000SUPPORT CHARITABLE
GreenLatinos
$40,000SUPPORT CHARITABLE
The CLEO Institute
$23,000SUPPORT CHARITABLE
CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND
$4,610,000PUB. EDU. & ADVOCACY
GEORGETOWN CENTER ON POVERTY AND INEQUALITY
$613,750SUPP CHARI EDU ACT
CENTER ON BUDGET AND POLICY PRIORITIES
$613,750SUPP CHARI EDU ACT
CENTER FOR LAW AND SOCIAL POLICY
$613,750SUPP CHARI EDU ACT
THE PARTNERSHIP PROJECT INC
$350,000SUPP CHARI EDU ACT
CENTER FOR EARTH ENERGY & DEMOCRACY
$150,000SUPP CHARI EDU ACT
WEST HARLEM ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION (WE ACT)
$110,000SUPP CHARI EDU ACT
COMMUNITY CHANGE
$41,600SUPP CHARI EDU ACT
BANK OF JAPAN
$12,148SUPP CHARI EDU ACT
AINA MOMONA
$7,500SUPP CHARI EDU ACT