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Non-profit

WorkMoney Inc.

Website:

www.workmoney.org/
Location:

Milwaukee, WI
Tax ID:

85-0604101
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(4)

Formation:

2020
Type:

Consumer Advocacy Organization

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WorkMoney Inc. is a left-of-center “dark money group” 1 with “prominent connections to the U.S. labor movement” 2 with the “markings of a union-backed venture” 3 that claims to have a network of 1.4 million individuals. 4 The organization has advocated for additional stimulus check payments from the federal government, government-funded infrastructure projects, and increased social spending from the Biden administration. 5

According to WorkMoney founder C.J. Grimes, as of May 2021, the group has raised at least $20 million 6 since its March 2020 launch, including at least $4,678,700 from the left-of-center Sixteen Thirty Fund in 2020. 7

As of November 2021, WorkMoney has spent $6,802,328 on advertisements on Facebook page, which is partially managed by the left-of-center M&R Strategic Services group 8 since March 18, 2020. 9 WorkMoney’s targeted advertising spending has included 2020 battleground states 10 and video advertisements in support of the Biden administration’s spending packages targeting Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Krysten Sinema (D-AZ), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Pat Toomey (R-PA). 11 According to ProPublica, WorkMoney has also spent at least $140,000 on lobbying in support of the Biden administration’s multi-trillion-dollar “Build Back Better” reconciliation spending bill as of November 2021. 12

History and Leadership

WorkMoney Inc. was founded by C.J. Grimes in March 2020. 13

Prior to starting WorkMoney, Grimes was an independent consultant at Blackbird Strategy, a senior vice president at the left-of-center M&R Strategic Services from January 2019 to February 2020, the national director of organizing and digital director for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) from 2002 to 2017, 14 and a senior official of Fight for $15, an SEIU-backed push for higher minimum wages and expanded union organizing. 15

Activities and Funding

WorkMoney Inc. is a left-of-center “dark money group” 16 with “prominent connections to the U.S. labor movement” 17 with “markings of a union-backed venture” 18 that claims to have a network of 1.4 million individuals. 19 WorkMoney supports expanded ostensibly COVID-19-pandemic-related spending, health insurance, food assistance, unemployment benefits, sick leave, and stimulus checks 20 and has circulated petitions 21 and conducted polling on these issues. 22

WorkMoney has posted statements in support of the Biden administration’s so-called infrastructure legislation and multi-trillion-dollar spending bills, 23 supports the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and has shared a link supporting the plan from the left-of-center Third Way, 24 and sent $150,000 to the left-of-center One for All Committee in 2020. 25

Founder C.J. Grimes said in May the group had already raised over $20 million since its launch in March 2020, 26 including $4,678,700 from the left-of-center “dark money” group Sixteen Thirty Fund in 2020. 27

As of November 2021, WorkMoney has spent $6,802,328 on advertisements on Facebook alone since its founding on March 18, 2020, including $1 million in support of additional federal stimulus checks. 28 29 WorkMoney’s Facebook is partially managed by the left-of-center M&R Strategic Services group 30 and receives support from the left-of-center communications firm BerlinRosen. 31

WorkMoney also runs advertisements on YouTube, CNN, Fox News, The Hill, New York Times, and MSNBC to move moderate voters in favor of the Biden administration’s policy goals, 32 including a $2 million campaign on Facebook and Google. 33

WorkMoney spent $4.5 million on Facebook ads between March and October 2020 targeting battleground states and was one of the top ten advertisement buyers in Pennsylvania and Michigan during this time. 34 The group’s other advertisements have targeted Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Krysten Sinema (D-AZ), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Pat Toomey (R-PA). 35

Lobbying and Political Activities

According to ProPublica, WorkMoney has also spent at least $140,000 on lobbying in support of the multi-trillion-dollar Biden administration spending package as of November 2021. 36

According to Open Secrets, WorkMoney spent $261,933 in the 2020 election cycle. The group spent a combined $177,349 in support of Joe Biden’s presidential campaign and the Senate campaigns of Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA), and a combined $84,584 against Donald Trump’s re-election campaign and opposing the re-election campaigns of Senators Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and David Perdue (R-GA). 37

