The Center for Civic Policy, which is at the center of the controversy over campaign mailers one of its groups sent out, has released information about where it gets most of its funding.
A breakdown of most of the center’s 2007 fiscal-year funding was published in a weekend article in the Albuquerque Journal.
The group released information about foundations that have contributed but did not release information about individual contributors. Some have criticized the group for not releasing funding information because it has pushed for ethics reform, including campaign contribution limits, in
The foundations that contributed to the center during the 2007 fiscal year were:
• Panta Rhea Foundation: $110,000
• McKay Foundation: $102,000
• McCune Foundation: $100,000
• Western Conservation Foundation: $90,000
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• Carnegie Corp: $50,000
• Tides Foundation: $50,000
• General Service Foundation: $35,000
• Angelica Foundation: $10,000
• Beldon Fund: $7,500
• S.F. Community Foundation: $5,000
• Brett Family Fund: $3,000
• Fiduciary Trust: $2,500
The center’s budget in 2007 was about $645,000. Of that, the center’s publicly released information accounts for $617,500. Nonprofits aren’t normally required to release such information, but the attorney general contends that the mailers from New Mexico Youth Organized — a project of the center — crossed the line from policy lobbying into political campaigning. The AG has advised the secretary of state to change the group’s status so that it must comply with campaign reporting requirements for political action committees, which would require it to release the names and addresses of donors and the amount each gave.
The group is disputing the AG’s opinion, and the secretary of state has not acted. The release of information about contributing foundations by the center was voluntary.
According to the State Strategies Fund, the center’s budget for the 2008 fiscal year was $1.3 million. The center hasn’t released information about donors for that fiscal year.
Update, 5:15 p.m.
Matt Brix, policy director for the Center for Civic Policy, said the group released the sources behind 95 percent of its funds simply because several journalists requested it.
“Journalists came to us directly and made the requests and so we released the information,” he said.
He said the center will also release its list of fiscal-year 2008 foundation donors in November when it releases an audit that has already begun.
By way of disclosure, I also write for the New Mexico Independent, which is owned by the Center for Independent Media in