Commonwealth Foundation

The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives is a right-wing pressure group based in Pennsylvania that calls itself a "think tank." Commonwealth says that it "crafts free-market policies, convinces Pennsylvanians of their benefits, and counters attacks on liberty." The Commonwealth Foundation is a member of the State Policy Network (SPN). An August 2013 ALEC board document obtained by The Guardian lists Commonwealth as a "former SPN member," but the SPN website still lists Commonwealth as a full member as of August 2016, and a July 2013 Commonwealth fundraising proposal to Searle Freedom Trust was included in a packet of SPN proposals in August 2013. On its website, the Commonwealth Foundation lists its issue areas as taxes and spending, jobs and the economy, education, energy and the environment, unions and labor policy, accountable government, and privatization.

SPN is a web of right-wing “think tanks” and tax-exempt organizations in 50 states, Washington, D.C., Canada, and the United Kingdom. As of October 2019, SPN's membership totals 162. Today's SPN is the tip of the spear of far-right, nationally funded policy agenda in the states that undergirds extremists in the Republican Party. SPN Executive Director Tracie Sharp told the Wall Street Journal in 2017 that the revenue of the combined groups was some $80 million, but a 2019 analysis of SPN's main members IRS filings by the Center for Media and Democracy shows that the combined revenue is over $120 million. Although SPN's member organizations claim to be nonpartisan and independent, the Center for Media and Democracy's in-depth investigation, "EXPOSED: The State Policy Network -- The Powerful Right-Wing Network Helping to Hijack State Politics and Government," reveals that SPN and its member think tanks are major drivers of the right-wing, American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)-backed corporate agenda in state houses nationwide, with deep ties to the Koch brothers and the national right-wing network of funders.

In response to CMD's report, SPN Executive Director Tracie Sharp told national and statehouse reporters that SPN affiliates are "fiercely independent." Later the same week, however, The New Yorker's Jane Mayer caught Sharp in a contradiction. In her article, "Is IKEA the New Model for the Conservative Movement?," the Pulitzer-nominated reporter revealed that, in a recent meeting behind closed doors with the heads of SPN affiliates around the country, Sharp "compared the organization’s model to that of the giant global chain IKEA." She reportedly said that SPN "would provide 'the raw materials,' along with the 'services' needed to assemble the products. Rather than acting like passive customers who buy finished products, she wanted each state group to show the enterprise and creativity needed to assemble the parts in their home states. 'Pick what you need,' she said, 'and customize it for what works best for you.'" Not only that, but Sharp "also acknowledged privately to the members that the organization's often anonymous donors frequently shape the agenda. 'The grants are driven by donor intent,' she told the gathered think-tank heads. She added that, often, 'the donors have a very specific idea of what they want to happen.'"

A set of coordinated fundraising proposals obtained and released by The Guardian in early December 2013 confirm many of these SPN members' intent to change state laws and policies, referring to "advancing model legislation" and "candidate briefings." These activities "arguably cross the line into lobbying," The Guardian notes.

Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council

The Commonwealth Foundation has ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council through its membership in various ALEC "task forces." Director of Policy Analysis for Commonwealth, Nathan Benefield, is a member of the Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force. Senior Fellow, Rick Dreyfuss, is a member of the Health and Human Services Task Force and policy analyst, Elizabeth Stelle, is a member of the Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force. SPN, of which Commonwealth is a member, is also an ALEC member and has strong historical ties to ALEC -- several historical documents even indicate that ALEC founded SPN. According to an August 2013 ALEC board document obtained by The Guardian, Commonwealth terminated its ALEC membership on March 9, 2013 because, according to an ALEC note, it was considered a "former SPN member... - would like to join again if can fit in budget."

Please see SPN Ties to ALEC for more.

About ALEC

ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our PRWatch.org site.

Ties to the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity

The Commonwealth Foundation started the Pennsylvania Independent, a "statehouse news" publication, in 2010 and transitioned to the ALEC-connected Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity in January 2011. The Franklin Center screens potential reporters on their “free market” views as part of the job application process. The Franklin Center funds reporters in over 40 states. Despite their non-partisan description, many of the websites funded by the Franklin Center have received criticism for their conservative bias. On its website, the Franklin Center claims it "provides 10 percent of all daily reporting from state capitals nationwide."

