California Calls Education Fund

What California Calls Education Fund does

California Calls Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 2009 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The organization operates as a statewide alliance of 31 grassroots, community-based organizations spanning urban, rural, and suburban counties, with the explicit mission of engaging, educating, and motivating new and infrequent voters — particularly young people, communities of color, and poor and working-class neighborhoods — to participate in California's electoral process around progressive fiscal and tax reform. Its primary programmatic vehicles are voter registration, civic education, get-out-the-vote (GOTV) campaigns, ballot measure advocacy (notably Proposition 30 in 2012 and Proposition 47 in 2014), and the broader Million Voters Project coalition which has built a base of nearly 2.1 million supportive voters across 30 California counties since 2015.

The organization does not sell products or technology services; its "platform" is fundamentally human and relational, comprising field organizers, phone/text banking operations, predictive dialer outreach, canvassing, and a regranting program that passes roughly 30% of its $11M annual budget to grassroots alliance members. Its supporting infrastructure relies on standard civic engagement tooling — ActionNetwork for email advocacy and petitions, ActBlue for donations, and social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, YouTube, Flickr) — none of which are proprietary. It shares a sister relationship with California Calls Action Fund, a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization that handles direct legislative and ballot advocacy.

California Calls funds its operations primarily through multi-year foundation grants (the majority of its budget) supplemented by individual donations via ActBlue at $5–$250 levels, with The California Endowment identified as a major recent funder ($897,605 grant in June 2022). The organization is not investor-backed, is not publicly traded, and operates as a mission-driven nonprofit rather than a commercial enterprise. Its scale metrics — 27 staff, $11M annual budget, 14 directly-anchored counties, 30 counties via MVP, and 2.1 million supportive voters — position it as a mid-sized but operationally significant California civic engagement intermediary.

Name

California Calls Education Fund

Legal name

California Calls Education Fund

Website

https://cacalls.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

California Calls Education Fund is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) that coordinates a 31-member alliance of California grassroots organizations to register, educate, and turn out new and infrequent voters — particularly communities of color and working-class neighborhoods — around progressive fiscal and ballot measure campaigns statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Engagement and Voter Mobilization Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)

Keywords

• Civic engagement services
• Voter mobilization programs
• Grassroots organizing
• Community voter outreach
• Progressive coalition building

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants: Majority of funding comes from foundation partners via multi-year grants. California Calls receives support from foundations and engages in regranting - 30% of the $11M annual budget is regranted to grassroots organizations in the alliance.
2. Individual Donations: Individual donor contributions via ActBlue platform. Donation options range from $5 to $250 and recurring donations.
3. Regranting Program: 30% of annual budget ($11M) is regranted to grassroots organizations that do powerful organizing with most impacted communities across California.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

California Calls Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) public charity that engages, informs, and motivates new and infrequent voters in California, particularly young people, communities of color, and poor and working-class neighborhoods. It operates as an alliance of 27-31 grassroots community-based organizations spanning urban, rural, and suburban counties, delivering voter outreach, civic education, grassroots organizing, phone and text banking, canvassing, and policy advocacy campaigns focused on progressive tax and fiscal reform.

Product overview

California Calls Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit civic engagement organization rather than a product company. It does not offer a traditional software product or SaaS platform. The organization operates programmatic initiatives including voter outreach, grassroots organizing, policy advocacy, Get Out the Vote (GOTV) campaigns, and member organization training. Key initiatives include the Million Voters Project (MVP) alliance, We Are California movement, and Schools and Communities First campaign. The organization functions as an alliance of 27 grassroots community-based organizations and does not market or sell software products or technology services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Million Voters Project (MVP) A coalition-based voter engagement program uniting nine statewide and regional networks and 120+ local affiliates across 30 California counties to identify and mobilize supportive voters through coordinated outreach, data, and field organizing. Built a base of nearly 2.1 million supportive voters since 2015.
• We Are California Movement A multi-generational movement program mobilizing Californians across the state to advance common goals around quality education, family safety, and affordable housing.
• Regranting Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% voter turnout rate among identified supporters for Prop 30 (vs 71% statewide average)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, minor and major.

