COMMON MAPS
Map version new-york activity top-down
Main site Contact
Menu
↑ parent activity group ·
research dossier

DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 521516692 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE F20Z · Mental Health & Crisis Intervention · Large ($10M-$50M) · drugpolicy.org
revenue
$12.0M
expenses
$12.0M
net assets
$16.0M
employees
53
volunteers
13
program ratio
83%
mission · from form 990

THE DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE ("DPA") ADDRESSES THE HARMS OF DRUG USE AND DRUG CRIMINALIZATION THROUGH POLICY SOLUTIONS, ORGANIZING, AND PUBLIC EDUCATION. WE ADVOCATE FOR A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO DRUGS THAT PRIORITIZES HEALTH AND COMMUNITY WELLBEING. WE OPPOSE PUNITIVE APPROACHES THAT DESTABILIZE PEOPLE, BLOCK ACCESS TO CARE, AND DRAIN COMMUNITIES OF RESOURCES. WE BELIEVE THAT THE REGULATION OF DRUGS SHOULD BE GROUNDED IN EVIDENCE. IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER MOVEMENTS, WE ADVANCE JUSTICE AND SAVE LIVES.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) works to end the harms of drug criminalization by advocating for evidence-based, health-centered drug policies. It focuses on decriminalization, racial justice, harm reduction, and regulatory reform, particularly in cannabis policy. DPA engages in public education, policy advocacy, and movement-building across the United States to shift drug regulation from punishment to public health.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $3.68M
    ADVANCING JUSTICE THROUGH CANNABIS REGULATION THE MOVEMENT FOR CANNABIS LEGALIZATION HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY, BUT THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE SUFFERED THE MOST UNDER DECADES OF PROHIBITION ARE NOT BENEFITING FROM THE LEGAL INDUSTRY AT THE SCALE NEEDED TO REPAIR THE HARM. DPA SUPPORTS AN APPROACH TO LEGALIZATION THAT CENTERS COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT AND REDUCES THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF THE COMMERCIAL MARKET. RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE: - INFLUENCING THE DEBATE ON DESCHEDULING CANNABIS ON THE FEDERAL LIST OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES AND ENDING PROHIBITION MORE BROADLY- DEFENDING JUSTICE PROVISIONS OF STATE LAWS - STRENGTHENING EDUCATION RESOURCES FOR YOUTH AND PARENTS- ADVANCING CONSUMER SAFETY MEASURES
  2. #2 $2.80M
    PROMOTING FAMILY SAFETY AND ECONOMIC SECURITY THE DRUG WAR IMPACTS MANY ASPECTS OF OUR LIVES BEYOND THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM. SURVEILLANCE, NONCONSENSUAL DRUG TESTING, MANDATORY REPORTING, AND ZERO TOLERANCE SEPARATES FAMILIES, MAKES PEOPLE HOMELESS, AND FUELS INTERGENERATIONAL POVERTY. DPA SEEKS TO ELIMINATE THESE CIVIL PUNISHMENTS THAT CAUSE SO MUCH HARM AND HAVE NO GROUNDING IN EVIDENCE. RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE:- PROMOTING REFORMS TO ENSURE PEOPLE WITH CERTAIN DRUG CONVICTIONS CAN ACCESS NUTRITION BENEFITS AND PROTECTIONS UNDER THE FAIR HOUSING ACT- EDUCATING THE FIELD AND THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE NEED TO STOP NON-CONSENSUAL DRUG TESTING OF PEOPLE IN THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Advancing Justice Through Cannabis Regulation
Advocates for equitable cannabis legalization that prioritizes community reinvestment, racial justice, and consumer safety; works to influence federal descheduling and defend equity provisions in state laws.
Advocacy Grants Program
Provides financial and technical support to state-based and national organizations working on drug policy reform, decarceration, bail reform, policing, and anti-racism initiatives.
International Drug Policy Reform Conference
Hosts a biennial conference to convene advocates, researchers, and policymakers in the global drug reform movement; paused during the pandemic but historically a key organizing event.
Promoting Family Safety and Economic Security
Seeks to eliminate civil penalties tied to drug use such as loss of nutrition benefits, housing discrimination, and non-consensual drug testing, particularly in healthcare and child welfare systems.
Treating Drug Use as a Health Issue
Pushes to end criminal penalties for drug possession and expand access to harm reduction services, including overdose prevention centers and naloxone; campaigns for federal and state funding shifts from punishment to health.
activities · 3 groups

