View source for Center for Growth and Opportunity

The '''Center for Growth and Opportunity''' (CGO) at Utah State University is a Koch-funded right-wing [[501(c)(3)]] academic center.

CGO was founded in 2017 after a $25 million [[Koch and Utah State University|Koch-Utah State University]] contract mandated the creation of a new "independent" [[501(c)(3)]] nonprofit organization affiliated with the academic institution.

CGO self-describes as "a platform to connect academic entrepreneurs with today’s most pressing challenges".<ref name=cgoabt>Center for Growth and Opportunity, [https://www.thecgo.org/about/ About], organizational website, accessed February 24, 2021.</ref>

CGO is an [[SPN Members|associate member]] of the [[State Policy Network]] (SPN), a group of right-wing think tanks and politically-active nonprofits.

==News and Controversies==
===Furthering Koch Plans to "Dismantle Protections for America’s Public Lands"===
A 2018 report found CGO's "faculty, fellows and scholars are contributing to national policy research, commentary, panel discussions and congressional testimony supporting public lands privatization and the rollback of environmental protections."<ref name=insidious>Samantha Parsons and Ryan Beam, [https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/publications/papers/Insidious-Gift.pdf "In$idious Gift: How the Koch Foundation’s $25 Million Donation to Utah State University Aims to Dismantle Protections for America’s Public Lands"], report by UnKoch My Campus and Center for Biological Diversity, October 2018, accessed February 25, 2021.</ref> The report also found that the organization was continuing "much of the work of Strata Policy, a Koch-funded, private Utah-based think tank that has vigorously promoted policies to weaken federal protections for America’s public lands in order to dramatically expand fossil fuel development, logging and grazing."<ref name=insidious/> In 2015, "Strata won a contract to promote the 'Transfer of Public lands Act', an attempt to privatize Utah’s public land. This bill was originally co-sponsored by then-Representative David Butterfield, who was also on the board of Strata."<ref name=desmog/>

==="Blurring Private Enterprise With Public Education"===
Utah State University (USU) is a public institution, but the Center for Growth and Opportunity does not have to comply with public records requests because it "is not a USU entity and its employees are not USU employees".<ref name=insidious/> CGO's board of directors, pre-installed as part of the 2017 Koch-USU contract, have veto power over the organization's new hires.<ref name=insidious/><ref name=desmog>Tom Perrett, [https://www.desmogblog.com/2020/09/12/charles-koch-academic-george-mason-utah-state-university "How Charles Koch Is Buying Credibility With Academic Investments"], ''DeSmog'', September 12, 2020, accessed February 25, 2021.</ref> USU faculty has "expressed fear that the CGO is positioning itself to become the next [[Mercatus Center]], a nonprofit conservative think tank based at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia."<ref name=tpcgo/>

===Continuing Research of Koch-Funded Strata Institute===
The Koch-funded think tank Strata Policy "has published research that overlaps with those of academics at Utah State."<ref name=desmog/> In 2018, USU faculty members were concerned "that the arrival of former officials from Strata Policy [at CGO] will mean the center will carry on Strata Policy’s style of research."<ref name=tpcgo>Mark Hand, [https://archive.thinkprogress.org/koch-funded-academics-join-utah-state-university-center-de592401959e/ "New center stokes fears that Utah university is becoming 'Koch U' of the West"], ''ThinkProgress'' May 1, 2018, accessed February 25, 2021.</ref> Strata Policy is closely connected to USU. Overlap between the two "has long made it difficult to tell where one institution began and the other ended, raising questions about the university’s relationship to the Koch-funded think tank. Strata’s reports often featured the logos of both Strata and Utah State or had authors from both institutions"<ref name=insidious/>

Randy Simmons is named as an example of the closeness between Strata Policy and USU.<ref name=insidious/><ref name=desmog/><ref name=tpcgo/>Simmons "is a faculty member at Utah State University, the executive director of the university's Institute for Political Economy (IPE), and also the president of Strata."<ref name=desmog/>

==Ties to the State Policy Network==
The Center for Growth and Opportunity is an [[SPN Members|associate member]] of the [[State Policy Network]] (SPN), a group of right-wing think tanks and politically-active nonprofits. CGO contributed $15,000 to SPN in 2018. {{About_SPN}}
==Ties to the Koch Brothers==
The Center for Growth and Opportunity was created after a $25 million [[Koch and Utah State University|Koch-Utah State University]] contract in 2017 mandated the creation of a new "independent" [[501(c)(3)]] nonprofit organization affiliated with the academic institution. This [https://mk0bahufale3skgkthdo.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2017-Utah-State-University-Agreement.pdf contract] involved Charles Koch partnering with fellow billionaire Jon M. Huntsman, Sr. to expand Utah State University's Huntsman School of Business. Many CGO employees formerly worked at Strata Policy, a Koch-funded think tank closely affiliated with USU.<ref name=insidious/><ref name=desmog/><ref name=tpcgo/>{{#ev:youtube|04hDrkry18k|500|center|"Utah State University Using Koch Grant to Empower Leaders of Tomorrow", Charles Koch Foundation YouTube channel|frame}}
The [[Charles Koch Institute]] contributed $7,500 to CGO in 2018. {{Template:KochConnection}}

==Ties to the Bradley Foundation==
The [[Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation]] contributed [[Contributions of the Bradley Foundation|$30,000]] to CGO in 2018.
{{Bradley}}
==Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council==
A member of CGO attended [[ALEC Non-Profits|ALEC's 2019 Annual Conference]].
{{about_ALEC}}

