Partnership Project Action Fund is a left-wing environmentalist advocacy organization directly affiliated and controlled by the Partnership Project, a left-of-center environmentalist advocacy group that consists of a collaboration of some of the largest environmental groups. Partnership Project Action Fund is the lobbying arm of the Partnership Project and uses paid media, outreach, and research to help environmental organizations advocate for the environment.

Memberships

Partnership Project Action Fund, along with other left-of-center organizations, is a member of Grantmakers for Southern Progress, a left-leaning social advocacy organization focused on the southern states of the U.S. ¹

Lobbying

In February 2021, Green Mountain Strategies, LLC began lobbying on behalf of Partnership Project Action Fund for “issues related to climate change in the stimulus package.” ² In February 2021, AJW, Inc. began lobbying on behalf of Partnership Project Action Fund for “FY22 economic stimulus nominations related to environment/climate.” ³ In January 2021, Winn Strategies, LLC began lobbying on behalf of the Action Fund for “issues related to reducing air pollution, limiting CO2 emission and promoting clean energy.” ⁴

Financials

Allocated Money

Partnership Project Action Fund allocates money to various left-of-center organizations. In 2018, the organization allocated over $20,000 to Environmental Advocates of New York,⁵ a left-leaning environmental advocacy organization located in New York, while in 2017 it allocated $13,000. ⁶  In 2017, grants included $298,436 to Environment America, a left-of-center environmental lobbying group; $44,513 to Environmental Defense Action Fund, a left-leaning group that uses political power for environmental advocacy; $593,090 to League of Conservation Voters, a far-left organization that promotes candidates who support environmentalist policies; and $55,620 to National Wildlife Federation,⁷ a left-leaning environmentalist group. Since 2010, Partnership Project Action Fund has given a total of $2.5 million to the League of Conservation Voters. ⁸

Acquired Funds

Partnership Project Action Fund received a grant from Tides Advocacy, a social welfare organization that focuses on the creation, financing, and consultation of various left-of-center organizations, for $30,000 in 2019⁹ and $50,000 in 2018. ¹⁰

In 2016, Environmental Defense Fund, an environmentalist group focused on global warming and promoting a left-wing political agenda, allocated $150,000 to the Partnership Project Action Fund for “environmental rights.” ¹¹

In 2009, Partnership Project Action Fund received $2.5 million from the Atlantic Philanthropies, formally a group of offshore organizations that funded 501(c)(4) left-leaning social advocacy groups for its “collaboration and activism for the environment.” ¹²

Partnership Project

In 2017, Partnership Project paid Partnership Project Action Fund $63,319 for use of shared facilities and $220,000 in grant contributions. ¹³ In 2016, the grant contribution was $500,000. ¹⁴ In 2017, the Action Fund allocated $39,656 in grant money to Partnership Project for “program support.” ¹⁵

In 2017, Partnership Project Action Fund paid nearly $2.5 million to a marketing agency based in Washington, D.C., for its services. ¹⁶

People

Benjamin Metcalf serves as the Partnership Project Action Fund’s chief operating officer,¹⁷ as well as the COO of the Partnership Project¹⁸ and is the highest paid employee, receiving $260,961 in total compensation. ¹⁹

Eric Pica is a left-of-center environmental activist. He serves as the chair of the board of the Partnership Project and Partnership Project Action Fund and is the president of Friends of the Earth and its lobbying arm Friends of the Earth Action. Pica is also a board member of Democracy Initiative and was a former board member of the Safe Energy Communication Council and former chair of Green Group. ²⁰

1. Members. Grantmakers for Southern Progress. Accessed June 11, 2021. https://g4sp.org/members/
2. Lobbying. ProPublica. Accessed June 11, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/represent/lobbying/search?fields%5B%5D=_all&page=32&search=strategies
3. Lobbying – Partnership Project Action Fund. ProPublica. Accessed June 11, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/represent/lobbying/search?search=Partnership+Project+Action+Fund
4. Lobbying – Partnership Project Action Fund. ProPublica. Accessed June 11, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/represent/lobbying/search?search=Partnership+Project+Action+Fund
5. “Environmental Advocates of New York 2018 Annual Report.” Environmental Advocates of New York. 2018. Accessed June 10, 2021. https://eany.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/EANY-2018-Annual-Report.pdf
6. Partnership Project Action Fund, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Schedule I, Part II. Accessed June 10, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/810606786/201911359349300646/full 
7. Partnership Project Action Fund, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Schedule I, Part II. Accessed June 9, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/810606786/201911359349300646/full 
8. League of Conservation Voters. Issue One. Accessed June 11, 2021. https://www.issueone.org/dark-money/dark-money-groups-league-of-conservation-voters/
9. Tides Advocacy, Return of Organization Exempt form Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Schedule I, Part II. Accessed June 10, 2021. https://tidesadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2019-Form-990-TA.pdf
10. Tides Advocacy, Return of Organization Exempt form Income Tax (Form 990), 2018, Schedule I, Part II. Accessed June 10, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/943153687/201912829349300916/IRS990ScheduleI
11. Environmental Defense Action Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (990), 2016, Schedule I, Part II. Accessed June 11, 2021. https://www.edfaction.org/sites/edactionfund.org/files/FY17_EDAF_990.pdf
12. Grantees – Partnership Project Action Fund. The Atlantic Philanthropies. 2009. Accessed June 10, 2021. https://www.atlanticphilanthropies.org/grantees/partnership-project-action-fund
13. Partnership Project Inc., Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Schedule I, Part II. Accessed June 10, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/522192070/05_2019_prefixes_51-53%2F522192070_201806_990_2019053016359686
14. Partnership Project Inc., Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2016, Schedule I, Part II. Accessed June 10, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/522192070/10_2018_prefixes_52-54%2F522192070_201706_990_2018102915846612
15. Partnership Project Inc., Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2016, Schedule I, Part II. Accessed June 10, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/522192070/10_2018_prefixes_52-54%2F522192070_201706_990_2018102915846612
16. Partnership Project Action Fund, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Part VII, Section B. Accessed June 9, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/810606786/201911359349300646/full 
17. Partnership Project Action Fund, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Part XII, Section A. Accessed June 9, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/810606786/201911359349300646/full 
18. Partnership Project, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Schedule J, Part II. Accessed June 9, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/522192070/05_2019_prefixes_51-53%2F522192070_201806_990_2019053016359686
19. Partnership Project Action Fund, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Park VII, Section A. Accessed June 9, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/810606786/201911359349300646/full 
20. Eric Pica – Our Team. Friends of the Earth. Accessed June 11, 2021. https://foe.org/about-us/our-team/