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Center for National Policy (CNP)

Parent Organization: Truman National Security Project (TNSP)
This is a logo for Center for National Policy. (link)
Website:

www.centerfornationalpolicy.org
Location:

WASHINGTON, DC
Tax ID:

52-1080919
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2016):

Revenue: $2,345,468
Expenses: $2,520,516
Assets: $1,847,670
Formation:

1981
President:

Scott Bates

The Center for National Policy (now called the Truman Center for National Policy) was founded by former liberal cabinet members and other officeholders after electoral defeats of the Democratic Party in the late twentieth century.[1] In the early 2010s, the group partnered with the Truman National Security Project (TNSP) to serve as the Truman Project’s 501(c)(3) educational arm, becoming the Truman Center for National Policy.[2]

History

The Center was originally led by Carter administration Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, former Duke University President and North Carolina Gov. Terry Sanford (D), and Ted Van Dyk, who would become CNP’s president.[3] Van Dyk had served as Vice President Hubert Humphrey’s former assistant in the White House of President Lyndon Johnson and an active participant in Democratic party politics through much of the latter half of the 20th century.[4]

According to Van Dyk, the

“Center for National Policy drew on every Democratic faction. A rethinking [after the 1980 election], we believed, could only be effective if consensus was reached internally.”[5]

CNP attracted many notable figures in the Democratic party throughout the years, including former U.S. Representative Timothy J. Roemer (D-Indiana), who also served as U.S. Ambassador to India in the Obama administration.[6] Madeleine Albright worked with CNP before she became Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton. [7]

CNP was over the course of its existence a left-of-center think tank predominantly focused on national security policy. It’s most up-to-date interest areas listed on its partially out of date home page include “understanding global threats,” “strengthening national resilience” in the face of “periodic catastrophes,” and “building next-generation infrastructure.” [8] CNP also focuses on issues of economic security, cyber espionage, energy independence, and U.S. foreign relations. [9]

Truman Project Merger

CNP formally joined with the Truman Project, a group founded in 2005 to develop national and foreign policy leadership [10] whose first office space was sublet from CNP, in 2013.[11] The two organizations retained separate boards and kept both of their entire staffs, though the staff would thenceforth be shared. [12] Both organizations kept their names. [13]

Yet tax documents reveal that CNP’s IRS Employer Identification Number (EIN) remained linked to the “Center for National Policy” until 2014, [14] but the name formally changed to the “Truman Center for National Policy” in 2015. [15]

Funding

There is no complete list of donors to the Center for National Policy, however the center counted on the support of major left-wing foundations. From 1982 to 2007, the MacArthur Foundation, a traditional giver to left-wing organizations,[16] gave the Center for National Policy over half a million dollars, including $25,000 in 1983, $250,000 in 2005, and $250,000 in 2007.[17]

Meanwhile, the Carnegie Corporation of New York donated $500,000 in 2012 and $700,000 in 2014 to what it labeled as the “Truman Center for National Policy (formerly Center for National Policy).”[18] Carnegie’s giving continued even after the Center for National Project’s Employer Identification Number transferred to the Truman Center for National Policy, donating $500,000 in 2016.[19]

The Open Society Foundations associated with liberal billionaire George Soros were also major donors, giving $250,000 to the Center for National Policy over an 18-month period starting in 2010. [20]

People

Below is a list of CNP’s Presidents:

  • Founding-1986: Ted Van Dyk, former assistant to Vice President Humphrey [21]
  • 1986-1989: Kirk O’Donnell, former chief counsel to Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill (D-Massachusetts) [22]
  • 1989-1992: Madeleine Albright, former member of President Carter’s National Security Council and later Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton [23]
  • 1993-2003: Maureen Steinbruner, [24] a longtime researcher for CNP [25]
  • 2003-2010: former U.S. Rep. Timothy J. Roemer (D-Indiana) [26]
  • 2010-2011: Dr. Stephen Flynn, [27] former senior fellow for National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and member of the presidential transition team for President Barack Obama [28]
  • 2011-2015: Scott Bates, [29] former senior policy advisor to the House Homeland Security Committee [30]

Former U.S. Senator and Secretary of State under President Carter Ed Muskie (D-Maine) [31] as well as former Secretary of Defense under President Obama Leon Panetta [32] also served on the board of CNP.

