Difference between revisions of "Public Interest Institute"

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{{climate change}}The '''Public Interest Institute''' states that it "an independent, non-profit organization. PII researches principles and methods to promote and encourage human rights, economic freedom, economic growth, and the creation of jobs in Iowa. PII also researches issues such as limiting government spending and privatization of government services."<ref>Heartland Institute, [http://www.heartland.org/events/NewYork09/PDFs/NY09Program.pdf "International Conference on Climate Change: Global Warming: Was It Ever Really a Crisis?"], March 8-10, 2009, page 35.</ref>
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The '''Public Interest Institute''' (PII) is a "non-profit, non-partisan, public policy research organization located on the campus of Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa."<ref>Public Interest Institute, [http://www.limitedgovernment.org/about.html "Who We Are"], organizational website, accessed November 2012</ref> The PII researches issues "such as limiting government spending and privatization of government services" as well as "principles and methods to promote and encourage human rights, economic freedom, economic growth, and the creation of jobs... in Iowa."<ref>Public Interest Institute, [http://www.limitedgovernment.org/mission.html "Mission],organizational website, accessed November 2012</ref>  
  
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==Global warming==
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PII is a former affiliate member of the [[State Policy Network]]. 
  
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__TOC__
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==Activities==
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===Publications===
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The Public Interest Institute has a number of different publications that it releases throughout the year, including:<ref>Public Interest Institute, [http://www.limitedgovernment.org/publications.html Publications], ''Public Interest Institute'', 2016.</ref>
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*''Iowa Economic Scorecard''
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*''Limits'
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*''Institute Briefs''
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*''Iowa Transparency Newsletter''
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===Affiliated Websites===
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In addition to managing its website, PII also maintains [http://www.iowatransparency.org/ iowatransparency.org] and [http://www.iowavotes.org/ iowavotes.org].
 +
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===Conference Sponsorship===
 
In 2009 the institute was a co-sponsor of the [[Heartland Institute]]'s 2009 conference for climate change skeptics.<ref>Heartland Institute, [http://www.heartland.org/events/NewYork09/sponsorships.html "Co-Sponsors"], Heartland Institute website, March 5, 2009.</ref>
 
In 2009 the institute was a co-sponsor of the [[Heartland Institute]]'s 2009 conference for climate change skeptics.<ref>Heartland Institute, [http://www.heartland.org/events/NewYork09/sponsorships.html "Co-Sponsors"], Heartland Institute website, March 5, 2009.</ref>
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==Ties to the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity==
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{{Template:Franklin Ties}}
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==Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council==
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PII has ties to the [[American Legislative Exchange Council]](ALEC) through [[Richard Vedder]], a member of their advisory board.<ref>Public Interest Institute, [http://www.limitedgovernment.org/advisory.html "Advisory Board"], organizational website, accessed November 2012</ref> Mr. Vedder is listed as a "scholar" at the [[American Legislative Exchange Council]]<ref>American Legislative Exchange Council, [http://www.alec.org/about-alec/board-of-scholars/ "Board of Scholars"], organizational website, accessed November 2012</ref> and is the recipient of ALEC's Adam Smith Free Enterprise Award.<ref>Independent Institute [http://www.independent.org/aboutus/awards.asp About Us/Awards], organizational website, accessed November 2012</ref>
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Please see [[SPN Ties to ALEC]] for more.
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{{about_ALEC}}
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==Funding==
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The PII is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and does not disclose the source of its funding.  However, the non-profit has received funding from national organizations, including:
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*[[DonorsTrust]] and [[Donors Capital Fund]]: [https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/DonorsTrust_and_Donors_Capital_Fund_Grant_Recipients $25,500] (2010-2011)
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==Core Financials==
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'''<big>2016</big>'''<ref>Public Interest Institute, [paper copy on file with CMD, IRS 990 Form], organizational tax filing, June 5, 2017.</ref>
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*Total Revenue: $175,050
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*Total Expenses: $410,903
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*Net Assets: $6,087,415
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'''<big>2015</big>'''<ref>NonProfit Explorer, [https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/421347192/201621319349300747/IRS990 IRS 990 Form], ProPublica ''Public Interest Institute'', May 10, 2016.</ref>
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*Total Revenue: $438,934
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*Total Expenses: $418,962
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*Net Assets: $6,047,768
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'''<big>2014</big>'''<ref>Public Interest Institute, [http://pdfs.citizenaudit.org/2015_10_EO/42-1347192_990_201412.pdf 2014 IRS 990 Form], ''Public Interest Institute'', October 1, 2015.</ref>
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*Total Revenue: $455,408
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*Total Expenses: $438,344
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*Net Assets: $6,558,008
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'''<big>2013</big>'''<ref>Public Interest Institute, [http://pdfs.citizenaudit.org/2014_12_EO/42-1347192_990_201312.pdf 2013 IRS 990 Form], ''Public Interest Institute'', November 14, 2014.</ref>
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*Total Revenue: $359,217
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*Total Expenses: $428,274
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*Net Assets: $6,505,537
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'''<big>2012</big>'''<ref>Public Interest Institute, [http://pdfs.citizenaudit.org/2012_12_EO/42-1347192_990_201112.pdf 2012 IRS 990 Form], ''Public Interest Institute'', May 13, 2013.</ref>
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*Total Revenue: $472,278
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*Total Expenses: $469,070
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*Net Assets: $6,063,835
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'''<big>2011</big>'''<ref>Public Interest Institute, [http://pdfs.citizenaudit.org/2012_12_EO/42-1347192_990_201112.pdf 2011 IRS 990 Form], ''Public Interest Institute'', November 8, 2012.</ref>
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*Total Revenue: -$90,340
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*Total Expenses: $465,209
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*Net Assets: $6,101,339
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'''<big>2010</big>'''<ref>Public Interest Institute, IRS form 990, 2010. [http://www.guidestar.org/ GuideStar].</ref>:
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*Total Revenue: $1,119,463
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*Total Expenses: $510,401
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*Net Assets: $7,198,734
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'''<big>2009</big>'''<ref>Public Interest Institute, IRS form 990, 2009. [http://www.guidestar.org/ GuideStar].</ref>:
 +
*Total Revenue: $1,661,139
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*Total Expenses: $530,950
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*Net Assets: $6,589,672
  
