Bridge Alliance

Bridge Alliance was a coalition of roughly 100 left-of-center organizations that advocated policy meant to “transform the political process.” 1 2 A membership organization was expected to follow four principals: “collaboration,” “citizen voice,” “solutions-focused,” and “open-mindedness.” 1 3

At-A-Glance

Issue Areas: Elections Policy
Formation:

2016

Status:

Defunct

Location: State College, PA View on map
Tax ID: 81-0991168
Most Recent Filing: 2023
Budget (2023): Assets: $0 Revenue: $45,513 Expenses: $47,325

Contents

    As of January 1, 2024, Bridge Alliance was dissolved as a 501(c)(4) entity while becoming part of the 501(c)(3) Bridge Alliance Education Fund. 4

    Member Organizations

    Bridge Alliance previously advocated for left-of-center policy to address election integrity, with several member organizations arranging election policy campaigns such as “Addressing money and corruption in politics” and “strengthening integrity in voting campaigns and elections.”3 Group involved in those campaigns included Stand Up Republic, 5 Issue One, Represent.Us, FairVote, and Election Reformers Network. 6 Other organizaitons included Project on Government Oversight, 7 and Young Invincibles.8

    Other member organizations included the Student PIRGs, American Sustainable Business Council, Coffee Party USA, the R Street Institute, Take Back Our Republic. 3 and Unite America. 9 10

    Bridge Alliance Education Fund

    The Bridge Alliance Education Fund is the 501(c)(3) sister nonprofit arm of Bridge Alliance. Member organizations included AllSides, Essential Partners, and the Listen First Project. 11 The Fund has previously donated to digital news group The Fulcrum, which has recieved funding from left-of-center organizations includint the Hewlett Foundation, Arnold Ventures, the Gaia Fund, and the Lizzie and Jonathan M. Tisch Foundation. 12

    Leadership

    Brian Clancy was an Investor and Strategic Advisor for Bridge Alliance. Clancy was the founder and CEO of Big Tent Nation and a co-founder of the Center for Financial Inclusion. 13

    David Nevins was the President and co-founder of Bridge Alliance. He was a fellow at the Aspen Institute and founder of the Nevins Democracy Leaders program at Penn State University. 13

    Debilyn Molineaux was the Executive Director and co-founder of Bridge Alliance. Molineaux was also a managing partner of Living Room Conversations and is the former President and Executive Director of Coffee Party USA. 13

    Jeremy Garson served as Legal Counsel and Director of Operations for the Bridge Alliance. Garson previously served as a labor union attorney while working for the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), and the United Auto Workers (UAW). 14

    Strategic Partners

    As of December 2022, members of the Bridge Alliance consisted of the following organizations: 15

    • Alliance for Peacebuilding
    • Congressional Management Foundation
    • Civic Season
    • National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM)
    • National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers (NANR)
    • National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD)
    • Nevins & Associates
    • Partnership for American Democracy
    • Power the Polls
    • Students Learn Students Vote (SLSV) Coalition
    • TRUST Network
    • Vote By Design
    • Vote Early Day

    Financials

    The organization had been tax-exempt since December 2016. According to its 2023 990 form, the Bridge Alliance reported a revenue of $45,513, expenses at $47,325, and total assets of $0 by the end of the year. 16 Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Bridge Alliance. 2023. Parts I & II. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/810991168/202420649349201192/full

    According to its 2022 990 form, the organization reported a revenue of $36,069, expenses at $48,464, and total assets of $1,812. 16 Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Bridge Alliance. 2022. Parts I & II. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/810991168/202341589349200124/full

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2023 $45,513 $47,325 View
    2022 $1,812 $36,069 $48,464 View
    2021 $14,207 $29,679 $41,556 View
    2020 $26,084 $59,351 $40,629
    2019 $7,362 $61,130 $62,842 View

    Prior year filings: 2018, 2017, 2016

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $160,000
    • Number of Grants: 5
    • Number of Funders: 4

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $50,0002021 Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Inc.For general support

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $156,500
    • Number of Grants: 4
    • Number of Recipients: 4

    References

    1. “The Four Principles.” Bridge Alliance. Accessed March 8, 2020. https://www.bridgealliance.us/the_four_principles.
    2. “Out Team.” Bridge Alliance. Accessed March 8, 2020. https://www.bridgealliance.us/our_team.
    3. “All Members.” Bridge Alliance. Accessed March 25, 2020. https://www.bridgealliance.us/all_members.
    4. “History. “Bridge Alliance Education Fund,” accessed February 27, 2025, https://www.bridgealliance.us/our-story
    5. “Stand Up Republic.” Democracy Fund Voice. Accessed March 8, 2019. Original URL: https://democracyfundvoice.org/stand-up-republic/; Available here: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/03/democracy-fund-voice-2017-grant-stand-up-republic.pdf
    6. “History and Mission.” Election Reformers Network. Accessed May 18, 2022. https://electionreformers.org/history-and-mission/
    7. Soros Strategy Memo. 2016. Ebook. Washington, D.C.: Open Society Foundations. http://freebeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/soros-strategy-memo.pdf.
    8. Evans, Andrew. “Exchanges Increasing Outreach Ahead of Scheduled Opening.” Washington Free Beacon. Washington Free Beacon, September 5, 2013. https://freebeacon.com/national-security/exchanges-increasing-outreach-ahead-of-scheduled-opening/.
    9. “Our Partners.” Unite America, 2020. Accessed March 8, 2020. https://www.uniteamerica.org/partners.
    10. Hansen, M. George. “All Members.” Bridge Alliance. Accessed May 15, 2020. https://www.bridgealliance.us/all_members.
    11. Bridge Alliance Education Fund, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2018, Schedule I, Part IV
    12. “Our Mission.” The Fulcrum, 2020. Accessed March 8, 2020. https://thefulcrum.us/about-us/our-mission.
    13. “Our Team.” Bridge Alliance. Accessed March 4, 2020. https://www.bridgealliance.us/our_team.
    14. “Jeremy Garson.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 4, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-garson-00782554/.
    15. “Strategic Partners.” Bridge Alliance. Accessed December 21, 2022. https://www.bridgealliance.us/strategic_partners
    16.