Pamela Armstrong-Pautz
Vice President of Development
Pamela Armstrong-Pautz is the Vice President of Development at the Commonwealth Foundation.
Pam leads the fundraising strategy that fuels the organization’s mission to advance policy change, expand opportunities, and protect freedom for all Pennsylvanians.
Pam brings more than 20 years of nonprofit leadership experience, with a record of building high-performing teams, expanding major gift and foundation support, and designing strategies that drive sustained growth.
Before joining the Commonwealth Foundation, she served as Vice President of Development at Hope Rises International, formerly American Leprosy Missions, where she guided a global team through a brand transformation, launched a five-year digital fundraising strategy, and expanded donor engagement worldwide.
Previously, she served as Executive Director of the North Star Initiative, where she increased revenue sevenfold and spearheaded Central Pennsylvania’s first human-trafficking task force. She also served as CEO of the Integrity for Life Foundation, where she pioneered innovative social enterprises, including Pennsylvania’s first nonprofit grocery store.
Pam holds a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and also serves as a Senior Fellow with the Social Enterprise Group.
Don Kirkland Society: Call
Please give me a call to discuss ensuring a legacy of freedom: Give me a call Topics on this page Liberty…
Media
Read More: Don Kirkland Society: CallGovernment Accountability
Fiscal Earmarks Reduce State Budget Transparency
The 2021–2022 Fiscal Code contains at least $5.5 billion in federal and state funds earmarked for special projects across the state, up from $120 million last year. Most of this…
Backgrounder
Read More: Fiscal Earmarks Reduce State Budget Transparency
Op-Ed: Teacher Sues Union That Demands He Pay Dues For Almost A Year After He Resigned
A Pennsylvania teachers union argues that a teacher who resigned his union membership should pay 'fair-share fees' for the entire year, even though he resigned only a few months in.
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Teacher Sues Union That Demands He Pay Dues For Almost A Year After He ResignedEnergy
Op-Ed: Young Pennsylvanians want to fight climate change. Our leaders want to pretend they are.
Governor Wolf’s push to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is more about appearances than real change. It’s time for Pennsylvania to instate policy that helps the environment, boosts revenue,…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Young Pennsylvanians want to fight climate change. Our leaders want to pretend they are.
Op-Ed: Pennsylvanians deserve maximum wages, not harmful minimum wage mandates
Instead of making workers dependent upon politics for a raise, the government should clear the path for our local economies to grow. This approach to prosperity is real and long-lasting—and…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Pennsylvanians deserve maximum wages, not harmful minimum wage mandatesEnergy
Op-Ed: Wolf climate change plan will kill Pa. jobs
Joining RGGI will hurt our economy. States that participate in the RGGI have seen major decreases in goods manufacturing (down 8.6% from 2007 to 2019) thanks to rising energy costs.
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Wolf climate change plan will kill Pa. jobs
Op-Ed: Lawsuit claiming Pennsylvania has unequal school funding is misguided
If Pennsylvania’s education system prioritized families over bureaucracy, we’d never have to worry about “wealthy” and “poor” districts — or baseless lawsuits — again.
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Lawsuit claiming Pennsylvania has unequal school funding is misguided
Op-Ed: Limited Government Can Make a Comeback in Pandemic Era
States like Pennsylvania are also pushing against unbridled gubernatorial powers. In the past, Republicans and Democrats criticized executive overreach when the opposing party was in power. Both parties, however, rarely…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Limited Government Can Make a Comeback in Pandemic EraEnergy
Op-Ed: In Pennsylvania, Scientific and Economic Realities Unsettle Climate Change Morality Plays
As the economic, legal, and scientific arguments against RGGI continue to gain traction, the fallback position for Wolf is to posture as an advocate for children who will supposedly be…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: In Pennsylvania, Scientific and Economic Realities Unsettle Climate Change Morality PlaysEducation
Concentrating Resources on Failing Systems Instead of Students
The 2021-22 budget has the largest state education funding increase in Pennsylvania history despite public schools receiving over $6.2 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds. The funding increase includes a…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Concentrating Resources on Failing Systems Instead of Students
Webinar Questions
Do you have a question about election integrity for Rep. Seth Grove or the Commonwealth Foundation team? Submit it using the form below. Webinar Questions…
Media
Read More: Webinar Questions
Fox News: Ideology Vs Education in America’s Schools
Jennifer Stefano’s latest piece in The Federalist—I Might Pull My Kids From Public School This Fall For Teaching Them Racism—spurred national news coverage about curriculum taught in public schools.
Media
Read More: Fox News: Ideology Vs Education in America’s Schools
Education Landscape in PA: 2021
Overview There are approximately 1.9 million school-age children in Pennsylvania. Around 75% attend their assigned district school. Nearly 9% attend a charter school and close to 12% attend a private…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Education Landscape in PA: 2021
New Research Shows Pathway to Fiscal Stability for States
July 13, 2021, Harrisburg, Pa. — A new Commonwealth Foundation study investigating the impacts of Taxpayer and Expenditure Limits (TELs) has found that the policies can ward off tax increases…
Press Release
Read More: New Research Shows Pathway to Fiscal Stability for StatesTaxes & Economy
TEL-Tale Heart: Crafting Effective Policies to Reduce Spending
Executive Summary Increases in state spending do not result in greater prosperity for state residents, across an array of measures. In fact, increased state spending can reduce economic growth. Reducing…
Report
Read More: TEL-Tale Heart: Crafting Effective Policies to Reduce SpendingHealth Care
How Pennsylvania Is Progressing in the Race to Rebuild
The 2021 state budget includes some policy changes to spur recovery and better governance, but much more needs to occur.
Fact Sheet
Read More: How Pennsylvania Is Progressing in the Race to Rebuild
My Child Was Saved by School Choice
In April, Sharon Sedlar testified before the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee, sharing her families’ story of school choice, and how cyber charter schools changed her daughter’s educational trajectory. This is…
Commentary
Read More: My Child Was Saved by School Choice
My Child Was Saved by School Choice
In April, Sharon Sedlar testified before the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee, sharing her families’ story of school choice, and how cyber charter schools changed her daughter’s educational trajectory. This is…
Commentary
Read More: My Child Was Saved by School Choice
Standing Up for Students: Jamie Walker
Jamie Walker didn’t mean to become an activist, but now that she’s gotten a taste of what an informed and involved citizen can do, she isn’t ready to stop. Her…
Commentary
Read More: Standing Up for Students: Jamie Walker
Standing Up for Students: Jamie Walker
Jamie Walker didn’t mean to become an activist, but now that she’s gotten a taste of what an informed and involved citizen can do, she isn’t ready to stop. Her…
Commentary
Read More: Standing Up for Students: Jamie Walker
Op-Ed: I Might Pull My Kids From Public School This Fall For Teaching Them Racism
My kids attend one of the highest-rated public school systems in Pennsylvania. I may not be sending them back because of critical race theory.
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: I Might Pull My Kids From Public School This Fall For Teaching Them Racism