References

  1. Van Dyk, Ted. “The Democratic Party: How Did It Get Here?” The Atlantic. December 4, 2013. Accessed August 19, 2017. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/12/the-democratic-party-how-did-it-get-here/282000/. ^
  2. “Truman Project and Center for National Policy Announce Ground-Breaking Partnership.” Truman Center. http://trumancenter.org/press-releases/truman-project-and-center-for-national-policy-announce-groundbreaking-partnership/. August 19, 2017 ^
  3. Van Dyk, Ted. “The Democratic Party: How Did It Get Here?” The Atlantic. December 4, 2013. Accessed August 19, 2017. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/12/the-democratic-party-how-did-it-get-here/282000/. ^
  4. Dyk, Ted Van. “Obama Needs to ‘Reset’ His Presidency.” The Wall Street Journal. July 17, 2009. Accessed October 20, 2017. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124779697143755743?mg=prod%2Faccounts-wsj ^
  5. Van Dyk, Ted. “The Democratic Party: How Did It Get Here?” The Atlantic. December 4, 2013. Accessed August 19, 2017. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/12/the-democratic-party-how-did-it-get-here/282000/. ^
  6. “Timothy Roemer.” Harvard IOP, The Kennedy School. Fall 2011. Accessed August 19, 2017. http://iop.harvard.edu/fellows/timothy-roemer. ^
  7. “Madeleine K Albright.” Georgetown School of Foreign Service. Accessed August 18 2017. http://explore.georgetown.edu/people/albright/?PageTemplateID=365. ^
  8. “Our Vision, Mission and Aims.” Center for National Policy. Accessed August 19, 2017. http://www.centerfornationalpolicy.org/about_us.html. ^
  9. “Center for National Policy.” Center for National Policy. Accessed August 19, 2017. http://www.centerfornationalpolicy.org/index.html. ^
  10. “Truman Project and Center for National Policy Announce Ground-Breaking Partnership.” Truman Center. Accessed August 19, 2017. http://trumancenter.org/press-releases/truman-project-and-center-for-national-policy-announce-groundbreaking-partnership/. ^
  11. “Truman Project & Center for National Policy ‘Merge.’” Think Tank Watch. January 16, 2013. Accessed August 19, 2017. http://www.thinktankwatch.com/2013/01/truman-center-truman-project-merge.html. ^
  12. “Truman Project & Center for National Policy ‘Merge.’” Think Tank Watch. January 16, 2013. Accessed August 19, 2017. http://www.thinktankwatch.com/2013/01/truman-center-truman-project-merge.html. ^
  13. “Truman Project and Center for National Policy Announce Ground-Breaking Partnership.” Truman Centerhttp://trumancenter.org/press-releases/truman-project-and-center-for-national-policy-announce-groundbreaking-partnership/. August 19, 2017 ^
  14. Center for National Policy, Form 990. 2014. “Name of Organization.” https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521080919/201522969349300512/IRS990. ^
  15. Truman Center for National Policy, Form 990. 2015. “Name of Organization. https://pp-990.s3.amazonaws.com/2016_11_EO/52-1080919_990_201512.pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAI7C6X5GT42DHYZIA%2F20170818%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20170818T225259Z&X-Amz-Expires=1800&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=a3f02d61af53d855823c283522907dc9640aa8e88648d73bcb6128b7267ab750 ^
  16. “Macarthur Foundation.” Left Exposed. Accessed August 18, 2017. http://leftexposed.org/2016/02/macarthur-foundation/. ^
  17. “Center for National Policy.” MacArthur Foundation. Accessed August 18, 2017. https://www.macfound.org/grantees/1052/. ^
  18. “Truman Center for National Policy (formerly Center for National Policy).” Carnegie. Accessed August 19, 2017. https://www.carnegie.org/grants/grants-database/grantee/center-for-national-policy/#!/grants/grants-database/grant/296518577.0/. ^
