2019-10-03T17:09:55-07:00 2018-12-31 271724652 ALLAN LIU CPA 201 WILLOW AVE MILLBRAE CA 940302536 990 2018-01-01 943214166 Common Counsel Foundation COMM 5108342995 1624 Franklin St STE 1022 Oakland CA 94612 Ed Lee Trustee 2019-10-03 true Allan Liu P01432586 6506921172 X 2018 2019-02-21 02:37:17Z Ed Lee 1624 Franklin St STE 1022 Oakland CA 94612 19222706 false false X www.commoncounsel.org X 1988 CA CCF advances equity and environmental health through a combination of direct grant making and strategic philanthropic advising for client member funds and manages projects focused on organizational development, leadership sustainability and donor education. 8 8 11 10 0 8781795 17414561 1544950 1757120 6292 50100 1000 925 10334037 19222706 1958017 3904623 0 799639 811639 0 114235 2039976 2630006 4797632 7346268 5536405 11876438 8148926 19926636 254742 156014 7894184 19770622 Common Counsel Foundation advances equity and environmental health through a combination of direct grant making and strategic philanthropic advising for client member funds and manages projects focused on organizational development, leadership sustainability, and donor education. false false 3904623 3904623 Strategic and Values-Driven GrantmakingIn 2018, Common Counsel Foundation (Common Counsel) managed over $6 million in grants to charitable organizations that are advancing effective solutions to longstanding social and environmental inequities, through its direct grantmaking and influencing independent foundations. Founded in 1988, Common Counsel advances equity and environmental health through a combination of direct grant making and strategic philanthropic advising for client member funds and manages projects focused on organizational development, leadership training and sustainability and donor education. Common Counsel partners with families and individual donors to expand philanthropic resources for grassroots groups composed of and led by members of vulnerable communities and social movements.In order to expand the scale of philanthropic resources for community-led groups, Common Counsel utilizes two guiding principles for its strategic grantmaking. First, Common Counsel invests in community leadership to advance meaningful solutions to critical social, economic and ecological challenges. Second, Common Counsel supports increased collaboration through shared campaigns and long-term alliances that serve to amplify the effectiveness of local efforts. For decades, these two strategies have allowed groups to develop community leadership, to advance systemic solutions defined by community members themselves, and to ensure health and equity for everyone. As Common Counsel embarks on its 31st year, we will continue to stay steadfast as the hub of progressive public philanthropy on the West Coast and beyond, while entering into a phase of bold visioning for the future. Below are a few examples of CCF grant recipients, which demonstrate the range of organizations and issues that we support.Economic Justice:The Awood Center | Minneapolis, MNThe Awood Center was founded in 2017 to build economic and political power for workers in East African communities in Minnesota. The Awood Center has spearheaded a nation-leading organizing effort with the 3,500 Amazon warehouse workers in the Twin Cities, of which the majority are East African. The Awood Centers agenda is about improving conditions for workers but also about elevating the issue of corporate responsibility with the goal of getting Amazon to invest back into the Black and East African community. The campaign has already garnered big wins for workers including securing back wages, respect and support for their religious practices, the dismissal of multiple disciplinary charges against workers, and the removal of several abusive managers. Most important, it is a creating a line for open communications and negotiations with Amazon directly - which had been unprecedented. The Awood Center was the first group that has gotten Amazon to come to the negotiating table, knowing that it would be nearly impossible to replace such a pivotal workforce in Minnesota.Native Rights & Environmental Justice:Honor the Earth | Callaway, MNHonor the Earth is an indigenous-led environmental organization based in White Earth Band of Ojibwe reservation in northern Minnesota that challenged the fossil fuel industry for nearly 25 years. They have worked successfully with Indigenous communities to oppose nuclear waste dumps (Skull Valley Goshute), mega dam projects (James Bay 2), and many mining projects nationally and internationally. A current campaign is the fight against Line 3, a 915,000 barrel a day tar sands pipeline through Minnesota, which is also the largest pipeline proposal in the state. Line 3 is being proposed by by Enbridge Corporation, the same owners of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Honor the Earth has built a citizens movement that is now preparing to fight Enbridge Line 3 through resistance camps, litigation, and community engagement. These Water Protector Camps empower local youth and allies though trainings focused on pipeline education, renewable energy, food systems, media, and coordination with allies who do nonviolent resistance trainings.Housing Justice & Tenants Rights: Right to the City Alliance | Brooklyn, NYAt the local and regional levels, housing justice issues are continuing to build momentum and power. 