Cause of Action Institute
Donations deductibleCause of Action Institute's network
4 people1 organisationi4 people and 1 organisation on this map.The large node is the subject of this page. Solid lines are what the register itself records (4). Violet dotted lines (1) are likely: the same full name sits on the current board of another organisation in the same register and region. Form 990 filings give names without a person identifier; SEC insider filings carry a CIK. It may be a different person.The board
4 listediTime on the board is observed from the annual filings: the IRS files no appointment date, so the bar counts years from the first filing the person appears on - a lower bound, not a filed start date. Names are exactly as filed. The IRS publishes no person identifier, so this edition does not yet link a person across organisations in the tables. The network map shows same-name matches as likely links only, never as confirmed.Time served and departures are observed across annual filings. Observed time served is a lower bound - a member may have joined before the first year on record. The organisation reported 5 voting members of its governing body on its latest Form 990 Part VI, which matches the board listed here.| Name | Role as filed | Since | On the board |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Williams (also filed as Dave Williams) | Director | 2018 | 8 yrs |
| Emily Seidel | Director | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| Kurt Level | Director and Secretary | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| William Burck | Director | 2018 | 8 yrs |
Under 5 years5 to 6 years6 years or more
Officers and senior leadership
9 listediNamed in Part VII as officers, key employees or highest-compensated staff - not board members, shown for completeness.| Name | Title as filed | On the filings |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Varban | Treasurer | since 2019 |
| Alfred Lechner | President and CEO Until 11/1/1 | 2018 |
| Cynthia Crawford | Senior Counsel | since 2018 |
| James Valvo | Executive Director | since 2020 |
| John Vecchione | President and CEO | since 2018 |
| Julie Smith | Vice President | since 2018 |
| Lee Steven | Assistant Vice President | since 2018 |
| Michael Pepson | Counsel | since 2018 |
| Nichole Van Valkenburg | Counsel | since 2018 |
Pay and hours
year to 31 December 2024iFrom Part VII of the Form 990: compensation reported for each officer, director, trustee, key employee and highest-paid staff member, and the average hours a week they report. Most board members are unpaid; a blank means nothing was reported. Pay from related organisations is shown separately.| Name | Title as filed | Hours a week | Pay from the organisation | Related organisations | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Williams | Director | 1 | $13k | ||
| Kurt Level | Director and Secretary | 1 | $0 | ||
| Emily Seidel | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| William Burck | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Alex Varban | Treasurer | 1 | $0 | ||
| James Valvo | Executive Director | 1 | $0 |
About
- Legal name
- Cause of Action Institute
- EIN
- 452805977
- Address
- 4201 Wilson Blvd Ste 1000, Arlington, VA, 22203-4492
- State
- Virginia
- Mission
- Cause of action institute (coa institute) carries out its mission through various strategic litigation, education, and training. (continued on schedule o) (as filed on the Form 990)
- Activity (NTEE)
- R05 Civil rights, social action and advocacy
- IRS classification
- 501(c)03 (tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) where shown)
- Classified purpose
- Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy
- Size band
- 3 (IRS master file code)
- Formed
- 2011
- IRS ruling date
- 1 July 2012
- Status
- Code 01 (unconditional exemption)
- Form 990 filings on record
- 5, latest 2024
- IRS Publication 78
- PC (contributions deductible)
Most connected
Longest observed on the filings
≥8years on the filingsDavid Williams
≥8years on the filingsWilliam Burck
≥7years on the filingsEmily Seidel
≥7years on the filingsKurt Level
Latest return
year to 31 December 2024iFigures from the newest Form 990 or 990-EZ in the IRS e-file releases of 2025 and 2026, for the year ending 31 December 2024. US dollars, as filed.- Total assets
- $79k
- Total liabilities
- $16k
- Net assets or fund balances
- $63k
- Contributions and grants received
- $470k
- Program service revenue
- $0
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 4
Filed finances
1 yeariTotals as filed on the IRS Form 990 (revenue and expenses), by tax year.| Tax year | Total revenue | Total expenses | Surplus or deficit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $470k | $587k | Deficit $117k |
As filed on the IRS Form 990. US dollars.