Franklin Center Funding

Franklin Center Director of Communications Michael Moroney told the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) in 2013 that the source of the Franklin Center's funding "is 100 percent anonymous." But 95 percent of its 2011 funding came from DonorsTrust, a spin-off of the Philanthropy Roundtable that functions as a large "donor-advised fund," cloaking the identity of donors to right-wing causes across the country (CPI did a review of Franklin's Internal Revenue Service records). Mother Jones called DonorsTrust "the dark-money ATM of the conservative movement" in a February 2013 article. Franklin received DonorTrust's second-largest donation in 2011.

The Franklin Center also receives funding from the Wisconsin-based Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, a conservative grant-making organization.

The Franklin Center was launched by the Chicago-based Sam Adams Alliance (SAM), a 501(c)(3) devoted to pushing free-market ideals. SAM gets funding from the State Policy Network, which is partially funded by The Claude R. Lambe Foundation. Charles Koch, one of the billionaire brothers who co-own Koch Industries, sits on the board of this foundation. SAM also receives funding from the Rodney Fund.

Lobbying Activities

According to a report published by Keystone Progress and the Center for Media and Democracy, the Commonwealth Foundation has not reported any lobbying activity "with the commonwealth of Pennsylvania," however they did report "over $87,000 in total lobbying expenditures to the Internal Revenue Service from 2008 to 2011, including $55,655 in 'grassroots lobbying.'" The report also states that according to Matthew Brouillette, President of Commonwealth Foundation, the organization, "lobbies 'indirectly' through research, and advocates for broad issues, rather than for specific policy."

Funding

Keystone Progress and the Center for Media and Democracy reported in November 2013 that Commonwealth Foundation is largely funded by anonymous donors via DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund. These funds create accounts for donors and allow them to manage their money "by telling the organization which non-profits to fund."

According to the Center for Media and Democracy, CF received the following contributions from DonorsTrust and Donors Capital funds between 2008 and 2014:

• 2014:$2,617,800
  
• 2013:$632,500
  
• 2012:$131,000
  
• 2011:$340,500
  
• 2010:$345,000
  
• 2009:$374,000
  
• 2008:$237,000
  

Other identified funders include:

• Allegheny Foundation -$40,000.00 (1991-1994)
• Castle Rock Foundation -$25,000.00 (2011)
• Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation -$90,916.00 (2007-2011)
• Claws Foundations -$65,000.00 (2001-2005)
• Donors Capital Fund -$1,242,800.00 (2005-2011)
• DonorsTrust -$254,500.00 (2009-2011)
• Jaquelin Hume Foundation -$292,561.00 (2002-2011)
• JM Foundation -$100,000.00 (1995-2012)
• Philip M. McKenna Foundation -$1,481,830.00 (1996-2011)
• Scaife Family Foundation -$2,692,000.00 (1995-2011)
• State Policy Network -$149,000.00 (2002-2011)
• The Carthage Foundation -$10,000.00 (1995)
• The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation -$187,000.00 (1990-2009)

Core Financials

2014

• Total Revenue: $3,929,099
• Total Expenses: $3,838,154
• Net Assets: $839,185

2013

• Total Revenue: $2,810,324
• Total Expenses: $2,665,762
• Net Assets: $758,722

2012

• Total Revenue: $1,551,722
• Total Expenses: $1,648,046
• Net Assets: $613,972

2011

• Total Revenue: $1,951,566
• Total Expenses: $1,671,566
• Net Assets: $709,983

2010:

• Total Revenue: $1,369,386.00
• Total Expenses: $1,247,489.00
• Net Assets: $429,983.00

2009:

• Total Revenue: $1,032,887.00
• Total Expenses: $1,125,595.00
• Net Assets: $308,086.00

Personnel

Staff

As of September 2018:

• Charles F. Mitchell, President and CEO
• Nathan Benefield, Vice President of Policy and COO
• Jennifer Stefano, Vice President
• John Bouder, Director of Communications
• Emily Jae, Director of Entrepreneur Engagement, Southeastern Pennsylvania
• Lenny McAllister, Director of Entrepreneur Engagement, Western Pennsylvania
• Abhi Samuel, Director of Entrepreneur Engagement
• Elizabeth Stelle, Director of Policy Analysis
• Liz Vincent, Director of Entrepreneur Engagement, Central Pennsylvania
• Jeremy Baker, Senior Government Affairs Associate
• Marc LeBlond, Senior Policy Analyst
• Dawn Toguchi, Senior Marketing Specialist
• Michael Torres, Senior Communications Officer
• Jessica Barnett, Policy Analyst
• Savanna Faith Cornibe, Hospitality Coordinator
• Andrew Cuff, Manager of Editorial Content
• Catherine Fitzhugh, Entrepreneur Engagement Manager
• Kevin Kane, Entrepreneur Engagement Coordinator, Western PA
• Jordan Pine, Operations Coordinator
• Dennise Zimmerman, Executive Assistant & Contributions Manager

