InfluenceWatch, a project of Capital Research Center, is a comprehensive and evolving compilation of our research on the numerous interest groups, foundations and donors that seek to influence the political process. The site provides transparency into the funding, motives and connections of these influencers while offering insights often neglected by other watchdog groups.
The information compiled in InfluenceWatch provides news organizations and other interested parties with research they can use to report on important issues that are often overlooked by the American public.
CRC is pleased to share some of the key additions to InfluenceWatch from the past week:
- The Middle East Institute (MEI) is a think tank that advocates for greater United States engagement in the Middle East. MEI has received funding from left-leaning organizations, including the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Carnegie Corporation, and the Foundation to Promote Open Society. In June 2024, it settled a lawsuit with the Zionist Advocacy Center, which had accused MEI of allegedly misusing Paycheck Protection Program funds.
- Jewish Community Action (JCA) is a faith-based advocacy group that advocates for left-leaning policies on issues such as immigration, education, and criminal justice in Minnesota. JCA’s national partners include the left-leaning Bend the Arc Jewish Action and the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable. Additionally, the organization has joined state coalitions with groups such as the abortion group Pro-Choice Minnesota and the immigration group UnidosMN. In 2023, JCA signed a letter to the United States Congress claiming that members of Congress were endangering the public with their “white supremacist” and “anti-immigrant” rhetoric.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) is a nonprofit organization that provides mentoring programs for children and youth across the United States. BBBSA has received funding to develop left-leaning policies, including a donation from the Starbucks Foundation to develop Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) programs for their local partners. In 2022, BBBSA received a $122.6 million grant from MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
- AFSCME Council 5 is the Minnesota state-level chapter of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) public employees union, which in turn is the largest affiliate of the AFL-CIO. AFSCME Council 5 supports left-leaning policies within the state, such as banning private prisons, expanding unemployment benefits for school employees, and legalizing marijuana use. In 2024, it supported the re-election campaign of U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) through the AFSCME Council 5 PEOPLE Fund.
- The North Carolina League of Conservation Voters Foundation (NCLCVF) is an environmental group that advocates for policies that favor wind and solar energy while opposing the use of conventional fuels and nuclear power. It works with the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund and is part of a network of affiliated organizations that include the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters and Conservation PAC. The NCLCVF has previously awarded grants to left-leaning groups including the Phillip Randolph Institute, the North Carolina Justice Center, and Blueprint NC.
