Jonah Patel
OpenSecrets is a nonpartisan, independent, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. It was created from the 2021 merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP), both of which tracked data on campaign finance in the United States. OpenSecrets is 100% funded by donors and publishes data on campaign finance and lobbying, including a revolving door database that documents individuals who have worked in both the public sector and lobbying firms.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Organization | Nonprofit |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Funding | 100% funded by donors |
| Mission | To track the flow of money in American politics and provide data and analysis to strengthen democracy |
| Data Sources | Federal and state governments |
| Notable Investigations | Carolina Rising, Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign |
| Notable Donors | Carnegie Corporation of New York, Democracy Fund, the Hewlett Foundation, Google, Open Society Foundations |
| Website | OpenSecrets.org |
| Year Established | 1983 |
| Previous Name | Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) |
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What You'll Learn
- OpenSecrets is a nonpartisan, independent, nonprofit organisation
- It tracks money in US politics and its effect on elections and public policy
- It was created from the 2021 merger of the Center for Responsive Politics and the National Institute on Money in Politics
- OpenSecrets is 100% funded through donations
- It has been operating since 1983
OpenSecrets is a nonpartisan, independent, nonprofit organisation
As a nonpartisan organisation, OpenSecrets provides a trusted source of information on money in American politics. The organisation collects, cleans, and publishes data on campaign finance and lobbying, including a revolving door database that documents individuals who have worked in both the public sector and lobbying firms and may have conflicts of interest. This data is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License by OpenSecrets.org, and it is available for the public to access and use without charge.
OpenSecrets is funded entirely by donations from individuals and grants from private foundations. The organisation does not receive any government funding and relies solely on the financial support of its donors. Since 2020, the largest donors have included the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Democracy Fund, the Hewlett Foundation, Google, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.
OpenSecrets' mission is to track the flow of money in American politics and provide data and analysis to strengthen democracy. The organisation believes in the power of collaboration to drive meaningful change and works with media outlets, journalists, and other partners to power investigations and original reporting. OpenSecrets also offers a newsletter and other resources to help individuals understand the influence of money on U.S. elections and public policy.
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It tracks money in US politics and its effect on elections and public policy
OpenSecrets is a non-profit organisation based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy. It was created from the 2021 merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP), both of which were organisations that tracked data on campaign finance in the United States. OpenSecrets is funded entirely by donations from individuals and organisations. Since 2020, its largest donors have included the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Democracy Fund, the Hewlett Foundation, Google, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.
OpenSecrets provides data and analysis on the flow of money in American politics, with the aim of strengthening democracy. It offers a searchable database of officials' personal financial reports and information on donors to state legislators, governors, and judicial officeholders. The organisation also publishes data on lobbying activities, including the influence of "dark money" groups that spend millions on elections without disclosing their funding sources.
OpenSecrets' website, OpenSecrets.org, was launched in 1996 and provides users with access to data and resources on elections, politicians, campaign finance, and lobbying. The website features learning tools, analysis, and exclusive data to power investigations by media outlets and journalists. OpenSecrets also produces original reporting, such as uncovering the financial connections between the Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign and the rally that preceded the January 6 Capitol attack.
As a non-partisan and independent organisation, OpenSecrets strives to be the trusted authority on money in American politics. It provides comprehensive and reliable data, analysis, and tools to policymakers, journalists, and citizens. OpenSecrets' vision is to empower Americans with data on money in politics, fostering a more vibrant, representative, and responsive democracy. The organisation believes that transparency and trust in the political process are enhanced by revealing the story of how money is spent and where it comes from.
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It was created from the 2021 merger of the Center for Responsive Politics and the National Institute on Money in Politics
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization that tracks and publishes data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created following the 2021 merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP). Both organizations were committed to tracking data on campaign finance and advocating for stricter regulation and disclosure of political donations.
The Center for Responsive Politics was founded in 1983 by retired U.S. Senators Frank Church of Idaho (Democratic Party) and Hugh Scott of Pennsylvania (Republican Party). The organization is based in Washington, D.C., and is known for being the sole non-profit, non-partisan research and analysis group that comprehensively tracks national campaign finance data. CRP collects, analyzes, and publishes millions of financial records related to campaign contributions and lobbying. It makes its data available to the public through its website, OpenSecrets.org, and social media platforms. CRP also provides training to journalists and non-profit organizations to enhance their understanding of campaign finance data and improve public understanding.
