Common Defense Civic Engagement (CDCE)

Common Defense Civic Engagement (CDCE) is a left-of-center nonprofit organization that claims to be comprised of U.S. military veterans that works to train its members to become leaders in political campaigns related to climate change, anti-militarism, and voting rights.

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(4)
Issue Areas: Environmental Policy, Elections Policy
Website: commondefense.us
Location: New York, NY View on map
Tax ID: 83-3156982
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $464,536 Revenue: $1,042,715 Expenses: $793,945

Contents

    It is the lobbying and electoral advocacy arm of the Common Defense Education Fund. While the Education Fund specializes in training and organizing, the Civic Engagement branch focuses on policy issues and electoral advocacy.

    Background

    Common Defense Civic Engagement is the 501(c)(4) lobbying and electoral advocacy arm of the Common Defense Education Fund. While the Education Fund specializes in training and organizing, the Civic Engagement branch focuses on policy issues and electoral advocacy. The Common Defense umbrella of organizations also includes Common Defense Action Fund, a political action committee (PAC). 1

    CDCE and its sister groups are nonprofit organizations that claim to train its membership of U.S. military veterans to become leaders in left-wing political campaigns related to climate change, anti-militarism, and voting rights. 1

    Activities

    Common Defense Civic Engagement engages in lobbying and advocacy regarding specific legislation in congress, in education efforts for its members regarding congressional bills, endorses liberal political candidates, and mobilizes voters in favor of certain candidates. 1

    Finances

    In 2021, Common Defense Civic Engagement had a total revenue of $2,910,495, total expenses of $2,710,853, and net assets of $599,694. 2

    Funding

    In 2021, Common Defense Civic Engagement received $1,060,000 from Sixteen Thirty Fund, a passthrough grantmaking organization managed by major left-of-center consultancy Arabella Advisors. 3

    CDCE has also received funding from Tides Foundation, Open Society Policy Center, Onward Together, Need to Impeach, North Fund, and Communications Workers of America (AFL-CIO). 4

    Leadership

    As of 2023, Jose Vasquez was the executive director of Common Defense. 5 A veteran, Vasquez has also been involved in anti-war activist organizations for two decades, having been director of the Iraq Veterans Against the War and a steering committee member of United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ). 6 Vasquez is based in New York City. 7

    As of 2023, Common Defense Civic Engagement’s board of directors was comprised of co-founder and executive director of Ground Game Texas Julie Oliver, screenwriter Billy Ray, human rights lawyer Qasim Rashid, policy director of the Poor People’s Campaign Shailly Gupta Barnes, former executive director of USAction and founder of Pennsylvania Citizen Action Jeff Blum, Amazon Web Services employee Brian Garcia, and supporter of Texas Democratic politician Beto O’Rourke and co-founder of “Veterans for Beto” Jeff Quiggle. 1

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $464,536 $1,042,715 $793,945 View
    2023 $204,413 $505,739 $1,103,182 View
    2022 $823,499 $1,612,291 $1,473,011 View
    2021 $599,694 $2,910,495 $2,710,853 View
    2020 $400,052 $1,238,860 $1,008,565 View

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    • Number of Employees: 29

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Jose VasquezExecutive Dir.$139,700
    Julie OliverTreasurer$45,000

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $4,088,516
    • Number of Grants: 27
    • Number of Funders: 11

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

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $1,060,0002021 Sixteen Thirty FundCAPACITY BUILDING
    $350,0002022 Open Society Action FundTo support the grantee's social welfare activities
    $300,0002021 Open Society Action Fundto support the grantee's social welfare activities
    $300,0002020 Open Society Action Fundto support policy advocacy on foreign policy and the welfare operations of the grantee
    $250,0002024 Open Society Action FundTO SUPPORT THE GRANTEE'S WORK ENGAGING VETERANS IN US FOREIGN POLICY
    $250,0002022 Open Society Action FundTo support policy advocacy on federal legislation
    $200,0002023 Open Society Action Fundto support the Grantee's social welfare activities
    $200,0002020 All Hands on Deck Network IncPRIMARY PURPOSE
    $190,0002022 Sixteen Thirty FundCIVIL RIGHTS, SOCIAL ACTION, ADVOCACY
    $90,0002022 TIDES FOUNDATIONEQUITY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
    $75,0002023 Ploughshares Fund IncSEE SCH O FOR PURPOSE OF GRANT
    $66,6672022 BlueGreen Alliance FoundationClimate Jobs
    $50,0002024 Grove Action FundARIZONA COMMON DEFENSE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
    $50,0002023 Grove Action FundARIZONA OPERATIONS AND GENERAL SUPPORT
    $50,0002022 Grove Action FundGENERAL AND PROJECT SUPPORT
    $50,0002021 TIDES FOUNDATIONEQUITY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
    $25,0002024 The New World FoundationIN SUPPORT OF ITS EFFORTS TO PUSH BACK AGAINST PROJECT 2025
    $25,0002021 Ploughshares Fund IncTo conduct a strategic planning process and develop an implementation plan for a three-year climate justice initiative that includes the exploration of connections between nuclear and foreign policy and climate change.
    $25,0002021 Ploughshares Fund IncTo mobilize Common Defense's network of military veterans advocating for peace and nonproliferation.
    $15,0002022 Communications Workers of America AFL-CIO ClcGENERAL SUPPORT
    $10,0002023 Communications Workers of America AFL-CIO ClcGENERAL SUPPORT
    $10,0002021 Communications Workers of America AFL-CIO ClcGENERAL SUPPORT
    $10,0002020 Communications Workers of America AFL-CIO ClcGENERAL SUPPORT

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    Contact Us

    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. “About Us.” Common Defense Civic Engagement. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://commondefense.us/about-us
    2. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Common Defense Civic Engagement. 2021. Lines 12, 18, 22.
    3. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Sixteen Thirty Fund. 2021. Schedule I, Part II – Grants and Other Assistance to Domestic Organizations and Domestic Governments.
    4. “Full-Text Search.” ProPublica. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/full_text_search?q=common+defense+civic+engagement.
    5. “Jose Vasquez.” Common Defense. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://commondefense.us/jose-bio.
    6.  “United for Peace and Justice Steering Committee.” United for Peace and Justice, February 2005. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20100108135913/http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=1874.
    7. [1] “Jose Vasquez.” Common Defense. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://commondefense.us/jose-bio.