• Million Voters ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Multi-racial, multigenerational alliance of 103 community-based organizations comprising nine community-driven state and regional networks. Since 2015, has collectively built a base of nearly 2.1 million supportive voters and infrastructure designed to win statewide and regional races.
• We Are CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Special project of California Calls Education Fund. Multi-generational movement to mobilize Californians to advance the common dream of a good life, quality education, safety for families, and affordable housing.
• Reclaim California's Future CoalitionflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Coalition of 9 statewide social justice networks and unions that came together to support Proposition 30. Mounted one of the largest community/labor field programs in California history.
• California Calls Action FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner501(c)(4) social welfare organization - sister organization to California Calls Education Fund. Focuses on advocacy in support or opposition to specific legislation and ballot initiatives affecting California's most vulnerable citizens.
• California Common CauseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with California Common Cause and California Business Roundtable in a Ballot Initiative Reform Project to explore reforms to California's state initiatives system (2013).
• California Business RoundtableminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with California Common Cause and California Calls in a Ballot Initiative Reform Project to explore reforms to California's state initiatives system (2013).
• PICO California Action FundmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoined with PICO California Action Fund to form the 'Yes on Prop 47' campaign, contacting over 300,000 voters in the 2014 Mid-Term election.
• San Francisco RisingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of nine social justice groups that came on board as a new California Calls anchor group representing the San Francisco area (2012).
• Strategic Concepts for Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPredecessor organization to California Calls. SCOPE developed regional alliance-building and strategic research approach. Emphasis on job training and career paths as primary strategy for eliminating poverty in South Los Angeles and citywide.
• Action for Grassroots Empowerment and Neighborhood Development Alternatives (AGENDA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPredecessor organization to California Calls. Social justice membership organization focused on creating a vehicle for change for South Los Angeles residents. Convened the Metropolitan Alliance coalition of labor and community organizations. Led to development of the City Jobs Program.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PICO California Action Fund: Faith-based California civic engagement and voter mobilization organization; partnered with California Calls on the 2014 Prop 47 campaign and engages in similar statewide voter outreach to communities of color and low-income voters.
• California Common Cause: California branch of a national civic reform nonprofit focused on ballot initiative reform, voting access, and government accountability; partnered with California Calls on the 2013 Ballot Initiative Reform Project.
• Advancement Project California: California racial justice and civic engagement organization that runs voter outreach, policy advocacy, and coalition-building programs with communities of color, sharing California Calls' grassroots organizing approach.
• Working Families Party: Progressive political organization that mobilizes infrequent and working-class voters around elections and policy; shares California Calls' model of engaging underrepresented voters in progressive causes.
• Voto Latino: National civic engagement organization focused on registering and turning out Latino voters; comparable mission to California Calls' work with communities of color in California.
• When We All Vote: Nonpartisan voter registration and turnout organization founded in 2018; comparable voter mobilization mission and target segments (young people, underrepresented communities) to California Calls.
• Community Coalition (South LA): South Los Angeles grassroots community organizing nonprofit rooted in the same organizing lineage (AGENDA, SCOPE) as California Calls, focused on civic engagement and policy advocacy in communities of color.

Broad incumbents

• ACLU of California: Large statewide civil liberties and civic rights organization that runs voter engagement, advocacy, and policy campaigns across California, overlapping with California Calls on civic participation and progressive policy work.
• MoveOn.org: Large national progressive civic engagement and advocacy platform that mobilizes members around elections and ballot measures, overlapping with California Calls' grassroots organizing and GOTV model.
• Demos: National progressive policy and civic engagement think tank that runs voter protection, civic participation, and fiscal reform initiatives, overlapping with California Calls' voter education and tax/fiscal reform agenda.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CAcalls
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CaliCallsPower
• Facebookfacebook.com/CaliforniaCalls
• Instagraminstagram.com/wercalifornia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-calls

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about California Calls Education Fund