Logo for InfluenceWatch InfluenceWatch

Donate
Non-profit

CAA Foundation

Website:

www.caa.com/foundation
Location:

Los Angeles, CA
Tax ID:

95-4556189
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2020):

Revenue: $521,649
Expenses: $440,684
Assets: $667,735
President:

Richard Lovett

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

The CAA Foundation is the left-of-center grantmaking arm of Creative Artists Agency LLC, a leading talent agency for the sports and entertainment industry. The CAA Foundation supports organizations that engage in climate change activism, organizations that seek to weaken voter integrity laws, organizations that advocate for soft-on-crime policies, organizations that support race-centric social policies, healthcare and first-responder organizations, and K-12 educational organizations.

History

Creative Artists Agency LLC was formed in 1975 by Michael Ovitz, Michael S. Rosenfeld, Ronald Meyer, Rowland Perkins, and William Haber. 1 The company created the CAA Foundation in 1995 to make contributions to left-of-center organizations that engage in climate change activism, support race and gender-focused social policies, support education, and respond to time-sensitive issues. 2

In addition to the four defined categories, the CAA Foundation makes contributions to organizations that seek to weaken voter integrity laws. 3

Finances

In 2020 the CAA Foundation received $520,594 in contributions, 4 declared $521,648 in total revenue, 5 incurred $440,684 in expenses, 6 and held $667,735 in net assets. 7

CAA Foundation’s largest contributor on its 2020 tax returns was a $250,000 contribution from TPG Capital, a multi-billion dollar private equity firm 8 founded in 1992 by David Bonderman, James Coulter, and William S. Price III. 9

Grantmaking

In 2020 the CAA Foundation contributed to left-of-center organizations that advocate for race and gender-specific social policies, environmentalist and climate change advocacy organizations, education-focused organizations, and healthcare organizations. 10

In addition to cause-specific grantmaking, the CAA Foundation contributed $90,000 to the Entertainment Industry Foundation, a left-of-center grantmaking organization that receives contributions from the broader entertainment industry. 11

Environmentalism

In 2020 the CAA Foundation contributed to the Seed Consulting Group ($5,000), an organization dedicated to providing consulting services such as fundraising, data analysis, and marketing to nonprofit organizations that oppose the use of non-weather-dependent sources of energy. 12

Race and Gender

In 2020 the CAA Foundation contributed to a number of organizations that provide free educational services based on racial, gender classifications, or immigration status classifications. 13 Organizations supported by the CAA foundation include the Array Alliance ($50,000), United Negro College Fund ($11,200), Hispanic Federation ($5,000), and The Global Village Project ($5,000). 14

Education

In 2020 the CAA Foundation contributed to a number of educational organizations including One Voice ($25,102), the Oasis Center ($20,297), Step Up Women’s Network ($10,000), Firstbook ($600), the Pencil Foundation ($315), Donors Choose ($315), Big Sister Association of Greater Boston ($315), Brotherhood Crusade ($315), Communities in Schools of Tennessee($315), CollegeTrack ($315), Communities in Schools of Los Angeles ($315), Community Coalition, Roberto Clemente School ($315), and the One Love Foundation ($315). 15

Healthcare

In 2020 the CAA Foundation contributed to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center ($5,000). 16

Initiatives

In addition to grantmaking, the CAA Foundation engages in advocacy initiatives that seek to advance racial and gender-centric social policies, oppose voter integrity laws, and engage in get-out-the-vote (GOTV) efforts. 17

CAA Foundation in partnership with Democracy Works operates the Civic Alliance initiative, a project organization that opposes voter integrity laws such as restrictions on mail-in-ballot voting, 18 and engages in campaigns to collect signatures from CEOs of large businesses that support its left-of-center positions on voter integrity laws. 19

CAA Foundation provides support for the Social Change Fund, 20 a left-of-center grantmaking organization dedicated to supporting organizations that promote race-centric social policies and organizations that advocate for soft-on-crime policies such as eliminating bail from the criminal justice system. 21

CAA Foundation created the “I am voter” initiative, 22 an online get-out-the-vote tool that provides information related to voting in all 50 states including voting locations, early voting locations, mail-in-ballot drop-off locations, and voter registration assistance. 23

