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Crisis Charitable Commitment

Website:

www.charitablecommittment.org
Location:

San Francisco, California
Type:

Project
Founder:

Alan S. Davis

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The Crisis Charitable Commitment (CCC) is a project of the Excessive Wealth Disorder Institute (EWDI). It seeks signatories who agree to distribute a minimum of $100,000 and from 0.8 to 10 percent of foundation or donor-advised fund (DAF) assets each year to 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) organizations. 1

It was originally launched by the WhyNot Initiative, which itself was a program of Patriotic Millionaires, an organization that advocates for the redistribution of individual income and gun control, and was supported by left-of-center funder the Leonard and Sophie Davis Fund. 2

The organization encourages but does not require major donors to provide additional funding to nonprofit organizations but does advocate for doing so to benefit those supporting equal racial, gender, and environmental outcomes; wealth equality; and meeting the supposed crisis of democracy. 2

Related Organizations

The WhyNot Initiative, which launched the Crisis Charitable Commitment, is a program of Patriotic Millionaires that advocates for government-operated health care, redistributing wealth, and gun control. WhyNot Initiative is directed by Alan Davis. 3

Patriotic Millionaires, a group of individuals who earn more than $1 million per year, was founded by Erica Payne, a liberal political activist who co-authored How Lies, Loopholes and Lobbyists Make the Rich Even Richer. The group advocates for taxing the rich and redistributing power from the wealthy to the non-wealthy. Members include Morris Pearl, former managing director of Black Rock, Inc.; Abigail Disney, the left-wing grandniece of Walt Disney; and Chuck Collins. 4 5 6 7 8

Donor Revolt

The Crisis Charitable Commitment and the Excessive Wealth Disorder Institute are supporting inequality.org‘s Donor Revolt, which calls for increasing the annual payout requirement on foundations from 5 percent to 7 percent (as well as 10 percent on organizations with assets over $50 million), a limit on management expenses of 1 percent of assets excluding compensation to family members, and the exclusion of grants to donor-advised funds (DAF) in the payout calculation. For DAFs, Donor Revolt advocates for a requirement to pay out funds within 5 years, exclusion of DAF grants to other DAFs from payout calculations, requiring sponsors to report account-by-account on spending, and a change to the tax requirements to individuals holding private foundations. Donor Revolt supports placing a limit on charitable deductions for estates and a tax credit for non-itemizing taxpayers. Signers include Abigail Disney, Walt Disney’s grandniece; Jennifer Risher, whose husband is the CEO of Lyft; Scott Wallace, co-chair of left-of-center Wallace Global Fund; Chuck Collins, co-founder of left-of-center United for a Fair Economy (UFE); and Alan Davis. 9

In 2022, CCC issued a press release announcing plans to raise $41.5 million for the Black Liberation Pooled Fund managed by the Solidaire Network; the Health Democracy Fund managed by Tides Foundation; and Tax the Ultra Rich Now managed by Amalgamated Charitable Foundation. 3

People

Alan S. Davis, the president of the Leonard and Sophie Davis Fund (LSDF), is a founder of the Crisis Charitable Commitment. LSDF is a private foundation that gives to left-of-center organizations. Davis is an advisory board member of Patriotic Millionaires, a group of rich activists who advocate left-wing economic policies; director of the WhyNot Initiative; and founder of the Excessive Wealth Disorder Initiative (EWDI). 2

Signatories

Signatories of the Crisis Charitable Commitment pledge include 108 individuals and foundations that have committed to giving over $1.1 billion. Foundations that have pledged include: 10

References

  1. “Make the Commitment.” The Crisis Charitable Commitment, January 10, 2025. Accessed June 27, 2025. https://charitablecommitment.org/make-the-commitment/.
  2. “About Us.” The Crisis Charitable Commitment, January 10, 2025. Accessed June 27, 2025. https://charitablecommitment.org/about-us/.
  3. “New Grantmaking Effort Seeks to Raise $41.5 Million in Pooled Funds to Support Black-Led Organizations, Defend Voting Rights, and Curb Wealth Inequality.” The Crisis Charitable Commitment, January 19, 2024. Accessed June 27, 2025.  https://charitablecommitment.org/new-grantmaking-effort-seeks-to-raise-41-5-million-in-pooled-funds-to-support-black-led-organizations-defend-voting-rights-and-curb-wealth-inequality/.
  4. Pearl, Morris, Emily McCloskey, and Bob Lord. “Tax the Rich.” Patriotic Millionaires, May 6, 2025. Accessed June 27, 2025. https://patrioticmillionaires.org/priorities/tax-the-rich/.
  5. McCloskey, Emily. “Pay the People.” Patriotic Millionaires, May 6, 2025. Accessed June 27, 2025. https://patrioticmillionaires.org/priorities/pay-the-people/.
  6. McCloskey, Emily, and Patriotic Millionaires. “Spread the Power.” Patriotic Millionaires, May 6, 2025. Accessed June 27, 2025.  https://patrioticmillionaires.org/priorities/spread-the-power/.
  7. “Erica Payne.” Patriotic Millionaires, November 4, 2024. Accessed June 27, 2025. https://patrioticmillionaires.org/people/erica-payne/.
  8. “Meet the Millionaires.” Patriotic Millionaires, October 30, 2024. Accessed June 27, 2025. https://patrioticmillionaires.org/meet-the-millionaires/.
  9. “Join the Donor Revolt for Philanthropy Reform.” Join the Donor Revolt for Philanthropy Reform. Accessed June 27, 2025. https://donorrevolt.com/.
  10. “Signatories.” The Crisis Charitable Commitment, July 30, 2024. Accessed June 27, 2025. https://charitablecommitment.org/signatories/.
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