Wellspring Committee
The Wellspring Committee is a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization operating out of Manassas, VA. The Wellspring Committee was founded in 2008, and serves as a fund for conservative political nonprofit groups.[1] The Wellspring Committee contributed funding to several political nonprofits that created ads for Republican candidates and causes in the 2010 and 2012 elections.[1] However, because the Wellspring Committee did not fund the ads directly, their IRS application maintains the group is not engaged in, "political campaign activities on behalf of or in opposition to candidates for public office."[1]
Contents
501(c)(4) Status
As a 501(c)(4) organization, the Wellspring Committee is not required to disclose its donors. The group's tax exempt status allows them to be "part of a network of conservative tax-exempt groups that do little but transfer money, via grants, to other groups closer to the political front lines."[1] According to National Public Radio and the Center for Responsive politics, the Wellspring Committee thus far "has raised $24 million, and distributed nearly $16.9 million to other social welfare groups." Of the $24 million the group has received, only $251,000 has been traced back to identifiable donors.[2]
Finances
Distribution of Grants and Other Financial Assistance
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the following organizations received assistance from the Wellspring Committee between the years 2008 and 2011:
- American Action Network: $305,500
- American Energy Alliance: $604,000
- American Future Fund: $367,457
- American Majority Action (American Majority): $1,020,125
- Americans for Job Security: $2,951,922
- Americans for Prosperity: $1,651,811
- Citizens for the Republic: $360,000
- Common Sense Issues Coalition (Common Sense Issues): $50,000
- Concerned Women for American Legislative Committee (Concerned Women for America): $50,000
- Faith & Freedom Coalition: $250,000
- Judicial Crisis Network: $520,000
- Judicial Education Project: $186,000
- Let Freedom Ring: $25,000
- Right to Life: $542,000
- RightChange.com: $1,131,459
- Susan B Anthony List: $753,278
- WI Manufacturers & Commerce: $200,000
- Wisconsin Club for Growth (Club for Growth): $400,000 [3]
Personnel
John Klink - Director
Ann Corkery - Director, President
Steve Wagner - Director, Secretary, Treasurer
- ↑ Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Viveca Novak, Robert Maguire and Peter Overby,Wellspring's Flow: Dark Money Outfit Helped Fuel Groups on Political Front Lines, Opensecrets, November 5, 2013.
- ↑ Peter Overby, Viveca Novak, Robert Maguire Secret Persuasion: How Big Campaign Donors Stay Anonymous, NPR.org, November 6, 2013.
- ↑ Wellspring Committee, Wellspring Committee Information, Opensecrets, accessed November 6,2013.
