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| Center for Responsive Politics | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Washington, D.C. |
| Type: | 501(c)(3) |
| Affiliation: | Nonpartisan |
| Top official: | Sheila Krumholz, Executive Director |
| Founder(s): | Frank Church, Hugh Scott, Peter Fenn and Ellen Miller |
| Year founded: | 1983 |
| Website: | Official website |
| Promoted policies | |
| Campaign finance regulation | |
| Budget | |
| 2013: | $1,726,112 |
| 2012: | $1,923,378 |
| 2011: | $1,446,658 |
| 2010: | $444,575 |
Contents
- 1 Mission
- 2 History
- 3 Work
- 3.1 OpenData Initiative
- 3.2 OpenSecrets Blog
- 4 Board members
- 5 Finances
- 6 Recent news
- 7 See also
- 8 External links
- 9 Footnotes
The Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that tracks money in American politics through its website OpenSecrets.org. The organization assembles and publishes vast amounts of data on campaign finance, political contributions, special interest group spending, lobbying and the personal finances of government officials. In addition to hosting numerous free databases, OpenSecrets.org features a blog that publishes news and analysis on campaign finance and government accountability.[1]
Mission
CRP has the following mission:[1]
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History
The Center for Responsive Politics was founded in 1983 by former U.S. Senators Frank Church (D-Idaho) and Hugh Scott (R-Pa.).[3] Co-founders included Democratic strategist Peter Fenn, Church's former Washington Chief of Staff and the organization's first Executive Director, and Ellen Miller, who later helped to found the government accountability nonprofits Public Campaign and Sunlight Foundation.[4][5] Frank Church's wife Bethine served as President of CRP at one time.[6]
From 1983 until 1996, the organization's work on money in federal politics was published in books and research papers. In 1990 and 1992, CRP published editions of Open Secrets, a book that analyzed PAC contributions for every member of Congress as well as the spending patterns of interest groups and major industries. The 1992 edition also included an analysis of large individual donations.[3]
After the 1996 elections, CRP launched OpenSecrets.org, which hosted online contribution profiles for every federal candidate in the 1998 election cycle. Since then, the group has continued to add new features and types of data to its site. In addition to contribution profiles of candidates, PACs, nonprofits and special interest groups, the center compiles data about federal lobbying and the personal finances of federal officials such as members of Congress and the president.[3]
Work
OpenSecrets.org features data on campaign contributions, independent expenditures, lobbying and much more.
OpenData Initiative
CRP launched the "OpenData Initiative" in 2009 to make its data archives more widely available and easier to use. OpenSecrets.org features online software for analyzing and presenting CRP data as well as tools for developers and content producers. All of the center's data is free to download and use for non-commercial purposes, as long as the organization is properly credited.[7]
OpenSecrets Blog
OpenSecrets.org features a blog where the center's journalists and researchers publish news articles and editorials about politics, campaign finance, lobbying and government accountability. These pieces frequently include analysis of CRP data.[3]
Board members
The Board of Directors of the Center for Responsive Politics includes the following individuals:[8]
- Sonia Jarvis (Chair), Visiting Professor of Equality and Justice in America, Baruch College School of Public Affairs, City University of New York
- John A. Jenkins, former President & Publisher Emeritus, CQ Press
- Charles Lewis, Professor of Journalism, American University School of Communication; Founder, Center for Public Integrity
- Larry Makinson, former Executive Director, Center for Responsive Politics
- Nick Penniman, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Issue One
- John Purcell, media and public advocacy consultant
- Frank P. Reiche, Attorney, Archer & Greiner; former FEC Commissioner; former Chairman, New Jersey Election Commission
- Robert A. Weinberger, Senior Fellow, Aspen Institute Initiative on Financial Security, former Vice President for Government Relations, H&R Block
Finances
The following is a breakdown of the Center for Responsive Politics' revenue and expenses for the 2010-2013 fiscal years:
| Annual revenue and expenses for the Center for Responsive Politics, 2010-2013[9] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tax Year | Total Revenue | Total Expenses |
| 2013 | $1,726,112 | $1,414,376 |
| 2012 | $1,923,378 | $1,273,029 |
| 2011 | $1,446,658 | $1,263,832 |
| 2010 | $444,575 | $1,221,502 |
The Center for Responsive Politics is funded by grants and individual contributions and does not accept funding from corporations, trade associations or labor unions. Major donors to CRP include:[10]
- Rita Allen Foundation
- Bauman Foundation
- Cloud Mountain Foundation
- The Collingwood Foundation
- craigslist Charitable Fund
- Ford Foundation
- William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
- MacArthur Foundation
- C. Jay Moorhead Foundation
- Open Society Foundations
- Park Foundation, Inc.
- Robidoux Foundation
- Rockefeller Brothers Fund
- Sandpiper Fund
- Zankel Fund
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms CenterforResponsivePoliticsOpenSecrets. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Campaign finance regulation
- Lobbying
- 501(c)(3)
- Nonprofit organization
External links
- OpenSecrets.org
- RSS feed
- Nonprofit data:
- Social media:
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Center for Responsive Politics, "Our Mission: Inform, Empower & Advocate," accessed June 23, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 CRP, "About the Site," accessed June 24, 2015
- ↑ FennDaily, "About Peter," accessed June 30, 2015
- ↑ Sunlight Foundation, "Ellen Miller," accessed June 30, 2015
- ↑ The Wilderness Society, "Bethine Church," accessed June 30, 2015
- ↑ CRP, "Create tools to empower citizens," accessed June 29, 2015
- ↑ CRP, "Board of Directors," accessed June 23, 2015
- ↑ CRP, "Financial Information," accessed June 23, 2015
- ↑ CRP, "Foundation Funders," accessed June 23, 2015
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