Community Initiatives

Community Initiatives is an organization that subsidizes the administrative expenses of left-of-center organizations. Community Initiatives refers to itself as a “fiscal sponsor” of other non-profit organizations because it provides free services including establishing nonprofit legal status, supporting on-call legal counsel, administering grants, filing taxes, and managing accounting, benefits, payroll, and human resources. 1

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Website: communityinitiatives.org
Formation:

1996

President and CEO:

Ruth Williams

Location: Oakland, CA View on map
Tax ID: 94-3255070
Most Recent Filing: 2025
Budget (2025): Assets: $75,263,317 Revenue: $86,764,695 Expenses: $89,142,542

Contents

    Background

    Community Initiatives was founded in 1996 by a collective of San Francisco-based nonprofit community members led by Jan Masaoka. The organization was first a project of the San Francisco Foundation before becoming an independent organization. 2

    Community Initiatives was inspired by a 1987 Council on Foundations essay titled “A Trap for the Unwary,” that discussed the positive impact that fiscal sponsors can have on the finances of nonprofit organizations. 3

    Funding

    In 2020, Community Initiatives received $30,111,902 in contributions, 4 incurred $35,385,742 in expenses, 5 and possessed $28,481,165 in net assets. 6 The organization provided $9,808,066 in grants to other organizations and $452,217 in grants to individuals. 7

    Impact

    Community Initiatives annually manages over $40 million in left-of-center organizational assets across 100 projects. 8 Community initiatives claims that anywhere from 20 percent to 40 percent of a nonprofit organization’s operating budget goes toward administrative expenses that can be performed for them by Community Initiatives free of charge. 9

    In 2019, Community Initiatives broke down the administrative services it provided based on the type of nonprofit organization it supported. 10 Based on this assessment, 48 percent of its services went to organizations in the education sector, 25 percent went to race- or gender-focused social policy organizations, and 20 percent went to youth development and activism. 10

    Government Services

    Community Initiatives administers government grants for municipal, county, and state agencies. In 2019 alone, Community Initiatives managed $2,279,145 in grants for government agencies. 11 While the government and not Community Initiatives selects the grant recipient, as with non-governmental grants Community Initiatives manages, the Community Initiatives website notes that “[w]e help government agencies increase the diversity of their applicants.” 12

    Leadership

    Ruth Williams is the president and CEO of Community Initiatives. Prior to joining Community Initiatives, Williams was the COO of the Osher Marin Jewish Community Center, and West Coast regional director of Single Stop USA, a left-of-center organization that increases accessibility and utilization of welfare services across the United States. 13

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2025 $75,263,317 $86,764,695 $89,142,542 View
    2024 $74,356,841 $77,611,739 $68,349,743 View
    2023 $56,232,715 $59,435,734 $55,372,330 View
    2022 $48,904,163 $57,867,676 $46,310,794 View
    2021 $38,228,924 $45,233,184 $41,056,672 View
    2020 $32,963,465 $33,654,695 $35,385,742 View

    Prior year filings: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    • Number of Employees: 758

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Ruth WilliamsCEO$464,836
    Samantha TranEXECUTIVE DIR.,CAL POLICY$309,265
    Carl TaiblCFO (THROUGH 12/31/2024)$307,764
    Mamie FunahashiCFO (FROM 1/13/2025)$306,048
    Julie DorfEXECUTIVE DIR., CNL. FOR GLOBAL EQ.$304,162
    Lucy BlakePRESIDENT,NPS$291,942
    Hedy ChangEXECUTIVE DIR.,ATTENDANCE$282,540
    Mark BromleyCOUNCIL CHAIR, COUNCIL FOR GLOBAL EQ$275,191
    David McGeeSR. VP HR & OPERATIONS$274,759
    Kathleen BoltsVP OF CLIENT SERVICES$214,623

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $270,981,143
    • Number of Grants: 2,446
    • Number of Funders: 600

