Free Press Action Fund

Overview

Mission

Free press action fund fights for your rights to connect and communicate. We fight to save the free and open internet, curb runaway media consolidation, protect press freedom, and promote digital civil rights. We believe that change happens when people have a real voice in the political process. To that end, we mobilize our growing base of activists to sign petitions, meet with their elected officials, and attend rallies and town-hall meetings, to lobby in support of policies that serve their interests and against those that don't. We are active in all efforts to expose the impact of public policy on the most vulnerable among us, including people of color and low income communities.

What it reported doing in 2025

Future of the internet and media: continued work on availability, access and affordability of broadband internet nationwide. Continued to work in congress and at the fcc to create a permanent low-income broadband subsidy to ensure that everyone can access high-speed internet. Promoted the idea that digital inclusion is a public good. Provided training to people from all over the country to advocate for their work in digital equity and then supported their efforts to lobby members of congress to demand that the commerce department release the $2.75 billion in funding their states had been promised through the bipartisan digital equity act, a component of the 2021 infrastructure investment and jobs act. Supported the broadcast freedom and independence act of 2025, a bill that would prohibit the fcc from punishing broadcasters on the basis of viewpoints aired and prohibit the fcc from revoking a license or otherwise taking action against any individual or entity. Opposed congress' rescission of $1.1 billion it had previously appropriated for the corporation for public broadcasting, funding that included essential educational programming, invaluable journalism and lifesaving emergency alerts. Educated policymakers and local allies in states and cities across the country to create new forms of public support for local media and civic information. Published a policy agenda with four policy recommendations: fully fund public media and independent local journalism; restore and strengthen media-ownership limits; embolden the fcc's and ftc's role in stopping media mergers that harm the public interest; and re-establish federal agencies' independence from the executive branch.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
043771598
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Headquarters
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2022651490
Rating
75
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Alliance/Advocacy

Official website

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 64
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 60
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 60%; rating input score 60
  • Program expense ratio: 79.3%; rating input score 79
  • Fundraising efficiency: $11.03 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 83.3%; rating input score 83; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 25.7%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.07; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 49.7%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.4% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3% per year; rating input score 100; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 11.4% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 60% of revenue deployed · 79.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 6 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $524K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $216K · 13 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 12 annual filings from 2014 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 7 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • CRAIG AARON (CO-CEO): $215,525 total reported compensation
  • JESSICA GONZALES (CO-CEO): $211,818 total reported compensation
  • MATTHEW WOOD (VP OF POLICY AND GENERAL COUNSEL): $208,445 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2025.