 
==Personnel==
 
==Personnel==
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*[[Don Racheter]], President
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As of September 2016:<ref>Public Interest Institute, [http://www.limitedgovernment.org/staff.html Staff], ''Public Interest Institute'', 2016.</ref>
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===Staff===
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*Dr. Don Racheter, Chief Operating Officer
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*Amy K. Frantz, Vice-President
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*John R. Hendrickson, Research Analyst
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*Jennifer L. Crull, IT Specialist
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*Madeline Swailes, Administrative Assistant
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===Board of Directors===
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As of September 2016:<ref>Public Interest Institute, [http://www.limitedgovernment.org/board.html Board of Directors], ''Public Interest Institute'', 2016.</ref>
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*UNLISTED, Chairman<br>
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*Robert H. Solt, Vice Chairman & Treasurer<br>
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*Dr. Donald P. Racheter, President<br>
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*Andrea S. Wells, Secretary<br>
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*Charles C. Espy, Jr.<br>
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*Elizabeth E. Garrels<br>
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*Richard Oberman<br>
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*Stanley M. Howe, Director Emeritus<br>
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'''Former Board Members'''
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*David M. Stanley, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
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===National Academic Advisory Board===
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As of September 2016:<ref>Public Interest Institute, [http://www.limitedgovernment.org/advisory.html National Academic Advisory Board], ''Public Interest Institute'', 2016.</ref>
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*Dr. [[Richard Wagner]] - [[George Mason University]], chair
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*Dr. Robert Bish - University of Victoria
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*Dr. Edgar Browning - Texas A&M
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*Dr. Richard McKenzie - University of California at Irvine
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*Dr. William Peirce - Case Western Reserve University
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*Dr. Randy Simmons - Utah State University
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*Dr. Eugenia Toma - University of Kentucky
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*Dr. Richard Vedder - Ohio University
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*Dr. Bruce Yandle - Clemson University
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'''Former Board Members'''
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*Dr. [[Gordon Tullock]] - George Mason University
  
 
==Contact Details==
 
==Contact Details==
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Email: public.interest.institute At limitedgovernment.org <br>
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Public Interest Institute<br>
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Website: http://www.limitedgovernment.org
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600 North Jackson Street<br>
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Mount Pleasant, IA 52641<br>
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Phone: 319-385-3462<br>
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Website: www.limitedGovernment.org<br>
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Email: public.interest.institutet@limitedgovernment.org<br>
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/PIIatLimitedGov<br>
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PIIatLimitedGov/
  
 
==Articles and resources==
 
==Articles and resources==
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* [[International Conference on Climate Change (2009)]]
 
* [[International Conference on Climate Change (2009)]]
 
* [[Researching global warming skeptics]]
 
* [[Researching global warming skeptics]]
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* [[think tanks]]
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* [[Think tanks]]
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{{Template:SPN SW}}
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===Related PRWatch Articles===
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{{Template:SPN PRW}}
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===References===
 
