Pennsylvania Alliance Action (PA Alliance Action) is a left-of-center activist organization that supports Democratic-aligned political campaigns and campaign committees. The right-leaning Americans for Fair Treatment has characterized PA Alliance Action as a political action committee (PAC) that donates to “progressive Democratic campaign” super PACs. ¹

PA Alliance Action also makes grants to support its left-of-center policy objectives. In 2022, PA Alliance Action made grants of $1,015,000 to The Voter Project to support its vote-by-mail voter education program and $750,000 to Commonwealth Communications to support its Early 2022 Program. ²

History and Leadership

Pennsylvania Alliance Action was formed in 2017. ³ In November 2020, PA Alliance Action received tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service. ⁴

Charles Hadley is the chair of PA Alliance Action. The organization’s leadership team includes Avram Hornik as treasurer, Clarissa Griebel as secretary, and Bruce Shook as a member of the organization. ⁵

Margaret King is PA Alliance Action’s grants manager. ⁶ Prior to joining the organization in January 2024, she worked as an intern in several roles, including for the U.S. Congressional campaign of U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA) and the unsuccessful 2016 presidential campaign of former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D). ⁷

Activities

Pennsylvania Alliance Action is a left-of-center organization that supports Democratic-aligned political campaigns and campaign committees. According to the right-of-center Americans for Fair Treatment, PA Alliance Action is a political committee (PAC) that donates to “progressive Democratic campaign” super PACs. ¹ The organization has also been said to work “to advance progressive values” by Philadelphia-based political consultant Aubrey Montgomery. ⁸

In 2022, PA Alliance Action reported expenses of $13,199,537. These expenses included $2,500,000 on its Democracy Defenders program and advertisements to support direct voter contact through door-to-door canvassing.  PA Action Alliance spent $1,670,000 on programs supported by the passage of Act 77, which allowed for no-excuse absentee balloting in Pennsylvania, permitted groups to chase and contact voters to vote-by-mail, and expanded programs to educate low-propensity voters and minority voters across Pennsylvania. PA Action Alliance also spent $2,900,000 to partner with other get-out-the-vote (GOTV) organizations in Pennsylvania for the 2022 general election cycle. It also spent $6,060,537 on other expenses, including political campaign and lobbying activities. ⁹

In 2022, the organization spent $5,535,599 on political campaigns and lobbying activities. This included $567,000 given to the Environment America Action Fund, $250,000 to the Family Friendly Action PAC, $215,000 to CASA in Action PAC, $245,000 to Workers Vote, $50,000 to the League of Conservation Voters Victory Fund, $25,000 to the Agenda PAC, $250,000 to the Family Friendly Action PAC, $175,000 to Put Pennsylvania First, ¹⁰ and $1,430,000 to the Pennsylvania Fund for Change. ^{11 12}

PA Alliance Action has also given at least $1,255,000 in contributions to the advocacy organization Pennsylvanians for Judicial Fairness. ¹³

Grantmaking

Pennsylvania Action Alliance gives grants to support its left-of-center policy objectives. In 2022, PA Action Alliance made grants of $1,015,000 to The Voter Project to support its vote-by-mail voter education program, $750,000 to Commonwealth Communications to support its Early 2022 Program, and $450,000 to the For Our Future Action Fund to support its Voter Contact Program for the 2022 general election cycle. ²

PA Action Alliance also made grants of $2,180,135 to Commonwealth Communications, $855,000 to PA United, $302,000 to Action Together NEPA, $355,000 to Climate Emerging Advocates, $939,000 to For Our Future Action Fund, $100,000 to Lead PA, $315,000 to the New Pennsylvania Project, $120,000 to the UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza) Action Fund, $125,000 to Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates, $170,000 to One Pennsylvania, $219,000 to Make the Road Action, $131,000 to the Asian Pacific Islanders Political Alliance (API PA), $1,620,000 to The Voter Project, $50,000 to In Union USA Action, $100,000 to Free Fair PA, $100,000 to 1k Women Strong Inc, $415,000 to Project Keystone, $125,000 to Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, $50,000 to Pennsylvania Spotlight, $1,250,000 to America Works USA, and $100,000 to CASA In Action. ¹⁴