Funding

According to WorkMoney founder C.J. Grimes, as of May 2021, the group has raised at least $20 million 38 since its March 2020 launch, including at least $4,678,700 from the left-of-center Sixteen Thirty Fund in 2020. 39

References

  1. Schwartz, Brian. “Dark money group launces $2 million pressure campaign on moderate lawmakers to pass parts of Biden’s agenda.” CNBC. May 18, 2021. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/18/dark-money-group-launch-2-million-campaign-to-see-biden-agenda-passed.html.
  2. Montellaro, Zach and Scott, Mark. “Union-linked group spending big to target swing states on Facebook.” Politico. October 28, 2020. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/28/union-group-spending-facebook-swingstates-433457.
  3. [1] Marans, Daniel. “Nonprofit To Spend $1 Million Pushing for COVID Relief Checks.” HuffPost. January 29, 2021. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-grimes-8a75981a/.
  4. “WorkMoney.” LinkedIn. Accessed November 21, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/company/workmoney/about/.
  5. “WorkMoney.” LinkedIn. Accessed November 21, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/company/workmoney/about/.
  6. Schwartz, Brian. “Dark money group launces $2 million pressure campaign on moderate lawmakers to pass parts of Biden’s agenda.” CNBC. May 18, 2021. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/18/dark-money-group-launch-2-million-campaign-to-see-biden-agenda-passed.html.
  7. “Sixteen Thirty Fund.” Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. Accessed November 21, 2021. https://www.politico.com/f/?id=0000017d-2e2b-df97-a9ff-be7fdd190000.
  8. Montellaro, Zach and Scott, Mark. “Union-linked group spending big to target swing states on Facebook.” Politico. October 28, 2020. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/28/union-group-spending-facebook-swingstates-433457.
  9. “WorkMoney.” Facebook Ad Tracker. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?active_status=all&ad_type=political_and_issue_ads&country=US&view_all_page_id=107483817554072&search_type=page&media_type=all.
  10.  Montellaro, Zach and Scott, Mark. “Union-linked group spending big to target swing states on Facebook.” Politico. October 28, 2020. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/28/union-group-spending-facebook-swingstates-433457.
  11. Schwartz, Brian. “Dark money group launces $2 million pressure campaign on moderate lawmakers to pass parts of Biden’s agenda.” CNBC. May 18, 2021. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/18/dark-money-group-launch-2-million-campaign-to-see-biden-agenda-passed.html.
  12. “WorkMoney, Inc (dba WorkMoney).” ProPublica Lobbying Disclosures. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/represent/lobbying/301033276.
  13.  “WorkMoney.” LinkedIn. Accessed November 21, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/company/workmoney/about/.
  14. [1] “CJ Grimes.” LinkedIn. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-grimes-8a75981a/.
  15. [1] Montellaro, Zach and Scott, Mark. “Union-linked group spending big to target swing states on Facebook.” Politico. October 28, 2020. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/28/union-group-spending-facebook-swingstates-433457.
  16. Schwartz, Brian. “Dark money group launces $2 million pressure campaign on moderate lawmakers to pass parts of Biden’s agenda.” CNBC. May 18, 2021. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/18/dark-money-group-launch-2-million-campaign-to-see-biden-agenda-passed.html.
  17. Montellaro, Zach and Scott, Mark. “Union-linked group spending big to target swing states on Facebook.” Politico. October 28, 2020. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/28/union-group-spending-facebook-swingstates-433457.
  18. Marans, Daniel. “Nonprofit To Spend $1 Million Pushing for COVID Relief Checks.” HuffPost. January 29, 2021. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-grimes-8a75981a/.
  19. “WorkMoney.” LinkedIn. Accessed November 21, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/company/workmoney/about/.
  20. “Resources.” WorkMoney. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://act-now.workmoney.org/resources/.
  21. “Protect Our Local Economy Pass Small Business Aid.” WorkMoney. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://act-now.workmoney.org/petition/small-businesses-petition/.