===References===
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===External Articles===
 
===External Articles===
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{{Template: SPN Ex}}
  
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{{stub}}
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[[Category:ALEC Exposed]][[Category:SPN Exposed]][[Category:Climate change]][[Category:Global warming skeptics]][[Category:Think tanks]][[Category:Think tanks disputing global warming]][[Category:Co-sponsor of the Heartland Institute's International Conference on Climate Change (2009)]]
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[[Category:Global warming skeptics]]
 
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[[Category:Think tanks]]
 
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[[Category:Think tanks disputing global warming]]
 
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[[Category:Co-sponsor of the Heartland Institute's International Conference on Climate Change (2009)]]
 

Latest revision as of 20:59, 17 December 2018

The Public Interest Institute (PII) is a "non-profit, non-partisan, public policy research organization located on the campus of Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa."[1] The PII researches issues "such as limiting government spending and privatization of government services" as well as "principles and methods to promote and encourage human rights, economic freedom, economic growth, and the creation of jobs... in Iowa."[2]

PII is a former affiliate member of the State Policy Network.

Activities

Publications

The Public Interest Institute has a number of different publications that it releases throughout the year, including:[3]

  • Iowa Economic Scorecard
  • Limits'
  • Institute Briefs
  • Iowa Transparency Newsletter

Affiliated Websites

In addition to managing its website, PII also maintains iowatransparency.org and iowavotes.org.

Conference Sponsorship

In 2009 the institute was a co-sponsor of the Heartland Institute's 2009 conference for climate change skeptics.[4]

Ties to the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity

The Public Interest Institute has hosted writers from the ALEC-connected Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, which screens potential reporters on their “free market” views as part of the job application process.[5] The Franklin Center funds reporters in over 40 states.[6] Despite their non-partisan description, many of the websites funded by the Franklin Center have received criticism for their conservative bias.[7][8] On its website, the Franklin Center claims it "provides 10 percent of all daily reporting from state capitals nationwide."[9]

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).[10] Mother Jones called DonorsTrust "the dark-money ATM of the conservative movement" in a February 2013 article.[11] Franklin received DonorTrust's second-largest donation in 2011.[10]

The Franklin Center also receives funding from the Wisconsin-based Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation,[12] a conservative grant-making organization.[13]

The Franklin Center was launched by the Chicago-based Sam Adams Alliance (SAM),[14] a 501(c)(3) devoted to pushing free-market ideals. SAM gets funding from the State Policy Network,[15] which is partially funded by The Claude R. Lambe Foundation.[16] Charles Koch, one of the billionaire brothers who co-own Koch Industries, sits on the board of this foundation.[17] SAM also receives funding from the Rodney Fund.

Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council

PII has ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council(ALEC) through Richard Vedder, a member of their advisory board.[18] Mr. Vedder is listed as a "scholar" at the American Legislative Exchange Council[19] and is the recipient of ALEC's Adam Smith Free Enterprise Award.[20]

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 ExposedbyCMD.org site.

Funding

The PII is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and does not disclose the source of its funding. However, the non-profit has received funding from national organizations, including:

Core Financials

2016[21]

  • Total Revenue: $175,050
  • Total Expenses: $410,903
  • Net Assets: $6,087,415

2015[22]

  • Total Revenue: $438,934
  • Total Expenses: $418,962
  • Net Assets: $6,047,768

2014[23]

  • Total Revenue: $455,408
  • Total Expenses: $438,344
  • Net Assets: $6,558,008

2013[24]

  • Total Revenue: $359,217
  • Total Expenses: $428,274
  • Net Assets: $6,505,537

2012[25]

  • Total Revenue: $472,278
  • Total Expenses: $469,070
  • Net Assets: $6,063,835

2011[26]

  • Total Revenue: -$90,340
  • Total Expenses: $465,209
  • Net Assets: $6,101,339

2010[27]:

  • Total Revenue: $1,119,463
  • Total Expenses: $510,401
  • Net Assets: $7,198,734

2009[28]:

  • Total Revenue: $1,661,139
  • Total Expenses: $530,950
  • Net Assets: $6,589,672

Personnel

As of September 2016:[29]

Staff

  • Dr. Don Racheter, Chief Operating Officer
  • Amy K. Frantz, Vice-President
  • John R. Hendrickson, Research Analyst
  • Jennifer L. Crull, IT Specialist
  • Madeline Swailes, Administrative Assistant

Board of Directors

As of September 2016:[30]

  • UNLISTED, Chairman
  • Robert H. Solt, Vice Chairman & Treasurer
  • Dr. Donald P. Racheter, President
  • Andrea S. Wells, Secretary
  • Charles C. Espy, Jr.
  • Elizabeth E. Garrels
  • Richard Oberman
  • Stanley M. Howe, Director Emeritus