Former Staff

• Matthew J. Brouillette, President and CEO
• Jay Ostrich, Director of Public Affairs
• Amy J. Grimm, Director of Operations
• Katrina Anderson, Senior Policy Analyst and Director of Government Affairs
• Dawn Meling, Director of Community Relations
• Cindy Hamill-Dahlgren, Director of Strategic Communications
• Bethany Wilston, Manager of First Impressions
• Darryl White, Senior Vice President
• Douglas Baker, Vice President of Communications and COO
• Tom Bako, Director of Entrepreneur Engagement
• Gina Diorio, Director of Media Relations
• Elizabeth Stelle, Director of Policy Analysis
• Bob Dick, Senior Policy Analyst
• James Paul, Senior Policy Analyst
• Jonathan Humma, Senior Government Affairs Associate
• Brittney Parker, Senior Entrepreneur Engagement Officer
• Jonathan Reginella, Entrepreneur Engagement Officer
• Debbie Attardi, Executive Assistant

Senior Fellows

As of August 2016:

• Priya Abraham, Senior Fellow
• Emily Kuebler Cox, Senior Fellow
• Richard Dreyfuss, Senior Fellow
• Colleen Hroncich, Senior Fellow
• Gordon Tomb, Senior Fellow
• Robert O'Donnell, Senior Fellow

Former Fellows

• Hon. Jeff Coleman, Senior Fellow
• Dr. Victoria C. G. Coates, Senior Fellow
• Jennifer Stefano, Senior Fellow

Board of Directors

As of August 2016:

• Jane Leader Janeczek, Chairman
• Thomas E. Beach
• George G.H. Coates Jr.
• Robert L. Ecklin, Jr.
• Michael W. Gleba
• W. Kirk Liddell

Directors Emeritus

• Frederick W. Anton III
• Dr. Allan H. Meltzer
• Hon. William W. Scranton III
• Hon. Patrick J. Toomey
• Matthew J. Brouillette
• David E. Barensfeld
• T. William Boxx
• Glen T. Meakem

Contact Information

Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives
225 State Street, Suite 302
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Phone: 717-671-1901
Fax: 717-671-1905
Website: http://www.commonwealthfoundation.org/
Email: info@CommonwealthFoundation.org
Twitter:https://twitter.com/liberty4PA
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/CommonwealthFoundation

Resources and Articles

Related SourceWatch Articles

• State Policy Network:
  • SPN Portal
  • SPN Political Activity
  • SPN Funding
    • SPN 2011 Funding
    • SPN 2010 Funding
    • SPN 2009 Funding
  • SPN Agenda
  • SPN Founders, History, and Staff
  • SPN Members
  • SPN Ties to ALEC
  • Thomas A. Roe
  • Tracie Sharp
  • Byron S. Lamm
  • Roe Foundation
• American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)
  • ALEC Non-Profits
• DonorsTrust
• Donors Capital Fund
• Koch Family Foundations
• Koch Industries
• Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity
• Heritage Foundation
• Think tanks
• Whitney Ball
• Adam Meyerson
• Bridgett Wagner

