People's Action
People's Action is a 501(c)(4) national network of 40 state and local grassroots organizations across 29 states that builds political power for poor and working people through issue campaigns, electoral organizing, and direct action, funded by individual donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersChicago, Illinois, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What People's Action does
People's Action is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit national network of 40 state and local grassroots power-building organizations operating across 29 states, formed in 2016 when nine grassroots organizing networks merged. The organization builds political and economic power for poor and working people in urban, rural, and suburban areas through a combination of issue campaigns (housing justice, health care for all, climate justice, and federal funds accountability), electoral organizing through its Movement Politics program (People's Platform, People's Slate, People's Pledge), and direct action via the People's Action Institute sub-brand. The organization reports over one million members, tens of thousands of volunteers, more than 350 movement candidates elected since 2016, and 25 million+ voter contacts during the 2020 cycle.
The organization's core operational infrastructure is the Organizing Revival program, which includes training through the Ella Baker School for Organizing and deep canvassing tools, plus the affiliated OurFuture.org news platform. Technology use is limited to standard advocacy and organizing SaaS platforms — ActionNetwork for petitions and email, Mobilize for events, and DonorSupport for online fundraising — and the source material explicitly identifies the organization as "not a technology company." Products and services are framed as advocacy campaigns, training programs, and electoral endorsements rather than as commercial offerings.
Revenue is generated exclusively through individual donations solicited via the website, ActBlue, and DonorSupport. The organization is headquartered at 1825 K Street NW, Suite 400, Washington DC (with operations in Chicago, Illinois), employs 51-100 staff, and is led by Executive Director Sulma Arias (since 2024), succeeding former co-directors LeeAnn Hall and George Goehl. No financial disclosures, audited financials, or IRS Form 990 data are present in the source material.
People's Action firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- People's Action
- Legal name
- People's Action
- Website
- https://peoplesaction.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- People's Action is a 501(c)(4) national network of 40 state and local grassroots organizations across 29 states that builds political power for poor and working people through issue campaigns, electoral organizing, and direct action, funded by individual donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
People's Action industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Grassroots Organizing and Advocacy
- NAICS
- Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Political Organizations (813940), Social Advocacy Organizations (81331)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Political/GOTV & Advocacy Calling (Campaigns) (BPAAADAK), Nonprofit & Cause Communications (BPAFADAK), Civic Participation & Leadership Development (Voting, Advocacy, Community Leadership) (EDAAADAL)
Keywords
Where People's Action is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago, Illinois
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
People's Action business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: People's Action raises funds through individual donations, primarily via online platforms like ActBlue and DonorSupport. The organization is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that relies on contributions from supporters to fund its organizing activities, campaigns, and advocacy work.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
People's Action product offering
Product offeringCore offering
People's Action is a national network of grassroots power-building organizations that recruits, trains, and mobilizes over one million members across 29 states to win change through issue campaigns and elections. The organization operates advocacy campaigns on healthcare, housing, climate, and federal funding, runs the Movement Politics electoral program, and provides organizing infrastructure (Organizing Revival, training, deep canvassing) to member groups. It is funded primarily through individual donations and operates as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit.
Product overview
People's Action is a national network of grassroots power-building organizations (not a technology company). The organization operates as a platform of interconnected advocacy campaigns and programs: the core Organizing Revival program provides training and infrastructure for community organizing, while specialized campaigns (Health Care for All, Housing Justice, People & Planet First, Leveraging Federal Funds) address specific policy issues. The Movement Politics program supports electoral candidates through the People's Platform, People's Pledge, and People's Slate. The Care Over Cost campaign fights health insurance denials, and People's Action Institute organizes direct actions and corporate accountability campaigns. Member organizations across 29 states implement these programs locally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- People's Action Institute: A division of People's Action that organizes protests and advocacy efforts, including the Take Back Our Money Tour and direct actions against corporations.
- Care Over Cost
- Homes Guarantee
- Organizing Revival
- Movement Politics
- People's Platform
- People's Slate
- People's Pledge
- United Ratepayers
- OurFuture.org
Products and services
- Organizing Revival
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 350 movement politics candidates elected since 2016
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use People's Action
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
People's Action technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
People's Action partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
People's Action competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- State Innovation Exchange (SiX): Progressive state legislator network that coordinates state-level legislative action across states. Comparable on multi-state progressive coordination and policy platform development (akin to People's Platform), but legislator-facing rather than member-facing.
- Dēmos: Progressive policy and advocacy think tank focused on economic and racial justice. Comparable on advocacy issue portfolio (housing, healthcare, democracy reform) but operates primarily through research and litigation rather than grassroots federation.
Direct peers
- Working Families Party: Minor progressive political party with state affiliates running multi-state electoral and ballot-line organizing. Highly comparable on the Movement Politics-style candidate recruitment and progressive cross-state federation model.
- Faith in Action (formerly PICO): National faith-based community organizing federation with state and local affiliates doing relational organizing, voter mobilization, and direct-action campaigns. Comparable federation structure and relational/deep canvassing methodology.
- Community Change (formerly Center for Community Change): National progressive power-building organization supporting a network of state and local affiliates on economic and racial justice. Operates a parallel federation model with shared training, electoral, and issue-campaign infrastructure to People's Action.
- Center for Popular Democracy: Federated national network of 45+ state and local community organizations doing base-building organizing on housing, economic justice, and electoral work. Most direct peer to People's Action in structure, scale, and progressive multi-state federation model.
- MoveOn: Large progressive civic engagement organization with millions of members running petitions, electoral endorsements, and GOTV programs. Comparable on member scale, online advocacy tools, and progressive electoral mobilization focus.
- Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC): Progressive advocacy and electoral organization running candidate recruitment, endorses progressive primary challengers, and online mobilization. Closely comparable on Movement Politics-style electoral strategy and donor mobilization.
Broad incumbents
- NAACP: Large national civil rights organization with state and local branches running voter mobilization, advocacy campaigns, and litigation. Comparable on civil rights and voter engagement mission, with much broader institutional footprint than People's Action.
- Sierra Club: Large national environmental advocacy organization with state chapters running grassroots campaigns and electoral endorsements. Comparable on grassroots federation model and on the climate campaign work People's Action runs through People & Planet First.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
People's Action social profiles
Digital presencePeople's Action financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
People's Action leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
People's Action funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
People's Action M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about People's Action
What does People's Action do?
People's Action is a national network of grassroots power-building organizations that recruits, trains, and mobilizes over one million members across 29 states to win change through issue campaigns and elections. The organization operates advocacy campaigns on healthcare, housing, climate, and federal funding, runs the Movement Politics electoral program, and provides organizing infrastructure (Organizing Revival, training, deep canvassing) to member groups. It is funded primarily through individual donations and operates as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit.
Is People's Action a public or private company?
People's Action is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was People's Action founded?
People's Action was founded in 2016. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is People's Action based?
People's Action is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the North America region.
How does People's Action make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Charitable Contributions.
Who are People's Action's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are State Innovation Exchange (SiX) and Dēmos. Direct peers are Working Families Party, Faith in Action (formerly PICO), Community Change (formerly Center for Community Change), Center for Popular Democracy, MoveOn and Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC). Broad incumbents are NAACP and Sierra Club.
Does People's Action have an API?
No public API is recorded for People's Action.
What industry is People's Action in?
People's Action's product category is Grassroots Organizing and Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAJ, Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy, with a secondary code of BPAAADAK, Political/GOTV & Advocacy Calling (Campaigns). Its NAICS code is 8133 and its SIC code is 8600.