Leadership

Richard Lovett is the president of both Creative Artists Agency 24 and the CAA Foundation. 25 Lovett began his career working in the mailroom of Creative Artists Agency at 22 and has spent his entire career working for the agency. 26

In 2016, Lovett and other officers at Creative Artists Agency were embroiled in a controversy when it was revealed that TPG Capital, the agency’s largest shareholder, granted Lovett a $20 million bonus in 2014 when the private equity firm finalized its second round of investment in the company, 27 all while staff member bonuses and expense accounts were trimmed as part of TPG Capital’s agreement to invest in Creative Artists Agency. 28

References

  1. “Creating Social Change” Leadership Magazine. Volume 45, Number 2. 2022.   https://www.leadersmag.com/issues/2022.2_Apr/PDFs/LEADERS_Natalie_Tran_CAA_Foundation.pdf
  2. “Creating Social Change” Leadership Magazine. Volume 45, Number 2. 2022. https://www.leadersmag.com/issues/2022.2_Apr/PDFs/LEADERS_Natalie_Tran_CAA_Foundation.pdf
  3. “Our Initiatives” CAA. https://www.caa.com/foundation
  4. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). CAA Foundation. Part I, line 1. 2020.
  5. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). CAA Foundation. Part I, line 12. 2020.
  6. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). CAA Foundation. Part I, line 26. 2020.
  7. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). CAA Foundation. Part I, line 30. 2020.
  8. “About Us” TPG. https://www.tpg.com/about-us/
  9. Calvey, Mark. “Texas Pacific founder to scale back involvement with firm” San Francisco Business Times. February 28, 2006. Accessed October 28, 2022.
    https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2006/02/27/daily22.html
  10. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). CAA Foundation. Part XV, line 3. 2020.
  11. “About-Overview” Entertainment Industry Foundation. https://www.eifoundation.org/about/
  12. “About Us” Seed Consulting Group. https://seedcg.org/about-us/
  13. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). CAA Foundation. Part XV, line 3. 2020.
  14. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). CAA Foundation. Part XV, line 3. 2020.
  15. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). CAA Foundation. Part XV, line 3. 2020.
  16. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). CAA Foundation. Part XV, line 3. 2020.
  17. “Our Initiatives” CAA. https://www.caa.com/foundation
  18. “Joint Statement on Protecting Voting Access” Civic Alliance. https://www.civicalliance.com/votingaccess/
  19. “Joint Statement on Protecting Voting Access” Civic Alliance. https://www.civicalliance.com/votingaccess/
  20. “Our Initiatives” CAA. https://www.caa.com/foundation
  21. “What We Do” Social Change Fund. https://www.thesocialchangefund.org/what-we-do
  22. “Our Initiatives” CAA. https://www.caa.com/foundation
  23. “Homepage” I am voter. https://iamavoter.turbovote.org
  24. Eller, Claudia. “Earning CAAchet” Los Angeles Times. April 22, 1997. Accessed October 28, 2022. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-04-22-fi-51293-story.html
  25. [1]  Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). CAA Foundation. Part VIII, line 1. 2020.
  26. Eller, Claudia. “Earning CAAchet” Los Angeles Times. April 22, 1997. Accessed October 28, 2022. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-04-22-fi-51293-story.html
  27. Eller, Claudia. “Earning CAAchet” Los Angeles Times. April 22, 1997. Accessed October 28, 2022. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-04-22-fi-51293-story.html
  28. Siegel, Tatiana. “CAA Partners Face Staff Anger Over Tell-All Book Revelations” The Hollywood Reporter. August 23, 2016. Accessed October 28, 2022. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/caa-partners-face-staff-anger-922021/
  See an error? Let us know!

Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: November - October
  • Tax Exemption Received: December 1, 1996

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2020 Nov Form PF $521,649 $440,684 $667,735 $11,413 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2019 Nov Form PF $1,077,666 $1,330,236 $575,532 $175 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2015 Nov Form PF $1,070,144 $958,992 $773,855 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2014 Nov Form PF $830,923 $865,405 $662,703 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2013 Nov Form PF $628,163 $750,395 $697,185 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2012 Nov Form PF $990,680 $797,155 $819,417 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2011 Nov Form PF $833,199 $652,550 $625,892 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    CAA Foundation


    Los Angeles, CA