  19. “Truman Center for National Policy (formerly Center for National Policy).” Carnegie. Accessed August 19, 2017. https://www.carnegie.org/grants/grants-database/grantee/center-for-national-policy/#!/grants/grants-database/grant/296518577.0/. ^
  20. “Center for National Policy.” Open Society Foundations. Accessed August 19, 2017. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/about/programs/us-programs/grantees/center-national-policy. ^
  21. Van Dyk, Ted. “The Democratic Party: How Did It Get Here?” The Atlantic. December 4, 2013. Accessed August 19, 2017. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/12/the-democratic-party-how-did-it-get-here/282000/. ^
  22. “Center for National Policy.” Center for National Policy. Accessed August 19, 2017. http://www.centerfornationalpolicy.org/index.html. ^
  23. “Madeleine K Albright.” Georgetown School of Foreign Service. Accessed August 18 2017. http://explore.georgetown.edu/people/albright/?PageTemplateID=365. ^
  24. “Center for National Policy.” Center for National Policy. Accessed August 19, 2017. http://www.centerfornationalpolicy.org/index.html. ^
  25. Nicoll, Don. “Interview with Maureen Steinbruner by Don Nicoll.” The Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library at Bates College, ID Number MOH 188. May 2, 2000. Accessed August 19, 2017. http://digilib.bates.edu/collect/muskieor/index/assoc/HASH8dd9.dir/doc.pdf. ^
  26. “Center for National Policy.” Center for National Policy. Accessed August 19, 2017. http://www.centerfornationalpolicy.org/index.html. ^
  27. “Center for National Policy.” Center for National Policy. Accessed August 19, 2017. http://www.centerfornationalpolicy.org/index.html. ^
  28. “Stephen E. Flynn, PhD.” Stanford Center for International Security and Cooperation. Accessed August 19, 2017. http://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/people/stephen_e_flynn. ^
  29. “Scott Bates.” LinkedIn. Accessed August 19, 2017. https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-bates-293b7b3/. ^
  30. “Scott Bates.” Truman Center. Accessed August 19, 2017. http://trumancenter.org/team-view/scott-bates/. ^
  31. Lyle, Amaani. “Panetta Accepts Distinguished Public Service Award.” American Forces Press Service. June 22, 2012. Accessed August 19, 2017. http://archive.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=116857. ^
  32. “Will SecDef Panetta Retire from Think Tanks?”  Think Tank Watch. January 31, 2013. Accessed August 19, 2017. http://www.thinktankwatch.com/2013/01/will-secdef-panetta-retire-from-think.html?m=1. ^

Directors, Employees & Supporters

  1. George Soros
    Funder
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: May 1, 1977

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2016 Dec Form 990 $2,345,468 $2,520,516 $1,847,670 $734,709 N $2,342,179 $3,283 $0 $162,750
    2015 Dec Form 990 $2,463,600 $2,495,848 $1,968,132 $680,123 N $2,443,100 $20,499 $1 $303,354 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $3,699,495 $3,008,074 $2,314,519 $994,262 N $3,675,622 $23,872 $1 $365,304
    2013 Dec Form 990 $2,385,595 $3,264,405 $876,735 $334,774 N $2,368,451 $14,528 $2,476 $253,767 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $1,945,312 $1,486,221 $1,631,837 $211,046 N $1,933,552 $0 $6,847 $219,505 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $2,635,678 $3,258,353 $1,204,881 $243,181 N $2,247,860 $371,136 $8,501 $595,523 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Map image for Center for National Policy (CNP)

    Center for National Policy (CNP)

    1250 EYE STREET NW STE 500
    WASHINGTON, DC 20005-5979