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

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $5,148,1562024 NATIONAL WRITING PROJECT CORPORATIONFISCAL SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT DIRECT MODEL A
    $2,997,0002024 One8 FoundationEDUCATION
    $2,000,0002024 The William & Flora Hewlett Foundationfor Community Schools Learning Exchange
    $2,000,0002023 RF Catalytic Capital, Inc.INFLATION REDUCTION ACT IN BIPOC
    $1,775,0002020 Sierra Health Foundation Center for Health Program ManagementEDUCATION BLUEPRINT FOR BOYS AND MEN OF COLOR IN SACRAMENTO AND SAN JOAQUIN COUNTIES, SJVHF CENSUS 2020 OUTREACH
    $1,766,4082022 Faith in Action NetworkNATIONAL INITIATIVE
    $1,250,0002023 Waverley Street FoundationLatino Outdoors
    $1,250,0002022 Waverley Street FoundationLatino Outdoors
    $1,171,5102024 National Philanthropic TrustPUBLIC, SOCIETAL BENEFIT
    $1,124,5992022 Gordon and Betty Moore FoundationIn support of the Academic Data Science Alliance, a community of academic data science practitioners, educators, and leaders who share knowledge and ideas to integrate data science into university research and training across the country.
    $1,110,0002024 Gates FoundationK-12 EDUCATION; POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION
    $1,100,0002022 United States Energy FoundationTO SUPPORT EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TO BUILD A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE. TO PROMOTE EDUCATION AND ANALYSIS TO ADVANCE ENERGY OPTIMIZATION.
    $1,082,9222022 TIDES FOUNDATIONQUALITY EDUCATION
    $1,000,0002025 Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterTo support the leadership of unhoused young people in partnership with youth homelessness service providers across LA County with the goal of improving programs and practice to more effectively prevent, respond to, and ultimately end youth homelessness.
    $1,000,0002022 Freedom Together FoundationSTRENGTHENING BLACK FRONTLINE LEADERS, COMMUNITIES, AND MOVEMENTS IN ADVANCING A REGENERATIVE ECONOMY
    $990,0002022 The Heising-Simons Foundationfor Attendance Works
    $973,1602021 Gordon and Betty Moore FoundationTo support The Carpentries, an organization that teaches foundational coding and data science skills to researchers worldwide, to improve data science outcomes.
    $941,0002023 Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund for Wealth Management IncCOMMUNITY & HUMAN SERVICES
    $833,8252021 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $828,8972022 Amalgamated Charitable Foundation IncGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
    $821,4802022 The Nature ConservancyCONSERVATION ACTIVITIES
    $815,5302020 San Francisco FoundationTo provide core operating support to improve school climate for low-income students, students of color in the K-12 range, through methods of restorative justice and empowerment services, as well as conflict mediation training for school faculty in east contra costa county. To inspire, connect, and engage latino communities in the outdoors and embrace cultura y familia as part of the outdoor narrative. All participants are transgender latinas, who are monolingual, undocumented and low-income immigrants residing in the bay area. This grant is to implement safety protocols at offices and create resources to protect participants from urgent deportation threats, detention and human rights violations. To support manzanita works in developing and launching an employer-led childcare co-operative that benefits the families of essential workers in the bay area. To support radical monarchs' emergency assistance to the 100 east bay families of the girls of color
    $793,9502022 Gordon and Betty Moore FoundationTo support work to set recently burned landscapes and those not yet impacted by large-scale wildfire on a trajectory for ecological resilience.
    $766,7002022 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $766,5182021 Donor Advised Charitable Giving, Inc.PUBLIC, SOCIETAL BENEFIT

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $45,735,308
    • Number of Grants: 564
    • Number of Recipients: 419