In 2021, PA Action Alliance made grants to API PA, Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania United, For Our Future Action Fund, Make the Road Action in PA, Commonwealth Communications, Project Keystone, Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania, For Our Future Action Fund, The Voter Project, 1K Women Strong, and the New Pennsylvania Project. ¹⁵

Funding

Pennsylvania Alliance Action receives its funding from individual contributions and grants. ¹⁶ In 2022, PA Action Alliance reported revenue of $10,362,145 and expenses of $13,513,365. PA Action Alliance reported revenue of $6,052,076 and expenses of $2,567,279 in 2021. ¹⁶

In 2022, PA Alliance Action received $1,125,000 from the left-of-center State Engagement Fund, $555,000 from the left-of-center Tides Foundation, and $475,000 from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Pennsylvania State Council. ² According to the right-of-center Commonwealth Foundation, PA Alliance Action also received $300,000 from the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) teachers union in 2022. ¹⁷

PA Alliance Action received $280,000 from the Tides Foundation ¹⁸ and $250,000 from the North Fund in 2021. ¹⁹ In 2020, the organization received $500,000 from the Tides Foundation ²⁰ and $175,000 from the Sixteen Thirty Fund, which is the sister advocacy and electoral nonprofit of the New Venture Fund. ²¹ In 2018, PA Alliance action received more than $1,000,000 from the National Education Association. ²²

1. Bates, Suzanne. “PSEA: Where do your dues go?” Americans for Fair Treatment. January 10, 2022. Accessed October 27, 2024. https://americansforfairtreatment.org/2022/01/10/psea-where-do-your-dues-go/.
2. “PA Action Alliance.” CauseIQ. Accessed October 27, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/pa-alliance-action,823537729/.
3. “PA Action Alliance.” CauseIQ. Accessed October 26, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/pa-alliance-action,823537729/.
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5. “PA Action Alliance.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Part VII. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/823537729/202343189349309649/full.
6. “Margaret King.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-king-49313a150/.
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9. “PA Action Alliance.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Part III. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/823537729/202343189349309649/full.
10. Bates, Suzanne. “New PAC Gets Union Support.” Americans for Fair Treatment. May 20, 2022. Accessed October 27, 2024. https://americansforfairtreatment.org/2022/05/20/new-pac-gets-union-support/.
11. “PA Action Alliance.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Schedule C. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/823537729/202343189349309649/full.
12. “Pennsylvania Alliance Action.” OpenSecrets. Accessed October 28, 2024.  https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/pennsylvania-alliance-action/summary?id=D000098655.
13. “Pennsylvania Alliance Action.” Transparency USA. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.transparencyusa.org/pa/contributor/pennsylvania-alliance-action.
14. “PA Action Alliance.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/823537729/202343189349309649/full.
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16. “PA Action Alliance.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/823537729/202343189349309649/full.
17. “How the PSEA Diverted Union Dues to Politics in 2022.” Commonwealth Foundation. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.commonwealthfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Fund-for-Student-Success.pdf.
18. “Tides Foundation.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2021. Schedule I. https://www.tides.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2021_Tides-Foundation_Form-990-Public-Disclosure.pdf.
19. “North Fund.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). Schedule I. 2021. https://cdn01.dailycaller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/combinepdf.pdf.
20. “Tides Foundation.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. Schedule I. https://cdn01.dailycaller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/combinepdf-1.pdf.
21. “Sixteen Thirty Fund.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. Schedule I.
22. Hayden Ludwig and Kevin Mooney. Capital Research Center. May 12, 2021. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://capitalresearch.org/article/leftists-in-pennsylvania-outspent-conservatives-3-to-1-in-2020/.