irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $1.81MBTF CASH - WE LEAD THE MOVEMENT CHAMPIONING GUARANTEED INCOME TO PROVIDE BASIC SECURITY FOR ALL AMERICANS. THIS INCLUDES LEADING THE NATIONAL COALITION, HOLDING THE FLAGSHIP GUARANTEED INCOME NOW CONFERENCE, AND UNDERTAKING THE LARGEST RESEARCH INITIATIVE ON DIRECT CASH TO DATE. WE LAUNCHED ESP PRESIDENT NATALIE FOSTER'S BOOK, THE GUARANTEE: INSIDE THE FIGHT FOR AMERICA'S NEXT ECONOMY, SPARKING A NATIONWIDE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT'S POSSIBLE WHEN WE PUT PEOPLE AT THE CENTER OF OUR ECONOMIC POLICY AND HELD DOZENS OF EVENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO CONVENE STAKEHOLDERS AROUND THE IDEAS IN THE BOOK.
- #2 $1.60MBTF SHAPING MARKETS - WE SEED BIG IDEAS TO SHAPE MARKETS TO WORK FOR PEOPLE. OUR PUBLIC OPTIONS FOR AMERICA FUND EXPLORES ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE OPTIONS IN MARKETS SUCH AS HOUSING, HEALTHCARE, AND CHILDCARE. IN THE FOOD SECTOR, OUR WORK ON PUBLIC GROCERY STORES IN ILLINOIS INSPIRED LOCAL LEADERS IN OTHER STATES, PROVING THAT GOOD IDEAS CAN TAKE ROOT AND GROW ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WE ALSO CONVENED A SERIES OF CONVERSATIONS WITH EXPERTS NATION-WIDE ON AI, UNDERSTANDING THAT HOW WE SHAPE AI AND THE DIGITAL ECONOMY IN THE YEARS AHEAD WILL BE FOUNDATIONAL FOR PEOPLE'S ECONOMIC FUTURE. WE LED NATIONAL EARNED AND DIGITAL MEDIA ACROSS THESE SECTORS, HIGHLIGHTING THE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS AND ECONOMIC PRECARITY MILLIONS OF FAMILIES EXPERIENCE TODAY.
named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Affordability Framework
Diagnostic tool identifying "broken markets" and "broken incomes" as root causes of the affordability crisis. Informs policy recommendations and is applied through listening tours and expert convenings.
Antimonopoly
Challenges corporate concentration by funding coalitions, organizing leaders, and shaping public debate on antimonopoly policy and its intersection with AI and the digital economy.
BTF Cash: Guaranteed Income
Leads the national movement for guaranteed income through research, coalition-building, public events, and advocacy. Publishes major reports and hosts the Guaranteed Income Now conference.
BTF Shaping Markets
Advances public options in essential markets such as housing, healthcare, childcare, and groceries. Includes the Public Options for America Fund and research on public grocery stores and AI’s economic impact.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Policy Advocacy & Research 2 activities
- Leading national advocacy and public education campaigns on economic securityLeads the national coalition for guaranteed income, hosts the Guaranteed Income Now conference, conducts large-scale research on direct cash transfers, and runs media campaigns and book tours to promote economic policies centered on people. Mobilized over 100 entrepreneurs, activists, and philanthropists to advocate for direct cash payments.
- Supporting cultural change and narrative shift on economic issuesSupports organizing, research, and cultural change efforts to reduce corporate concentration and promote economic fairness, including shifting public narratives about monopoly power and economic insecurity through campaigns and community engagement.
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Child Care and Early Childhood Policy Advocacy 1 activity
- Advocating for expansion of Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax CreditPlayed a key role in designing and promoting the 2021 expanded Child Tax Credit through the American Rescue Plan, contributing to a 50% reduction in child poverty and reduced food insecurity among Black and Latinx families. Advocated for federal legislation including the BOOST Act and LIFT Act to expand the EITC and developed a model EITC policy adopted into those bills.
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Community Capacity Building & Leadership Networks 1 activity
- Building capacity and knowledge sharing in guaranteed income movementConvenes the Guaranteed Income Community of Practice, bringing together hundreds of practitioners and policymakers to coordinate efforts, and advanced a ten-year vision for guaranteed income through a collaboratively built blueprint involving over 1,000 members.
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Housing Policy Advocacy & Tenant Organizing 1 activity
- Conducting research and developing policy frameworks on affordabilityDeveloped the Affordability Framework to diagnose rising household costs by analyzing broken markets and incomes, published "Building Affordability: The Policy Agenda for America’s Housing Crisis," and develops public option models in housing, healthcare, childcare, and food sectors to inform policy solutions.
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Human Rights Advocacy Funding 1 activity
- Funding research and advocacy to combat corporate concentration and monopoly powerSupports empirical research on monopoly power and funds the $10 million Antimonopoly Fund to advance policy efforts addressing corporate concentration. Engages in advocacy by organizing leaders, hosting events like the first Antimonopoly & AI event in Washington, DC, and funding campaigns to ban non-competes for workers.
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Digital Donation Processing Platforms 1 activity
- Providing operational support for organizational functions via contractorsFunds service partners and contractors to maintain websites, process donations, deliver marketing services, and otherwise support core organizational operations.
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Uncategorized 3 activities
- Advancing legislative and administrative action on tax filing accessChampioned the IRS Direct File initiative, advocating for its expansion to 25 states by 2025, enabling free and simplified tax filing for an estimated 32 million taxpayers.