==Funding==
LPR is not required to disclose its funders but major foundation supporters can be found through their IRS filings. Here are some known contributors:
*[[Charles Koch Institute]]: $7,500 (2018)
*Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund: $4,450,300 (2017, 2019)
*[[Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation]]: $30,000 (2018)
*[[Sarah Scaife Foundation]]: $105,200 (2018)
*[[Searle Freedom Trust]]: $277,700 (2018-2019)

==Core Financials==
<big>'''2019'''</big><ref name=cgo19>Center for Growth and Opportunity, [https://beta.documentcloud.org/documents/20507591-center-for-growth-and-opportunity-2019-990 2019 IRS Form 990], organizational tax filing, November 13, 2020.</ref>
*Total Revenue: $5,494,157
*Total Expenses: $5,215,925
*Net Assets: $3,252,109

'''Grants Distributed'''
*Jon M Huntsman School of Business: $64,900
*NCSL Foundation: $17,500
*Small Business Development of Kiribati: $5,000
*Utah State University Foundation: $316,500

<big>'''2018'''</big><ref name=cgo18>Center for Growth and Opportunity, [https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/20491184/center-for-growth-and-opportunity-2018-990.pdf 2018 IRS Form 990], organizational tax filing, October 22, 2019.</ref>
*Total Revenue: $3.938,548
*Total Expenses: $3,740,654
*Net Assets: $2,973,877

'''Grants Distributed'''
*John M. Huntsman School of Business: $77,400
*[[State Policy Network]]: $15,000
*USU Conference Services: $20,000
*Utah State University Foundation: $222,500

<big>'''2017'''</big><ref name=cgo17>Center for Growth and Opportunity, [https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/20491183/center-for-growth-and-opportunity-2017-990.pdf 2017 IRS Form 990], organizational tax filing, November 15, 2018.</ref>
*Total Revenue: $3,538,684
*Total Expenses: $762,701
*Net Assets: $2,775,983

'''Grants Distributed'''
*Ipop Foundation: $100,000

==Personnel==
===Staff===
As of February 2021:<ref>Center for Growth and Opportunity, [https://www.thecgo.org/about/#staff Staff], organizational website, accessed February 24, 2021.</ref>
*Sarah Bennett, Academic And Student Programs Manager
*Frank Caliendo, Academic Director
*Erica Darley, Human Resources Director
*Eli Dourado, Senior Research Fellow
*Ivan Dubois, Development Director
*Blake Dursteler, President
*Brian Isom, Research Manager
*Brooke Jacques, Graphic Design Manager
*Megan E. Jenkins. Research Director
*Parker Jeppesen, External Relations Director
*Tahra Jirari, Communications Associate
*Christopher Koopman, Executive Director
*Jake Meyer, Research Associate
*Jennifer Morales, Research Associate
*Marc Morris, Senior Communications Director
*Prithvijit Mukherjee, Postdoctoral Research Associate
*Ian Nemelka, Communications Manager
*Lucas Rentschler, Assistant Professor
*William Rinehart, Senior Research Fellow
*Romy Robinson, Events Manager
*Caden Rosenbaum, Technology And Innovation Associate
*Josh T. Smith, Research Manager
*Wesley Smith, Lead Software Developer
*Bethany Spraggins, Salesforce Administrator
===Board of Directors===
As of February 2021:<ref>Center for Growth and Opportunity, [https://www.thecgo.org/about/board-members/ Board Members], organizational website, accessed February 24, 2021.</ref>
*Amy Rees Anderson
*Brian Broadbent
*Derek Johnson
*[[Vernon L. Smith]]

===Editorial Board===
As of February 2021:<ref>Center for Growth and Opportunity, [https://www.thecgo.org/about/editorial-board-members/ Editorial Board Members], organizational website, accessed February 24, 2021.</ref>
*Ted Bolema
*James Broughel, Senior Research Fellow, [[Mercatus Center]]
*Richard Evans
*Robert Krol
*Ian McDonough
*Pia Orrenius
*Lucas Rentschler
*Madeline Zavodny

==Contact Information==
Utah office:<br>
'''Center for Growth and Opportunity'''<br>
3525 Old Main Hill<br>
Logan, UT 84322-3525<br>

Washington D.C. office:<br>
'''Center for Growth and Opportunity'''<br>
777 6th St NW<br>
Washington DC, 20001<br>

EIN: 45-3564310<br>
Website: https://www.thecgo.org/<br>
Phone (General): hello@thecgo.org<br>
Phone (Press): media@thecgo.org<br>

==Articles and Resources==
===Related SourceWatch===
*[[501(c)(3)]]
*[[ALEC Corporations]]
*[[American Legislative Exchange Council]]
*[[Charles Koch Institute]]
*[[Contributions of the Bradley Foundation]]
*[[Koch and Utah State University]]
*[[Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation]]
*[[Mercatus Center]]
*[[Sarah Scaife Foundation]]
*[[Searle Freedom Trust]]
*[[SPN Members]]
*[[State Policy Network]]
*[[Vernon L. Smith]]

===IRS Form 990 Filings===
<div class="docframe">
<big>'''2019'''</big>
<p>{{#widget:Iframe|url=https://beta.documentcloud.org/documents/20507591-center-for-growth-and-opportunity-2019-990|width=350|height=250}}</p>
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<div class="docframe">
<big>'''2018'''</big>
<p>{{#widget:Iframe|url=https://beta.documentcloud.org/documents/20491184-center-for-growth-and-opportunity-2018-990|width=350|height=250}}</p>
</div>
<div class="docframe">
<big>'''2017'''</big>
<p>{{#widget:Iframe|url=https://beta.documentcloud.org/documents/20491183-center-for-growth-and-opportunity-2017-990|width=350|height=250}}</p>
</div>
{{clear}}
==References==
<references/>
[[Category:SPN Exposed]]