Commonwealth Action

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
923501895
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Bryn Mawr, PA, US
Phone
6102077901
Rating
89
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy N.E.C.

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,375,191
Expenses
$1,437,390
Assets
$572,625
Liabilities
$20,648

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ANDREW J LEWIS (PRESIDENT & CEO)
  • STEPHEN BLOOM THROUGH 041525 (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • ROGER CUSTER THROUGH 041525 (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • ERIK TELFORD THROUGH 041525 (SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT)
  • NATHAN BENEFIELDTHRU 041525 (SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • GEORGE GH COATES JR (CHAIRMAN)
  • JULIA F GOLDSTEIN (SECRETARY)
  • CARL O HELSTROM III (TREASURER)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Commonwealth action was established as a social welfare organization to research, analyze, and promote public policy in Pennsylvania.

What it reported doing in 2024

Commonwealth action has engaged in grassroots lobbying campaigns to advocate for free market principles and a culture of liberty throughout Pennsylvania. The campaigns entailed organizing coalitions of like-minded organizations and individuals, developing policy arguments and research in support of these issues, disseminating public advocacy communications, and advancing a free media strategy to attract public attention to the issues. Looking forward, commonwealth action plans to continue researching and advocating for free market principles, including greater educational opportunity for children as well as other issues related to educational and economic opportunity, free markets, and individual liberty.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 98% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Revenue has declined or grown slowly and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 91
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 33
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 96.2%; rating input score 96
  • Program expense ratio: 92%; rating input score 92
  • Fundraising efficiency: $27.52 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -4.5%; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.4; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 19.9% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -7.8% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7.4% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 96.2% of revenue deployed · 92% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 7 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 10 people listed
  • Consistency: 22 of 22 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2022 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 25/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 19/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 56/100.