Former Board Members

  • David M. Stanley, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

National Academic Advisory Board

As of September 2016:[31]

  • Dr. Richard Wagner - George Mason University, chair
  • Dr. Robert Bish - University of Victoria
  • Dr. Edgar Browning - Texas A&M
  • Dr. Richard McKenzie - University of California at Irvine
  • Dr. William Peirce - Case Western Reserve University
  • Dr. Randy Simmons - Utah State University
  • Dr. Eugenia Toma - University of Kentucky
  • Dr. Richard Vedder - Ohio University
  • Dr. Bruce Yandle - Clemson University

Former Board Members

Contact Details

Public Interest Institute
600 North Jackson Street
Mount Pleasant, IA 52641
Phone: 319-385-3462
Website: www.limitedGovernment.org
Email: public.interest.institutet@limitedgovernment.org
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PIIatLimitedGov
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PIIatLimitedGov/

Articles and resources

Related SourceWatch Articles

Related PRWatch Articles


References

  1. ↑ Public Interest Institute, "Who We Are", organizational website, accessed November 2012
  2. ↑ Public Interest Institute, "Mission,organizational website, accessed November 2012
  3. ↑ Public Interest Institute, Publications, Public Interest Institute, 2016.
  4. ↑ Heartland Institute, "Co-Sponsors", Heartland Institute website, March 5, 2009.
  5. ↑ Franklin Center, Franklin Affiliates in Your State, organizational website, accessed October 2012.
  6. ↑ The Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, Think tank Journalism: The Future of Investigative Journalism, organizational website, accessed August 19, 2011.
  7. ↑ Rebekah Metzler, "Watchdog" website puts a new spin on politics, The Portland Press Herald, October 2, 2010.
  8. ↑ Allison Kilkenny, The Koch Spider Web, Truthout, accessed August 19, 2011.
  9. ↑ Sara Jerving, Franklin Center: Right-Wing Funds State News Source, PRWatch.org, October 27, 2011.
  10. ↑ Jump up to: 10.0 10.1 Paul Abowd, Center for Public Integrity, Donors use charity to push free-market policies in states, organizational report, February 14, 2013.
  11. ↑ Andy Kroll, Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement, Mother Jones, February 5, 2013.
  12. ↑ Daniel Bice, Franklin Center boss wants apology from Democratic staffer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, August 8, 2011.
  13. ↑ The Bradley Foundation. The Bradley Foundation. Organizational website. Accessed August 19, 2011.
  14. ↑ Sam Adams Alliance. Sam Adams Alliance Media Kit. Organizational PDF. Accessed August 19, 2011.
  15. ↑ Media Matters Action Network. Sam Adams Alliance. Conservative Transparency. Accessed August 19, 2011.
  16. ↑ Media Matters Action Network. State Policy Network. Conservative Transparency. Accessed August 19, 2011.
  17. ↑ Media Matters Action Network. Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation. Conservative Transparency. Accessed August 19, 2011.
  18. ↑ Public Interest Institute, "Advisory Board", organizational website, accessed November 2012
  19. ↑ American Legislative Exchange Council, "Board of Scholars", organizational website, accessed November 2012
  20. ↑ Independent Institute About Us/Awards, organizational website, accessed November 2012
  21. ↑ Public Interest Institute, [paper copy on file with CMD, IRS 990 Form], organizational tax filing, June 5, 2017.
  22. ↑ NonProfit Explorer, IRS 990 Form, ProPublica Public Interest Institute, May 10, 2016.
  23. ↑ Public Interest Institute, 2014 IRS 990 Form, Public Interest Institute, October 1, 2015.
  24. ↑ Public Interest Institute, 2013 IRS 990 Form, Public Interest Institute, November 14, 2014.
  25. ↑ Public Interest Institute, 2012 IRS 990 Form, Public Interest Institute, May 13, 2013.
  26. ↑ Public Interest Institute, 2011 IRS 990 Form, Public Interest Institute, November 8, 2012.
  27. ↑ Public Interest Institute, IRS form 990, 2010. GuideStar.
  28. ↑ Public Interest Institute, IRS form 990, 2009. GuideStar.
  29. ↑ Public Interest Institute, Staff, Public Interest Institute, 2016.
  30. ↑ Public Interest Institute, Board of Directors, Public Interest Institute, 2016.
  31. ↑ Public Interest Institute, National Academic Advisory Board, Public Interest Institute, 2016.

External Articles

Retrieved from "https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Public_Interest_Institute&oldid=743535"