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Colorado Democracy Alliance
| Colorado Democracy Alliance | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Denver, Colo.[1] |
| Type: | Nonprofit organization |
| Founder(s): | Tim Gill and Pat Stryker |
| Year founded: | 2004 |
Colorado Democracy Alliance is a membership organization described by Boulder Weekly as a "driver in Colorado Democratic Party politics." Made up of Colorado Democratic donors, the Alliance aims to support Democratic political campaigns by funding a network of nonprofit organizations and 527 groups.[2][3]
Mission
The Colorado Democracy Alliance aims to support Democratic political campaigns in Colorado through a network of nonprofit organizations and 527 groups.[2]
Background
Colorado Democracy Alliance was organized in 2004 by a group of Democratic donors led by Pat Stryker, a philanthropist and political donor, and Tim Gill, a software entrepreneur and political activist. The group functions as a members-only network for Democratic donors to support political campaigns by directing funds to nonprofit organizations and 527 groups. The national Democracy Alliance, organized around the same period, follows a similar funding model at the national level.[2]
A group of Colorado Democratic donors known as the "Gang of Four"—Jared Polis, Tim Gill, Rutt Bridges, and Pat Stryker—saw initial success with an early model of Colorado Democracy Alliance during the 2004 election cycle. The group's efforts, according to some, helped Democrats gain control of both the Colorado State Senate and the Colorado House of Representatives for the first time since 1974. Shortly thereafter, "Gang of Four" members Pat Stryker and Tim Gill banded together with a group of new funders to formally organize Colorado Democracy Alliance.[4]
Work
Colorado Democracy Alliance functions as a members-only "state-based collaborative" that directs funding to over 30 nonprofit organizations and 527 groups in support of Democratic political campaigns. According to The Denver Post, the Alliance has been "described as ingenious even by conservative opponents."[2][5]
Laurie Zeller, Colorado Democracy Alliance's former executive director, discussed the organization's model at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. "We embrace the progressive label in our giving and in the strategic role that we play in Colorado politics." Zeller stated. "Our job is to build a long-term progressive infrastructure in Colorado while we're conceding nothing in the short term, in terms of progressive goals at the ballot box."[5]
“To remain effective and agile, we’ve had to try and be discreet about our efforts,” Zeller continued. “There’s a playbook here you don’t want to leave on the table at a Starbucks.”[2]
Membership
According to a 2008 article in The Denver Post, Colorado Democracy Alliance functions as a nonprofit membership organization that directs funding to over 30 nonprofit organizations and 527 groups to support Democratic political campaigns. Documents leaked from the Alliance in 2006 revealed that donors to the group agreed to spend between $25,000 and $400,000 in support of organizations identified by the Alliance's board of directors.[2]
Campaign support and opposition
In 2006, the Alliance successfully directed its efforts in support of the election of former Democratic Governor of Colorado Bill Ritter and in defense of the Democratic majorities in the Colorado State Legislature. Voters in the state supported Democratic President Barack Obama in the 2008 and 2012 elections. In addition, Colorado voters elected Democratic U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and former Democratic U.S. Senator Mark Udall in 2009.[2][4]
Leadership
The following individuals hold current or former leadership positions with Colorado Democracy Alliance:
- Pat Stryker, Founder
- Tim Gill, Founder
- Laurie Zeller, Former executive director (2008-2009)[2][6]
- Mark Grueskin, Legal adviser (source date: 2008)[2]
- Iman Jodeh, Former development coordinator[7]
Finances
- See also: Nonprofit regulation in Colorado
According to The Denver Post, Colorado Democracy Alliance is a "taxable nonprofit."[2]
Leaked documents from the Alliance in 2006 revealed that individual donors agreed to spend between $25,000 and $400,000 in support of organizations identified by the group's board of directors. The documents also disclosed the Alliance's $16.3 million fundraising goal.[2]
Since the Alliance itself does not directly contribute to political campaigns, the group is able to operate outside of many political campaign finance regulations and disclosure requirements. As of June 2016, Colorado Democracy Alliance's tax forms and financial records were not publicly available.[2]
Noteworthy events
Citizens United, a conservative 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, and conservative writer Michelle Malkin profiled the "Gang of Four" and Colorado Democracy Alliance in the 2014 documentary Rocky Mountain Heist. According to Malkin's website, the film "illustrates how the Gang of Four coordinated their campaign targets and spending behind closed doors...[and] traces how the liberal scions and their 'Colorado Democracy Alliance' captured the governor’s mansion, the state legislature, and two Senate seats."[8]
Governor of Colorado John Hickenlooper (D) responded to the film with the release of a campaign commercial entitled Rocky Mountain Height, a humorous ad that emphasized Hickenlooper's commitment to avoid negative campaign attacks.[9]
Media
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Colorado Democracy Alliance. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, "Colorado Democracy Alliance," accessed June 28, 2016
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Denver Post, "Colorado Democratic scheme called ingenious," October 2, 2008
- ↑ Boulder Weekly, "Who killed the vote on fracking?—Glossary," October 2, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Mother Jones, "This machine turned Colorado blue. Now it may be Dems' best hope to save the Senate," October 29, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Schrager, Adam and Witwer, Rob. (2010). The Blueprint: How the Democrats Won Colorado (and Why Republicans Everywhere Should Care). Golden, CO: Fulcrum Publishing. (page 6)
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Laurie Hirschfeld Zeller," accessed June 28, 2016
- ↑ Interfaith Alliance of Colorado, "Iman Jodeh," accessed June 28, 2016
- ↑ Michelle Malkin, "Who’s afraid of ‘Rocky Mountain Heist?’" October 17, 2014
- ↑ The Denver Post, "Hickenlooper responds to 'Rocky Mountain Heist' with 'Rocky Mountain Height,'" October 18, 2014
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