2018 saw the success of major local victories, such as: Oaklands Proposition Y which passed with 75% support, paving the way to expand Just Cause Eviction protections for thousands of tenants; San Franciscos Proposition C which taxes big corporations to house people experiencing homelessness; and, Los Angeles County's Rent Stabilization Ordinance, which the Board of Supervisors approved, that implements a 6-month rent control and just cause eviction policy. In 2019, local and statewide campaigns for rent control and tenant protections are gearing up in Oregon, Washington, Colorado, New York, Nevada, Illinois, and Rhode Island. Tenants are finding strength in numbers and building power for themselves. 2018 saw rent strikes throughout the country, from the East Bay to Los Angeles and from Rochester to Minneapolis. The momentum only continues to build as housing rights take center stage in 2019 and beyond. 2598968 Fiscal Sponsorship-Common Counsel Foundation's fiscal sponsorship program ensures the health and vitality of the sponsored community-led organizations, and promotes strategic coordination in the philanthropic sector. In 2018, CCF acted as fiscal sponsor for the Kindle Project, The Windcall Institute, RoadMAP, and Justice Funders.The Kindle Project seeks to foster creative ideas to inspire and support possibilities for transformational change.The Windcall Institute supports the development and sustainability of leaders, which is a key to ensuring strong, healthy visionary organizations.RoadMAP is a national network of organizational-development consultants dedicated to serving social-justice organizations. Roadmap serves as a forum for peer exchange and innovation among organizational-development consultants.Justice Funders promotes learning and coordination among donors to strengthen grantmaking for social justice. 402677 Philanthropic Services - Common Counsel Foundation provides strategic philanthropic advice, grants management and administration, and accounting support to independent foundations that share a commitment to equity and environmental health. CCF assists its clients in streamlining their grantmaking processes and deepening their impact. In addition to the services already noted, CCF helps clients refine their grantmaking strategy and provides research, due diligence, grant recommendations, trustee support, and legal compliance.CCF taps community advisors, each of whom has deep connections to community-led organizations and whose knowledge and expertise adds to the knowledge and expertise of CCFs staff. CCF's community advisors and staff ensure that the organization is aware of the latest innovations emerging from local communities and of pioneering solutions developed by local leaders. CCF's staff and advisors are able to identify community leaders who have exciting vision and organizations with promising new models and approaches. 6906268 true true false true false true false false false false true true false false false false true false false false false false false false false false false true false true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false true 96 0 true 11 true false false false false false false false false 0 false false false false false false false false false false false false X 8 8 false false false false false false false true true false false true true true true true true true true false CA X X Common Counsel Foundation 5108342995 1624 Franklin St STE 1022 Oakland CA 94612 X Ed Lee Trustee 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Michelle Natividad Rodriguez Secretary 1.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Carly Hare Trustee 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Dennis Quirin President 1.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 China Ching Trustee 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Alex Tom Trustee 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Garrett Collins Treasurer 1.