Related PRWatch Articles

• Brendan Fischer, Why Are the Franklin Center's "Wisconsin Reporter" and "Watchdog.org" Attacking the John Doe?, PRWatch.org, December 19, 2013.
• Rebekah Wilce, The State Policy Network's Cozy Relationship with Big Tobacco, PRWatch.org, December 16, 2013.
• Rebekah Wilce, Did ALEC Found SPN? 1991 Report Suggests So, Exposes SPN Agenda, PRWatch.org, December 12, 2013.
• Rebekah Wilce, Guardian Documents Expose State Policy Network Groups' Intent to Lobby, PRWatch.org, December 5, 2013.
• Rebekah Wilce, State Policy Network: The Stealth Network Dramatically Influencing State Law, PRWatch.org, December 5, 2013.
• Rebekah Wilce, Tracie Sharp: Bursar of Mystery Money and "IKEA Model" Materials to Stink Tanks, PRWatch.org, November 19, 2013.
• Center for Media and Democracy, Reports Expose Extreme Pressure Groups Masquerading as Think Tanks, press release, November 13, 2013.
• Rebekah Wilce, A Reporters’ Guide to the "State Policy Network": the Right-Wing Think Tanks Spinning Disinformation and Pushing the ALEC Agenda in the States, PRWatch.org, April 4, 2013.
• Sara Jerving, ALEC and Heartland Aim to Crush Renewable Energy Standards in the States, PRWatch.org, November 27, 2012.
• Connor Gibson, Meet the Network Hiding the Koch Money: "Donors Trust" and "Donors Capital Fund", PRWatch.org, October 29, 2012.
• Brendan Fischer, Koch-Funded Mackinac Center Brings Wisconsin Act 10 Provisions to ALEC, PRWatch.org, May 2, 2012.
• Sara Jerving, Franklin Center: Right-Wing Funds State News Source, PRWatch.org, October 31, 2011.