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

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $3,273,3842023 FEATHER RIVER LAND TRUSTSUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF VISITOR FACILITIES AT THE SIERRA VALLEY PRESERVE
    $1,805,4732024 FEATHER RIVER LAND TRUSTADVANCING CONSERVATION PROJECTS IN SIERRA VALLEY AND THE BALD MOUNTAIN RANGE
    $1,739,2692023 AlliedUP FS: Community InitiativesGENERAL SUPPORT
    $1,077,3312021 Groundwork Ohio OrganizationGENERAL SUPPORT GRANT
    $1,002,1632020 TRUCKEE DONNER LAND TRUSTGeneral support
    $951,8052022 FEATHER RIVER LAND TRUSTDEVELOPMENT OF VISITOR FACILITIES AT SIERRA VALLEY PRESERVE
    $922,7342024 Global Philanthropy ProjectEXITED PROJECT GRANT DISBURSEMENT
    $694,9312022 US Digital ResponsePROJECT EXIT GRANT
    $567,4052022 Possibility LabsPROJECT EXIT GRANT
    $541,8142021 FEATHER RIVER LAND TRUSTGENERAL SUPPORT
    $514,1252020 FEATHER RIVER LAND TRUSTGeneral support
    $511,3022022 Robert Wood Johnson FoundationEMPLOYING LIBERATORY LEADERSHIP AND A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY OF (CONTINUED IN PART IV)
    $475,7502020 Hepatitis Education ProjectGeneral support
    $460,2252021 TURN 2 U INCTHE LAST MILE
    $450,0002024 AlliedUP FS: Community InitiativesSUPPORT FOR THE CREATION OF ECONOMIC MOBILITY AND RACIAL EQUITY FOR LOW-WAGE WORKERS
    $409,8512020 Restorative Justice for Oakland YouthGeneral support
    $375,0002020 The Nature Conservancy of CaliforniaGeneral support
    $350,0002020 Novo FoundationGeneral support
    $335,3002020 San Diego Community College DistrictSupport school to provide services and supplies for undocumented students.
    $321,0002021 San Diego Community College DistrictGENERAL SUPPORT
    $292,4962024 GENERAL ASSEMBLY SPACE INCSUPPORT TO TRAIN HIGH-POTENTIAL ADULTS WITH BARRIERS TO EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT AND SECURE THEM EMPLOYMENT IN HIGH-WAGE, HIGH-GROWTH JOBS IN THE DIGITAL ECONOMY
    $282,9702023 Public Works AllianceGENERAL SUPPORT
    $268,9872021 National Philanthropic TrustREISSUE – GRANT – DONOR ADVISED FUND
    $268,2082021 Restorative Justice for Oakland YouthGENERAL SUPPORT
    $265,4802020 SOCIAL GOOD FUNDGeneral support

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

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. “Services” Community Initiatives. https://communityin.org/services/#grant-support
    2. “Our History” Community Initiatives. https://communityin.org/meet-us/history/our-history/
    3. [1] “Our History” Community Initiatives. https://communityin.org/meet-us/history/our-history/
    4. Community Initiatives. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). 2020. Part I. Line 8.
    5. Community Initiatives. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). 2020. Part I. Line 18.
    6. Community Initiatives. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). 2020. Part I. Line 22.
    7. Community Initiatives. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). 2020. Part IX. Lines 1-2.
    8. “Comprehensive Administrative Services” Community Initiatives. https://communityin.org/fiscal-sponsorship/comprehensive-administrative-services/
    9. “Services” Community Initiatives. https://communityin.org/services/
    10. “Annual Report-2019” Community Initiatives. https://communityin.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CI_AnnualReport_2019-final-WEB.pdf
    11. [1] “Annual Report-2019” Community Initiatives. https://communityin.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CI_AnnualReport_2019-final-WEB.pdf
    12. “Government Grant Compliance” Community Initiatives. https://communityin.org/fiscal-sponsorship/government-grant-compliance/
    13. “President and CEO” Community Initiatives. https://communityin.org/meet-us/team/ceos-office/ruth-williams/