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Vanessa Daniel Trustee 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Laura Livoti Former CEO 40.00 0.00 X 134223 0 0 134223 1 true false false Emily Goldfarb 1521 Rivera Street San Francisco CA 94116 RoadMap Co-Dir. 181468 Margi Clark 2929 Otis Street Berkeley CA 94703 Roadmap consultant 112090 Ejers Dixon PO Box 472644 Brooklyn NY 11247 Webinar consult. 139402 Shining Star Consulting LLC 2320 Oak Street Berkeley CA 947081629 Bookkeeping/Fin. sup 145005 Mary Ochs 1925 Kalakua Avenue 1701 Honolulu HI 96815 Roadmap consultant 155580 5 71445 17343116 17414561 Fees 561000 1757120 1757120 1757120 50100 50100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous 561000 925 925 925 19222706 1808145 X 3904623 3904623 0 0 0 0 0 689899 532341 82528 75030 0 75078 45060 20625 9393 46662 37135 5340 4187 0 7453 4884 1849 720 158197 968 156725 504 0 0 0 2073823 2068366 2329 3128 0 128877 95198 27533 6146 0 0 48351 23418 17826 7107 84011 75981 4341 3689 0 92155 90377 1578 200 0 0 2233 1135 594 504 3577 1741 993 843 Member Fund Expenses 19007 19007 Misc. Expenses 8965 4300 2626 2039 Equipment Rental 3357 1734 878 745 0 7346268 6906268 325765 114235 0 3772195 7208717 173024 7635500 228443 219600 0 0 0 0 774 4442 27466 20771 7451 6695 0 3957791 4848224 0 0 9248 3458 8148926 19926636 185626 156014 38000 31116 254742 156014 X 3849857 5176011 4044327 14594611 7894184 19770622 8148926 19926636 11876438 X false true X true false X 1480229 3705219 2989059 9816832 17852561 35843900 0 0 1480229 3705219 2989059 9816832 17852561 35843900 2814439 33029461 9774 209 3401 6292 50100 69776 0 3456 1002 -41699 1000 925 -35316 35878360 5099677 0.92060 0.80020 X false false 37000 37000 7309268 7346268 517313 129328 false 308169 345701 389882 517313 1561065 2341598 7000 1000 44000 37000 89000 77042 86425 97471 129328 390266 585399 5000 8000 13000 Part II-B, Line 1i - Other Activities Description Grants were given to the following groups to travel to meet with legislators or their staff on specific legislation.- 9 to 5 Los Angeles, National Association of Working Women $1,000;- Asian Pacific Islander Youth Promoting Advocacy & Leadership $500;- California Environmental Justice Alliance $1,000;- California Nail Salon Cooperative $1200;- Desis Rising Up & Moving $600;- Mujeres Unidas y Activas $2,000. 11 225000 48587 592420 true true 25432 19585 5847 2034 1186 848 6695 4848224 19660706 438000 438000 19222706 19222706 7784268 438000 438000 7346268 7346268 Part XI, Line 2d: Other revenue amounts included in F/S but not included on form 990 Internal grants $438000 Part XII, Line 2d: Other expenses and losses per audited F/S Internal grants $438000 true See attached grants listing See attached grants listing Various CA 94612 3904623 0 See attached grants listing 1 400 Grantmaker's Description of How Grants are Used Grant Selection team determines that recipients are qualified to receive grants for charitable purposes. Program Officers verify that grants were used for appropriate charitable purposes based on programmatic and financial reports grantees provide to CCF. Many grantees are groups that the Program Officers have had knowledge of over many years. Program Officers often attend grantee events to observe grantee activities. false false false false false false false false false false Laura Livoti Former CEO 134223 134223 Form 990, Part VI, Line 11b: Form 990 Review Process Form 990 is prepared by the foundations outside auditor after the completion of the annual audit. The draft Form 990 is reviewed by staff before being forwarded to the Board Chair and Treasurer, who review the Form 990 and make comments or corrections prior to the filing of the return. When completed, the Form 990 is distributed to the full Board of Trustees. Form 990, Part VI, Line 12c: Explanation of Monitoring and Enforcement of Conflicts All Trustees of the CCF Board have read and understood the conflict of interest policy as indicated by their signature on the form. Trustees are asked to renew their commitment to the policy and to re-sign the form annually at the first meeting of the Board of Trustees each year. Form 990, Part VI, Line 15a: Compensation Review & Approval Process - CEO, Top Management The Board of Trustees reviews salary surveys from various sources, including the Council on Foundations and Exponent Philanthropy and determines the salary for the CEO based on comparable data and the CEOs experience. Form 990, Part VI, Line 15b: Compensation Review and Approval Process for Officers and Key Employees The CEO follows a similar process for determining the salaries of key staff, reviewing salary surveys from a variety of sources, including the Council on Foundations and Exponent Philanthropy. Form 990, Part VI, Line 19: Other Organization Documents Publicly Available CCF makes its governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements available to the public by request.