Wonderful work. Horrible leadership. - Anonymous employee Common Cause Employee Review

2.0
Mar 19, 2017
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good benefits. And the issues --- there is no other organization that works on these vital democracy reform with the kind of clout that Common Cause has.

Cons

Leadership at Common Cause is myopic. There is no room to grow. There are few (if any) opportunities to learn. They are constantly laying people off and hiring new staff and then laying those staff off -- so on and so forth. Staff are consumed by how miserable they are and all are constantly on the lookout for a better job. Also, you will be paid in pennies. Unless you are one of their overpaid VPs.

Explore other reviews about Common Cause

5.0
Jan 19, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

Nonpartisan, nonprofit, union, mission driven

Cons

The organization has gone through structural changes an growth that have led to turnover

1.0
Nov 5, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Health insurance is ok, and the union is strong. Make friends with union leadership.

Cons

Common Cause is managed horribly, only cares about what the board wants, and focuses on donations. They are not really concerned about defending voting rights or democracy; if they were, they wouldn't waste so much time and money on campaigns that don't do anything. They just did a huge layoff of staff who have been with the org for 5+ years after bragging about record donations, literally within the same month. Management has no idea what their staff does. I mean this literally. They never give staff directions, so when staff present results, management is confused or unaware of the work being done. They are consistently leaving organizers to fend for themselves without any support. One of their organizers was doxed and harassed by Elon on Twitter, and management did nothing to protect or defend that staff member. The contract workers they treated horribly. They tell contract workers that they will get full-time employment if they perform well, but they don't set them up for success so that they have an excuse not to hire them full-time. Even when they have excellent results, they ignore them.

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