  22. Harold, Zack. “In deep red West Virginia, Biden’s $3.5tn spending proposal is immensely popular.” The Guardian. September 28, 2021. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/28/west-virginia-joe-biden-spending-plan-popular.
  23. “WorkMoney.” Facebook. Posted October 27, 2021. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/WorkMoney.org/photos/a.130188655283588/451413943161056/?type=3&__xts__[0]=68.ARDGhOV9JeSs160Y3VyvE9vb9gnqeJJzbwb2I6duaHuyJEr6wZdRH98fu45v4Y61ygwlkIEI3sI5qagG-yQZ8_k0RY0orzitnF4P6x8gA0WEokXwzp6To8VFdzo66iKNU1HdTOBTIh2-sEHPie0mqAppq_N0FuLFUTYDTh6u8hnx1gx1psET7LtRKPenVpD8kdHHmJEd57bICROrXK3vMd4tsaMElNg4qGCnSCcIEyT116fUCdtXU4pycGFAzfeGY25H4SA0b4-LHQZQSgTkyfnVkGY91fWfCUPFYoMTtmhrBSMVZaw.
  24. “WorkMoney.” Facebook. Posted October 27, 2021. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/WorkMoney.org/posts/451423729826744?__tn__=-R.
  25. “Donor Lookup.” Open Secrets. Accessed November 21, 2021. https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?cand=&cycle=2020&employ=&name=&order=desc&page=2&sort=A&state=WI&zip=.
  26. Schwartz, Brian. “Dark money group launces $2 million pressure campaign on moderate lawmakers to pass parts of Biden’s agenda.” CNBC. May 18, 2021. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/18/dark-money-group-launch-2-million-campaign-to-see-biden-agenda-passed.html.
  27. “Sixteen Thirty Fund.” Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. Accessed November 21, 2021. https://www.politico.com/f/?id=0000017d-2e2b-df97-a9ff-be7fdd190000.
  28. “WorkMoney.” Facebook Ad Tracker. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?active_status=all&ad_type=political_and_issue_ads&country=US&view_all_page_id=107483817554072&search_type=page&media_type=all.
  29. Marans, Daniel. “Nonprofit To Spend $1 Million Pushing for COVID Relief Checks.” HuffPost. January 29, 2021. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-grimes-8a75981a/.
  30. Montellaro, Zach and Scott, Mark. “Union-linked group spending big to target swing states on Facebook.” Politico. October 28, 2020. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/28/union-group-spending-facebook-swingstates-433457.
  31. Montellaro, Zach and Scott, Mark. “Union-linked group spending big to target swing states on Facebook.” Politico. October 28, 2020. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/28/union-group-spending-facebook-swingstates-433457.
  32. Oprysko, Caitlin. “Dark money group to launch $2M campaign boosting infrastructure bills.” Politico Influence. August 9, 2021. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-influence/2021/08/09/dark-money-group-to-launch-2m-campaign-boosting-infrastructure-bills-797047.
  33. Schwartz, Brian. “Dark money group launces $2 million pressure campaign on moderate lawmakers to pass parts of Biden’s agenda.” CNBC. May 18, 2021. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/18/dark-money-group-launch-2-million-campaign-to-see-biden-agenda-passed.html.
  34. Montellaro, Zach and Scott, Mark. “Union-linked group spending big to target swing states on Facebook.” Politico. October 28, 2020. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/28/union-group-spending-facebook-swingstates-433457.
  35. Schwartz, Brian. “Dark money group launces $2 million pressure campaign on moderate lawmakers to pass parts of Biden’s agenda.” CNBC. May 18, 2021. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/18/dark-money-group-launch-2-million-campaign-to-see-biden-agenda-passed.html.
  36. “WorkMoney, Inc (dba WorkMoney).” ProPublica Lobbying Disclosures. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/represent/lobbying/301033276.
  37. “WorkMoney.” Targeted Candidates, 2020 Cycle. Open Secrets. Accessed November 21, 2021. https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/recips.php?cmte=C90020199&cycle=2020.
  38. Schwartz, Brian. “Dark money group launces $2 million pressure campaign on moderate lawmakers to pass parts of Biden’s agenda.” CNBC. May 18, 2021. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/18/dark-money-group-launch-2-million-campaign-to-see-biden-agenda-passed.html.
  39. “Sixteen Thirty Fund.” Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. Accessed November 21, 2021. https://www.politico.com/f/?id=0000017d-2e2b-df97-a9ff-be7fdd190000.
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Nonprofit Information


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WorkMoney Inc.

790 N. Milwaukee Street Suite 300
Milwaukee, WI