External Resources

• Wall Street Journal, The Spoils of the Republican State Conquest, December 9, 2016, archived by CMD here.
• DeSmog Blog, Stink Tanks: Historical Records Reveal State Policy Network Was Created by ALEC, December 9, 2013.
• The Guardian, State conservative groups plan US-wide assault on education, health and tax, December 5, 2013.
• Portland Press Herald, "Washington County residents have mixed reactions to plan to eliminate taxes," December 5, 2013.
• The Texas Observer, "The Money Behind the Fight to Undermine Medicaid," December 5, 2013.
• Media Matters, North Carolina Newspapers Largely Ignore Conservative Funding Of Sham Think Tanks, December 3, 2013.
• Shepherd Express, Masters of Manipulation: Right-wing Billionaires, Corporations and the Bradley Foundation Pay for Junk Studies that Prop up Their Agenda, November 27, 2013.
• "Moyers & Company," How a Shadowy Network of Corporate Front Groups Distorts the Marketplace of Ideas, November 19, 2013.
• MSNBC "Rachel Maddow Show," November 18, 2013.
• Free Speech TV "Ring of Fire," Facebook, Microsoft, AT&T and Others Supporting Right Wing Propaganda Machine, November 18, 2013.
• Topeka Capital-Journal, Trabert dismisses report tying KPI to Koch agenda, November 16, 2013.
• The New Yorker (Jane Mayer), Is IKEA the New Model for the Conservative Movement?, November 15, 2013.
• Salon, Ted Cruz and Koch brothers embroiled in shadowy Tea Party scheme, November 15, 2013.
• St. Louis Business Journal, Beyond Sinquefield: Who else is funding the Show-Me Institute?, November 15, 2013.
• The Guardian, Facebook and Microsoft help fund rightwing lobby network, report finds, November 14, 2013.
• Huffington Post, Meet The Little-Known Network Pushing Ideas For Kochs, ALEC, November 14, 2013.
• CBS St. Louis, Show-Me Institute’s Ties Questioned in New Report, November 14, 2013.
• Talking Points Memo, Florida Conservative Group Helping Muck Up Obamacare In Alaska, November 14, 2013.
• Mint Press News, Reports Reveal SPN’s Secret Corporate Agenda Through Use ‘Expert’ Testimony, November 14, 2013.
• Media Matters, Shadowy Right-Wing Group Generates Media Coverage For Conservative Policy From Coast To Coast, November 14, 2013.
• The Institute for Southern Studies, Are conservative think tanks breaking lobbying laws?, November 14, 2013.
• Nonprofit Quarterly, Corporate Money in Network of Right-Wing State Policy Think Tanks, November 14, 2013.
• The Progressive, Right-Wing Think Tanks Push Privatization in the States, November 13, 2013.
• Politico, Report: Think tanks tied to Kochs, November 13, 2013.
• Lawrence Journal-World, Reports released by progressive groups are critical of Kansas Policy Institute, November 13, 2013.
• Maine Insights, Report: Maine Heritage Policy Center’s funding connection to Koch Brothers, November 13, 2013.
• The Florida Current, Liberal groups bemoan lobbying by conservative think tanks, November 13, 2013.
• The Oregonian, Cascade Policy Institute benefits from secretive donor group but says it operates independently, November 13, 2013.
• Center for Media and Democracy, EXPOSED: The State Policy Network, The Powerful Right-Wing Network Helping to Hijack State Politics and Government, organizational report, November 13, 2013.
• Arizona Working Families and CMD, A Reporter’s Guide to the Goldwater Institute: What Citizens, Policymakers, and Reporters Should Know, organizational report, updated November 13, 2013.
• Progress Florida and CMD, Lawmaking Under the Influence of Very Special Interests: Understand the role of Florida ‘think tanks’ in driving a Koch-fueled, ALEC-allied corporate agenda, organizational report, November 13, 2013.
• Maine's Majority Education Fund, Fooling Maine: How national conservative groups infiltrated Maine politics by founding and funding the Maine Heritage Policy Center, organizational report, November 13, 2013.
• Progress Michigan, Who's Running Michigan? The Far-Right Influence of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, organizational report, November 13, 2013.
• Alliance for a Better Minnesota, Who's in Charge: How Nationalized Corporate-Run Think Tanks Influence Minnesota Politics, organizational report, November 13, 2013.
• Progress Missouri, What Missourians Need to Know About the Show-Me Institute, organizational report, updated November 13, 2013.
• Granite State Progress, Bad Bartlett: The Josiah Bartlett Center and NH Watchdog Answer the Call of the Koch Brothers, organizational report, November 13, 2013.
• ProgressOhio, Smoke Screen: The Buckeye Institute, organizational report, November 13, 2013.
• Keystone Progress, Think tanks or corporate lobbyist propaganda mills?, organizational report, November 13, 2013.
• Progress Texas, TPPF + ALEC, organizational report, November 13, 2013.
• One Wisconsin Now, S is for Shill: Inside the Bradley Foundation's Attack on Public Education, organizational report, November 13, 2013.
• Muncie Voice, Pence and Right-Wing Are Taking Over Public Education, November 13, 2013.
• The Spokesman-Review, Shawn Vestal: Idaho Freedom Foundation pushes limits of word ‘charity’, November 2, 2013.
• AZ Central, When this ‘watchdog’ pitches, taxpayers strike out, October 12, 2013.
• IndyStar, Daniels says speech to partisan group was a mistake, October 10, 2013.
• Muncie Voice, Indiana Policy Review: Not an Independent News Source, October 2, 2013.
• The Spokesman-Review, Idaho Freedom Foundation's charitable status scrutinized, September 15, 2013.
• CounterSpin, Lee Fang on 'The Right Leans In', April 5, 2013.
• FireDogLake, State Policy Network, an umbrella coordinating ALEC, Heritage, Heartland and others, April 4, 2013.
• Thom Hartmann with Lee Fang on MSNBC, The conservative State Policy Network is sneaking into your state & will change America, March 29, 2013.
• Current TV "War Room", Lee Fang discussing the State Policy Network, March 28, 2013.
• The Nation, The Right Leans In, March 26, 2013.
• Democracy Now, Donors Trust: Little-Known Group Helps Wealthy Backers Fund Right-Wing Agenda in Secret, February 19, 2013.
• Paul Abowd, Center for Public Integrity, Donors use charity to push free-market policies in states, Consider the Source, February 14, 2013.
• John R. Mashey, Fake science, fakexperts, funny finances, free of tax 2, DeSmog Blog report, updated October 23, 2012, p. 74.
• Urban Milwaukee, Stealth Conservatives, October 11, 2012.
• Rome News-Tribune, ANALYSIS: Georgia leaders depend on the same well for ideas, October 2012.
• Andy Kroll, The Right-Wing Network Behind the War on Unions, Mother Jones, April 25, 2011.
• Guidestar, State Policy Network, IRS filings and other organizational information about SPN.
• Center for Policy Alternatives, ALEC and the Extreme Right-Wing Agenda, organizational brochure about ALEC and SPN.
• John J. Miller, Fifty Flowers Bloom: Conservative think tanks — mini–Heritage Foundations — at the state level, National Review, November 19, 2007.
• Bridge Project, State Policy Network, online resource listing grants to SPN and SPN's connections to other groups.
• People for the American Way, State Policy Network, RightWingWatch.org, organizational resource.
• Greenpeace, Koch Industries Climate Denial Front Group: State Policy Network (SPN), organizational resource.