The National Institute on Money in Politics, based in Helena, Montana, was founded in 1991 through a grant from the MacArthur Foundation's Democracy Program to the Western States Center. It is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that documents the influence of campaign contributions on state-level elections and public policy in all 50 states. NIMP traces its roots to the "Money in Western Politics" project, which focused on modernizing election administration, protecting voting rights, reducing partisanship in Congress, and curbing the role of money in politics. The Institute publishes the Follow The Money website, which compiles political funding information from government disclosure agencies.
By merging these two organizations, OpenSecrets combines their expertise and resources to provide comprehensive tracking and analysis of money in politics, including lobbying activities, "dark money" groups, and the influence of industries and special interest groups. The organization is funded entirely by donations from various foundations and individuals. It offers a searchable database, bulk data, and a newsletter to help users track money's influence on politics and strengthen democratic processes.
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OpenSecrets is 100% funded through donations
OpenSecrets is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that relies entirely on donations for funding. It does not receive any government funding. The organization has been operating since 1983 and is based in Washington, D.C.
OpenSecrets is dedicated to tracking the flow of money in American politics and making this data accessible to the public. They believe in the importance of non-partisan, free-to-use information to promote transparency and strengthen democracy. The organization provides data and analysis on campaign finance, political contributions, expenditures, and lobbying activities.
OpenSecrets is funded through a combination of institutional grants, individual donations, and revenue from research fees and data contracts. The organization is grateful for the support of its donors, who share their commitment to shedding light on the influence of money in politics.
Since 2020, some of the largest donors to OpenSecrets have included the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Democracy Fund, the Gaia Fund, Google, the Hewlett Foundation, and the Kaphan Foundation. The organization also receives support from private foundations, with previous major funders including Open Society Foundations, which provided $2.3 million in funding.
OpenSecrets encourages individuals who believe in their mission to consider making a tax-deductible donation to support their work. They are committed to financial transparency and provide a list of their major funders on their website.
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It has been operating since 1983
OpenSecrets has been operating since 1983, thanks to grants from private foundations, contributions from individuals, and revenue from research fees and data contracts. The organisation is 100% funded by donations from various sources, including grants, individuals, and income from custom research and licensing data for commercial use. The Center for Responsive Politics, one of the organisations that merged to form OpenSecrets, was founded in 1983 by retired US Senators Frank Church of Idaho (Democratic Party) and Hugh Scott of Pennsylvania (Republican Party). In the 1980s, Church and Scott launched a "money-in-politics" project, which resulted in large, printed books. Their first book, published in 1988, analysed spending patterns in congressional elections from 1974 to 1986.
The first data was published by the Center for Responsive Politics in 1990, and the website OpenSecrets.org was launched in 1996, making the data more accessible to the public. Over the years, OpenSecrets has developed sophisticated computer systems to collect and process data more efficiently, although some tasks still rely on human talent. The organisation has become a trusted source for money-in-politics data and analysis, cited thousands of times each year by the media, academics, activists, voters, and political professionals.
OpenSecrets' mission is to be the trusted authority on money in American politics and to strengthen democracy by providing comprehensive and reliable data, analysis, and tools to policymakers, storytellers, and citizens. The organisation offers access to state and federal datasets on political contributions, expenditures, personal financial disclosures, candidate lists, and lobbying activities. OpenSecrets also works with media outlets and journalists to provide exclusive data and analysis for investigations and original reporting.
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Frequently asked questions
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. It was created from the 2021 merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP). It is 100% funded by donors and does not receive any government funding.
OpenSecrets is funded by donations from individuals and institutional grants. Since 2020, the largest donors have included the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Democracy Fund, the Hewlett Foundation, Google, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.
OpenSecrets is a nonpartisan research group that tracks money in U.S. politics and its impact on elections and public policy. They aim to provide comprehensive and reliable data to strengthen democracy and make it more responsive to citizens.