What they do

  • Substance Use Policy Advocacy & Public Education 5 activities
    • Advocating for federal and state drug policy reform
      Leads advocacy campaigns to end drug prohibition, including federal descheduling of cannabis via the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, repeal of marijuana prohibition, and implementation of decriminalization policies such as Oregon’s Measure 110. Works to advance consumer safety in legal cannabis markets and defend racial equity provisions in state legalization laws like New York’s.
    • Advocating for public health approaches to drug use
      Promotes health-based solutions to reduce harms associated with fentanyl and other drugs, including expanded access to addiction treatment, harm reduction services, overdose prevention centers, and safer drug supply programs. Advocates for replacing criminalization with public health strategies that prioritize community well-being.
    • Developing tools and resources to advance drug policy reform
      Created a messaging playbook to improve public understanding of evidence-based solutions to homelessness, addiction, and mental health, and developed an interactive map to explore state-level drug laws and health outcomes.
    • Monitoring and analyzing drug policy developments
      Produces and distributes updates on local, national, and international drug policy reforms. Maintains a tracker monitoring federal budget cuts impacting addiction treatment and overdose prevention services.
    • Supporting civic engagement and public education on drug policy
      Hosts policy briefing calls for members, provides opportunities for member input on advocacy initiatives, and educates voters and the public about drug policy issues using facts, evidence, and personal stories. Strengthens education resources for youth and parents.
  • Criminal Justice Policy Advocacy 1 activity
    • Conducting and publishing research on drug policy
      Produces reports and data-driven analysis on drug policy issues, including state-level drug possession laws, arrest and overdose rates, high-THC marijuana products, and the intersection of immigration and drug enforcement. Co-published a report with Human Rights Watch on the war on immigrants within the U.S. war on drugs.
  • General Operating Support Grants 1 activity
    • Funding organizations working on drug policy reform
      Funds approximately 40–42 organizations annually through its grants programs, disbursing around $1 million per year across advocacy and special opportunities grants. In recent reporting, supported 39 organizations via advocacy grants ($750,000) and around 20 via special opportunities grants ($300,000+).
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$11.95M
Contributions & grants$11.70M98%
Program service revenue$136K1%
Investment income$114K1%
Other revenue$6K
expenses
Total expenses$12.01M
Program expenses83%
Admin / overhead4%
Fundraising13%
Salaries & benefits$6.24M
Grants paid out$598K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$18.21M
Cash$3.82M
Investments$493K
Liabilities$2.23M
Net assets$15.99M
Liquid reserves4.3 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -9.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 7
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
KASSANDRA FREDERIQUE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $323K
PAUL DANA MANAGING DIRECTOR, DEV. & POL. STRATEGY 40 $286K
LINDSAY LASALLE MANAGING DIRECTOR, POLICY 40 $262K
BRIAN PACHECO MANAGING DIRECTOR, COMMS & MARKETING 40 $240K
LIBERO DELLA PIANA MANAGING DIRECTOR, ORG & STRATEGIC 40 $234K
JULES NETHERLAND MANAGING DIRECTOR, DRAE 40 $225K
MELISSA GARCIA CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER 40 $122K
board members · 13
  • ALEJANDRO MADRAZO — DIRECTOR
  • ALEX SOROS — DIRECTOR
  • ANTONIA WALTERS — TREASURER
  • DEREK OSCAR HODEL — PRESIDENT
  • HELENA HANSEN — DIRECTOR
  • HILDA VEGA — DIRECTOR
  • JOSIAH RICH MD — DIRECTOR
  • JUAN CARTAGENA — DIRECTOR
  • KEMBA SMITH PRADIA — DIRECTOR
  • LETICIA PEGUERO — DIRECTOR
  • MARY BASSETT — DIRECTOR
  • PAMELA G LICHTY — SECRETARY
  • SVANTE MYRICK — DIRECTOR
relationships · 7

Who they work with

  • Drug Policy Foundation Partner — Merged with The Lindesmith Center in 2000 to form the Drug Policy Alliance.
  • Human Rights Watch Partner — Co-produced a report titled "Disrupt and Vilify: The War on Immigrants Inside the U.S. War on Drugs."
  • Human Rights Watch Partner — Co-published a report on the intersection of immigration enforcement and the war on drugs.
  • Mississippi Department of Health Government — Source of data on drug offense arrests in Mississippi in 2019
  • National Institutes of Health Government — Advocates for sustained NIH funding to support public health research on the overdose crisis.
  • Open Society Institute Funder — Provided initial support for The Lindesmith Center, which later became part of the Drug Policy Alliance.
  • Reform Conference Partner — Hosts and collaborates with stakeholders through the Reform conference to advance drug policy change.
strategies · 5

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.

  • Community-Informed Advocacy and Movement Building
    methodology: movement_building
    By centering directly impacted communities in shaping policy reform and building broad coalitions across advocates, researchers, and policymakers, the organization increases legitimacy and effectiveness of change efforts, because sustainable policy transformation requires grassroots power and lived experience.
  • Equity-Centered Legalization and Community Reinvestment
    methodology: equity-centered_legalization
    By advocating for marijuana legalization policies that prioritize racial justice, equity, and reinvestment in communities most harmed by the War on Drugs, the organization seeks to repair systemic harms and prevent corporate capture, because traditional legalization models replicate inequities and deepen commercial exploitation.
  • Harm Reduction Through Safer Supply and Supervised Use
    methodology: harm_reduction_via_overdose_prevention_centers
    By regulating the drug supply and providing safer alternatives — including through overdose prevention centers — the organization prevents overdose deaths and connects people to care, because an unregulated toxic supply is a primary driver of mortality and stigma blocks access to treatment.
  • Public Health Over Punishment
    methodology: public_health_over_punishment
    By replacing criminal penalties for drug possession with public health services, harm reduction, and recovery support, the organization aims to reduce overdose deaths and improve community well-being, because punitive systems exacerbate health disparities and fail to address root causes of substance use.
  • Stigma Reduction Through Public Education
    methodology: public_education_for_stigma_reduction
    By replacing misinformation with evidence and personal narratives in public discourse, the organization shifts cultural attitudes and enables policy reform, because stigma is a root barrier to compassionate, effective drug policies.