- Funding guaranteed income pilots and direct cash transfer programsProvides grants to support guaranteed income initiatives such as the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED), which delivered $500 per month to 125 families for 24 months, and the Magnolia Mother’s Trust, which provides $1,000 monthly payments to Black mothers in Jackson, Mississippi. Also funded the launch of over 100 local guaranteed income pilots nationwide through a national network.
- Supporting state-level tax credit expansions to boost economic securityFunded coalitions that achieved EITC and Child Tax Credit expansions in multiple states: tripled CalEITC, expanded eligibility ages, included ITIN filers, eliminated income requirements, and established new refundable credits in states including California, Illinois, Washington, New Jersey, and Washington D.C., benefiting millions of residents with hundreds of millions in annual relief.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$14.61M
Contributions & grants$14.47M99%
Program service revenue$2000%
Investment income$137K1%
Other revenue$7K
expenses
Total expenses$10.16M
Program expenses81%
Admin / overhead13%
Fundraising6%
Salaries & benefits$5.45M
Grants paid out$1.67M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$13.02M
Cash$2.67M
Investments$3.04M
Liabilities$1.14M
Net assets$11.88M
Liquid reserves6.7 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +30.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 7
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| NATALIE FOSTER | PRESIDENT | 36 | $322K |
| ADAM RUBEN VICE PRESIDENT | CAMPAIGNS & POLITICAL STRATEGY | 36 | $298K |
| TAYLOR JO ISENBERG | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 36 | $274K |
| CHRISTINE BLITZ VP OF | COMMUNICATIONS & EXTERNAL AFFAIRS | 36 | $236K |
| ANNA C AURILIO | SENIOR DIRECTOR OF CAMPAIGNS | 36 | $235K |
| HARISH PATEL VICE PRESIDENT | BUILD THE FIELD | 36 | $213K |
| TERESA OLLE | DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC SECURITY CA | 36 | $210K |
board members · 4
- AISHA NYANDORO — DIRECTOR
- CHRISTOPHER HUGHES — CHAIR
- DORIAN WARREN — SECRETARY
- FELICIA WONG — TREASURER
relationships · 21
Who they work with
- 501(c)(4) organizations Partner — Shares email addresses with affiliate 501(c)(4) organizations for coordinated communications, advocacy campaigns, event promotion, and program administration.
- Biden administration Government — Collaborated with ESP to craft and communicate the 2021 expanded Child Tax Credit.
- CalEITC Partner — Collaborated to expand the California Earned Income Tax Credit and related tax credits
- Guaranteed Income Community of Practice Network — Collaborative network of over 1,000 members co-developing a ten-year vision and blueprint for achieving guaranteed income in the U.S.
- Guaranteed Income Community of Practice Partner — Coordinated platform for practitioners and policymakers working on guaranteed income, convened by Economic Security Project.
- Kamala Harris Government — Then-Senator whose LIFT the Middle Class Act incorporated ESP's model EITC policy.
- Mayor Michael Tubbs Partner — Collaborated with Economic Security Project to launch the guaranteed income pilot in Stockton, CA.
- Mayors for a Guaranteed Income Partner — Collaborated with ESP to support the rollout of over 100 local guaranteed income demonstrations.
- Michael Konczal Partner — Collaborates on public commentary and analysis of economic policy, including appearances on C-SPAN and media outlets.
- Rashida Tlaib Government — Representative whose BOOST Act adopted ESP's model EITC policy.
- Rep. Rashida Tlaib Partner — Introduced the BOOST Act with support from Economic Security Project.
- Richard Stern Partner — Collaborates on public commentary and analysis of economic policy, including appearances on C-SPAN.
- Sen. Kamala Harris Partner — Proposed the LIFT Act with support from Economic Security Project.
- TechEquity Partner — Collaborates with Economic Security Project on initiatives related to economic security and technology equity.
- Working Families Tax Credit Partner — Supported the creation and implementation of Washington state's Working Families Tax Credit
- academics Partner — Collaborates with academics to advance policy change
- antimonopoly advocates Network — Coordinates with antimonopoly advocates across academic, policy, cultural, and organizing fields to build collective strategy.
- culture makers Partner — Collaborates with cultural influencers to advance policy change
- donors Partner — Collaborates with donors to advance policy change
- organizers Partner — Collaborates with organizers to advance policy change
- practitioners Partner — Collaborates with practitioners to advance policy change
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Coalition-Driven Movement Building for Systemic Reformmethodology: movement_buildingBy convening cross-sector coalitions and building coordinated hubs for antimonopoly and cash advocacy, the organization amplifies political will and transforms emerging ideas into policy, because broad-based alliances across labor, racial justice, and grassroots groups create durable power for structural change.
- Integrated Evidence and Lived Experience in Policy Designmethodology: evidence_and_lived_experienceBy grounding policy advocacy in both empirical research and lived experience — such as insights from the Affordability Tour and community listening — policies become more responsive and effective, because integrating real-world conditions increases legitimacy, relevance, and equity in design.
- Public Options to Correct Market Failuresmethodology: public_optionsBy establishing public options in essential markets like housing, healthcare, childcare, and food, the organization seeks to reduce unaffordability caused by broken markets, because publicly operated alternatives can increase competition, lower prices, and shift power toward consumers and workers.
- Unconditional Cash Transfers for Economic Stabilitymethodology: unconditional_cash_transfersBy providing unconditional, automatic monthly cash transfers through tax credits, individuals gain foundational financial stability, which enables greater autonomy and long-term planning, because direct cash — free from restrictions and administrative barriers — addresses income volatility at its root.