Wellstone Central Fund & Wellstone Action!: Who's On First?
Campaigns are seeking to activate new, younger voters as never before. In September of 2008, “electoral action training” workshops were scheduled for Fayetteville, Charlotte, and Central NC to give students a better understanding of their power to impact campaigns, teaching them organizing skills and “creative new tactics” for mobilizing younger voters in the election process.
The seminars were co-sponsored by the US Student Association and Campus Camp Wellstone, a program of the non-profit Wellstone Action Funds of Minnesota. Since Wellstone is new to the North Carolina campaign scene, we thought we’d take a look at the organization and its affiliate.
Mission
The Wellstone Action! Funds are two affiliated non-profit organizations, and getting a handle on the differences is challenging.
The mission of Wellstone Action!, the group’s 501 (C)4 tax-exempt arm, is “To operate exclusively for the promotion of social welfare and to continue Paul & Sheila Wellstone’s passion for and commitment to advancing progressive social change and economic justice.”
The Wellstone Center Fund is a 501 (C)3 tax-exempt organization whose mission mirrors the (C)4 group’s – “To perform and to assist in carrying out the charitable, educational, scientific, literary, and religious functions of Wellstone Action, an organization described in Section 501 (C)4 of the Code which has been formed to continue Paul & Sheila Wellstone's passion for and commitment to advancing progressive social change and economic justice.”
History
Based on Internal Revenue Service filings, the 501 (C)3 Wellstone Center Fund appears to have been formed in 2003 to provide a backbone for the already existent Wellstone Action! (C)4. The two organizations combined to form a national center for training and leadership development for the progressive movement, with the goal of “training and empowering underrepresented communities in civic life.”
The creation of original Wellstone Action Fund came following the deaths of two-term Minnesota Democratic Senator Paul Wellstone, his wife, and daughter in 2002. While en route to a campaign event in northern Minnesota, the three were killed when their plane crashed, leaving no survivors (three campaign staffers also lost their lives on board the plane).
Senator Wellston left a legacy as a well known supporter of liberal ideals, particularly in the areas of mental health advocacy, environmental protection, children's issues, and “kitchen table” economics. He also supported limiting the influence of special interest groups and lobbyists.
Background
Both the Wellstone 501 (C)3 and the 501 (C)4 tax-exempt organizations share most assets, including staff and directors. Jeff Blodgett is the executive director for both groups, for which Mark and David Wellstone, the surviving sons of Sen. Paul Wellstone, serve as co-chairs. Other directors include:
- Marcia Avner, Director
- Ron DeHarpporte, Secretary-Treasurer
- Dave Foster
- Rick Kahn, Director
- Samuel Kaplan, Director
- Connie Lewis, Director
- Mary Lofy, Director
- Karen Monahan
- Javier Morillo-Alicea
- Deborah Olson, Director
Avner, DeHapporte, Kaplan, and Olson are generous contributors to Democratic candidates in federal campaigns.
The Wellstone (C)3 provides funding for the shared expenses, including rent, payroll, employee benefits, office equipment, and other costs of the Wellstone (C)4 via a grant.
Programs
According to its mission, the Wellstone Action Fund/Central Fund 501 (C)3 exists to support the work of Wellstone Action! 501 (C)4. Key program areas include:
Sheila Wellstone Institute – A program which holds that ending violence against children and women is paramount. The effort is channeled through training and leadership development strategies, offering resources, and providing news on related policies across the country.
Voter Engagement Schools – A broad focus area which includes the Campus Camp Wellstone programs slated for North Carolina. According to the Wellstone website, the Camp trained more than $1,500 students during 2005-06. Other “Voter Engagement” training efforts are geared toward providing “practical training for citizen activists, campaign workers, and political candidates.” The Labor Program is designed “to build leadership in the labor community; and the Advanced Campaign Management School is an “intensive training program for experienced campaign workers.”
Wellstone Action! Network – A grassroots effort geared toward mobilizing voters to contact Congress on national issues of interest to the organization. Examples include the Wellstone Equitable Treatment Act (mental health parity) and the 2006 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
Politics the Wellstone Way – Roughly one-third of the Wellstone budget is dedicated to the printing of a number of “training” publications and manuals focusing on electing progressive candidates; how to win on issues; and grassroots campaign organizing. The publications are widely used in conjunction with the various Wellstone training programs.
Foundation Staff
Jeffrey Blodgett is the Executive Director of both organizations, earning a combined salary of $96,681. Including Blodgett, the two organizations share 17 employees.
Foundation Assets
For the most recent IRS reporting available, the Wellstone Action Fund (C)3 had $341,440 in net assets. For the same reporting period, Wellstone Action! (C)4 had $160,831 in net assets.
Summary
From funding progressive-grassroots mobilization on the college student level, to advocating and supporting left-leaning organizations, the Wellstone Action Fund organization is working to become a prominent player in liberal politics, though much more funding will be necessary.
Since the Wellstone funds are spent throughout the country and state-specific reporting is not required, it’s impossible to tell how much money is being invested in North Carolina. But judging from its more well-known (and in some cases, much wealthier) “partner” organizations – including the Wellstone-sponsored BlueprintNC and others geared specifically toward North Carolina – one can deduce that whatever money Wellstone is spending in the state is going toward electing liberal candidates. A brief snapshot of a few of the 92 Wellstone Action “partners”:
- AFL-CIO – A conglomerate of 56 national and international labor unions representing 10.5 million members.
- BlueprintNC – A vehicle for North Carolina-based organizations with the common goal of mobilizing “progressive” grassroots activity.
- Democratic Gain - A national membership association for progressive political professionals and organizations.
- El Pueblo – A North Carolina-based group working to strengthen the state’s Latino community.
- EMILY's List – An organization dedicated to electing Democratic women to office.
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters – With 1.4 million members nationally, the teamsters are one of the largest labor unions in the world.
- Moveon.org – A 527 organization which is currently airing advertising in North Carolina critical of Republican candidates.
- Service Employees International Union (SEIU) – A union of 1.5 million public service workers which has ploughed hundreds of thousands of dollars into North Carolina campaigns in the current decade.
The Wellstone (C)3 provides funding for the shared expenses of the Wellstone (C)4 via a grant, through which the (C)4 reimburses the (C)3 for its portion of operating expenses. Although the two groups file separate IRS reports as required by law, this curious sharing of staff, office space, equipment, databases, directors, programs, and other assets between the two arms of the organization results in a mystifying puzzle of funding which warrants further investigation.
Contact Information
Jeff Blodgett, Executive Director
821 Raymond Avenue Suite 260
St. Paul, MN 55114
(651) 645-3939
www.wellstone.org
