Common Future
Common Future is a California-based nonprofit systems catalyst founded in 2001 that supports economic justice organizations through capital deployment, power-building programs, narrative campaigns, and a 73,000+ member Futurists online community focused on transforming the economy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersOakland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Common Future does
Common Future is a California-based nonprofit organization founded in 2001 that operates as a systems catalyst in the economic justice field. The organization's stated mission is to rebuild an economy that includes everyone by investing in solutions that challenge who the economy serves and who it excludes. It serves three primary stakeholder groups: (1) economic justice organizations and community-rooted enterprises, particularly those led by and serving Black communities; (2) municipal governments and cities with a long history of community-centered economies; and (3) a broad base of over 73,000 individuals engaged through its Futurists online community.
Common Future delivers its work through an integrated portfolio of programs rather than technology products. The Community Credit Lab deploys capital and back-office support to economic justice organizations; the Build Power and Influence program equips community-rooted organizations with resources for systemic justice work; and the Create New Narratives initiative develops storytelling campaigns to shift public understanding of economic justice. The organization also publishes research products such as Legacy Lab, a report on building Black community-rooted enterprise. Notably, Common Future does not develop proprietary technology and explicitly does not operate as a SaaS or technology company.
Common Future's business model is that of a 501(c)-style nonprofit funded primarily through philanthropic donations and grants from individual donors and institutional foundations. The organization emphasizes that many of its funders provide flexible, unrestricted capital, which it states enables nimbleness and rapid response to emerging opportunities. Revenue is generated through donation channels, programmatic grants, and partnerships. The organization operates from a headquarters in San Francisco (2261 Market St., STE #10410) with a contact address in Oakland (2323 Broadway), and currently employs between 11 and 50 staff. Following a 2026 leadership transition, the organization is co-led by Co-CEOs Jennifer and Jess.
Common Future firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Common Future
- Legal name
- Common Future
- Website
- https://commonfuture.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Common Future is a California-based nonprofit systems catalyst founded in 2001 that supports economic justice organizations through capital deployment, power-building programs, narrative campaigns, and a 73,000+ member Futurists online community focused on transforming the economy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Common Future industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Economic Justice Advocacy
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Nonprofit & Cause Communications (BPAFADAK)
Keywords
Where Common Future is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Common Future business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Philanthropic Donations and Grants: Common Future operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations and grants from individual donors and institutional foundations. The organization emphasizes that many of their funders provide flexible, unrestricted capital, which enables them to act decisively and support underrecognized grassroots actors.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Common Future product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Common Future operates as a nonprofit systems catalyst that invests capital and provides back-office support to economic justice organizations, equips community-rooted organizations with resources to build systemic power and influence, and develops narrative campaigns that shift public understanding of economic justice. The organization also partners with cities to experiment with cooperative business ecosystems and runs the Futurists online community of over 73,000 individuals engaged in economic justice work.
Product overview
Common Future is a nonprofit systems catalyst (not a traditional SaaS product) operating as a unified organization rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its core programs include: Community Credit Lab (capital investment and back-office support for economic justice organizations), Build Power and Influence (resources for systemic justice), Create New Narratives (storytelling and campaigns), and Futurists (an online community platform of 73,000+ members). The organization also publishes research products like Legacy Lab. These offerings function as an integrated portfolio of programs that work together to reshape economic conditions toward equity.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Futurists: An online community of over 73,000 people who care about economic justice
- Community Credit Lab
- Legacy Lab
Products and services
- Community Credit Lab
Quantifiable outcome
- Online community of over 73,000 Futurists engaging with economic justice
Companies that use Common Future
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Common Future technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Common Future partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Common Future competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PolicyLink: PolicyLink is a national research and action institute advancing racial and economic equity, making it a direct peer to Common Future's economic justice mission, narrative strategy, and multi-stakeholder model engaging communities, funders, and local governments.
- Movement for Black Lives (M4BL): M4BL is a network of organizations creating a shared vision and strategy to win policy changes for Black communities, directly comparable to Common Future's community-rooted organizing, narrative work, and economic justice focus on Black communities.
- Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): LISC is a national nonprofit that invests in community development and economic justice initiatives, comparable to Common Future's Community Credit Lab and city partnerships that deploy capital and support to community-rooted organizations.
- Roosevelt Institute: Roosevelt Institute is a think tank driving ideas and policies to build a more equitable economy, making it a direct peer in producing economic justice research, narrative campaigns, and policy advocacy similar to Common Future's Create New Narratives work.
- National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC): NCRC works to end discriminatory lending and expand fair access to credit for low-income communities, overlapping with Common Future's Community Credit Lab and city-level cooperative economic ecosystem work.
Broad incumbents
- Ford Foundation: Ford Foundation is a major global philanthropy with significant economic justice and racial equity programming, making it a broader incumbent that funds and shapes much of the same field Common Future operates in, and a potential funder or partner.
- The Kresge Foundation: Kresge is a major U.S. foundation that invests in equitable cities and economic opportunity, overlapping with Common Future's economic justice work and likely a peer in the funding ecosystem for similar grantees.
- Aspen Institute: The Aspen Institute operates programs on economic opportunity, racial equity, and inclusive economic growth through thought leadership and convenings, overlapping with Common Future's narrative and field-building work targeting economic justice.
- Surdna Foundation: Surdna Foundation funds racial equity, sustainable communities, and inclusive economy work, making it a comparable foundation peer and likely funder/partner of organizations in Common Future's ecosystem.
- Emerson Collective: Emerson Collective is an impact organization investing in economic and social mobility, education, and justice initiatives, broadly comparable to Common Future as a non-traditional impact organization in the economic justice space.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Common Future social profiles
Digital presenceCommon Future financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Common Future leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Common Future funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Common Future M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Common Future
What does Common Future do?
Common Future operates as a nonprofit systems catalyst that invests capital and provides back-office support to economic justice organizations, equips community-rooted organizations with resources to build systemic power and influence, and develops narrative campaigns that shift public understanding of economic justice. The organization also partners with cities to experiment with cooperative business ecosystems and runs the Futurists online community of over 73,000 individuals engaged in economic justice work.
Is Common Future a public or private company?
Common Future is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Common Future founded?
Common Future was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Common Future based?
Common Future is headquartered in Oakland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Common Future make money?
One revenue line is on record: philanthropic Donations and Grants.
Who are Common Future's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PolicyLink, Movement for Black Lives (M4BL), Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Roosevelt Institute and National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC). Broad incumbents are Ford Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, Aspen Institute, Surdna Foundation and Emerson Collective.
Does Common Future have an API?
No public API is recorded for Common Future.
What industry is Common Future in?
Common Future's product category is Nonprofit Economic Justice Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIACAN, Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local), with a secondary code of BPAFADAK, Nonprofit & Cause Communications. Its NAICS code is 813410 and its SIC code is 8600.