Logo for InfluenceWatch InfluenceWatch

Donate
Non-profit

Center for Responsive Politics (Open Secrets)

Logo for the nonprofit organization Center for Responsive Politics (link)
Website:

www.opensecrets.org
Location:

WASHINGTON, DC
Tax ID:

52-1275227
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2023):

Revenue: $2,504,743
Expenses: $4,303,121
Assets: $4,182,944
Type:

Electoral advocacy group
Formation:

1983
Executive Director:

Hilary Braseth

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

The Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) is a nonprofit advocacy group founded to track and report on the movement of money and funding within politics. 1 The CRP was founded in 1983 by former U.S. Senators Frank Church (D-Idaho) and Hugh Scott of Pennsylvania, a centrist Rockefeller Republican. 2

The Center for Responsive Politics operates OpenSecrets, an online web page used to compile political financial data such as campaign contribution profiles of members of Congress, a lobbying database, and financial information related to Congressional committees. 3 4

Background

Formed in 1983, the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) was created to track money in politics by analyzing contributions from political action committees (PACs) to congressional candidates and by compiling data and publishing large reports. 2 By 1990, the CRP published the first OpenSecrets book that documented and analyzed congressional political contributions in the 1988 elections. 2 In addition to analyzing political contributions from PACs, the book also reported on the spending patterns of interest groups and companies within major industries. 2

CRP’s main project, OpenSecrets.org, went online following the 1996 elections. 2 The website later began producing online contribution profiles prior to Election Day for federal candidates in the 1998 elections. 2

OpenSecrets.org

As of 2018, OpenSecrets includes contribution profiles for members of Congress as well as information on their personal finances,3 money spent on their campaigns by joint fundraising committees,4 and a lobbying database.5

Politicians & Elections

OpenSecrets shows political contributions from campaign committees, outside groups, lobbyists, and Super PACs to candidates in Presidential and Congressional races. In addition, OpenSecrets amasses the financial information and disclosures for the Trump administration. 6 Financial summaries for political parties and party committees are also included on the site and display the contributions made to the party, the recipients of the party’s expenditures, and a geographic analysis of expenditures. 7 OpenSecrets also publishes an election overview online that includes general trends from elections, the most expensive races, and top donors. Election overviews are available online for all federal elections dating back to 1990. 8

Influence & Lobbying

OpenSecrets also provides data on spending by interest groups. The site provides data by sector and issue type for all elections since 1990. 9 In addition, OpenSecrets includes a lobbying database that aggregates data on top lobbyists and top lobbying firms from certain election cycles and groups, as well as data on specific bills that lobbyists reported lobbying on. 10

In addition to political finance data collections, OpenSecrets also maintains an independent news platform called OpenSecrets News11 and also publishes independent reports. 12 Additionally, the CRP’s OpenData initiative allows for the non-commercial use of CRP’s archive of money-in-politics data. 13

Leadership

Founders

The Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) was founded in 1983 by then-Senators Frank Church and Hugh Scott. Senator Church was a Democratic Senator from Idaho who served in the U.S. Senate for 24 years. 14 Senator Scott was a moderate Republican politician from Pennsylvania who served in both the U.S House and U.S. Senate. 15

Directors

Hilary Braseth is the Executive Director of Center for Responsive Politics (CRP). Braseth previously held positions at IDEO and the left-of-center Aspen Institute. Braseth previously co-founded two organizations focused on entrepreneurship and digital infrastructure in West Africa. 16

Board Members

Daniel Doktori is the Chair of the OpenSecrets Board of Directors. Doktori is also the SVP & General Counsel at American Public Media Group (APMG). Prior to working at APMG, Doktori served as Chief of Staff and General Counsel at digital marketing company Credly. 17

Financials

According to its 2023 990 form, the Center for Responsive Politics reported a revenue of $2,504,743, expenses of $4,303,121, and total assets of $4,182,944. 18

Funding

Between 2017 and 2018, the CRP received over $100,000 in funding from several left-of-center organizations including Democracy Fund, the Ford Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. 19

References

  1. “Our Vision and Mission.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed November 19, 2018. https://www.opensecrets.org/about/.
  2. “About the Site.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed November 19, 2018. https://www.opensecrets.org/about/tour.php.
  3. “Personal Finances.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed December 07, 2018. https://www.opensecrets.org/personal-finances/.
  4. “Politicians & Elections Overview.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed December 03, 2018. https://www.opensecrets.org/elections/.
  5. “Lobbying Database.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed November 19, 2018. https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/.
  6. “Trump Administration.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed December 03, 2018. https://www.opensecrets.org/trump.
  7. “Political Parties Overview.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed December 09, 2018. https://www.opensecrets.org/parties/.
  8. “2018 Election Overview.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed December 09, 2018. https://www.opensecrets.org/overview/.
  9. “Interest Groups.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed December 09, 2018. https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/.
  10. “Lobbying.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed December 09, 2018. https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/index.php.
  11. “OpenSecrets News.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed December 6, 2018. https://www.opensecrets.org/news/.
  12. “Reports.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed December 07, 2018. https://www.opensecrets.org/news/reports/.
  13. “About the Site.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed December 07, 2018. https://www.opensecrets.org/about/tour.php.
  14. “Church, Frank Forrester.” Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed December 03, 2018. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=c000388.
  15. “Scott, Hugh Doggett, Jr.” Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed December 03, 2018. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=S000174
  16. “Our Team.” Open Secrets, Accessed July 11, 2025. https://www.opensecrets.org/about/staff
  17. Board of Directors.” Open Secrets, Accessed July 11, 2025. https://www.opensecrets.org/about/board
  18. “Opensecrets, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” Projects.Propublica.Org. ProPublica, May 9, 2013. Last modified May 9, 2013. Accessed July 11, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521275227/202423209349323637/full.
  19. “Funders.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed December 07, 2018. https://www.opensecrets.org/about/funders.php.
  See an error? Let us know!

Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: September 1, 1983

    • 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
    2023 Dec Form 990 $2,504,743 $4,303,121 $4,182,944 $211,324 N $1,692,618 $602,551 $103,018 $395,080
    2022 Dec Form 990 $4,992,704 $3,985,037 $6,337,413 $419,136 N $4,218,548 $414,807 $142,696 $173,271 PDF
    2021 Dec Form 990 $6,510,987 $3,506,004 $6,023,095 $798,564 N $6,171,141 $149,215 $29,174 $196,443 PDF
    2020 Dec Form 990 $1,494,730 $2,174,923 $2,989,391 $727,345 N $1,409,310 $67,014 $18,406 $189,908
    2019 Dec Form 990 $3,100,295 $2,040,645 $3,352,436 $479,616 N $2,969,930 $107,396 $20,975 $186,534 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $1,082,760 $2,239,649 $2,290,451 $581,933 N $998,069 $49,684 $28,493 $179,171 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $1,436,025 $2,032,042 $3,546,077 $623,128 N $1,334,728 $62,660 $32,078 $172,482 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $2,817,503 $2,117,097 $3,531,389 $124,178 N $2,676,260 $115,758 $23,770 $166,496 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990 $2,004,812 $1,802,335 $2,809,907 $84,391 N $1,907,475 $74,706 $12,365 $160,180 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $1,503,739 $1,685,101 $2,605,379 $82,340 N $1,294,038 $186,785 $12,491 $152,172 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $1,726,112 $1,414,376 $2,780,291 $75,890 N $1,564,901 $139,704 $14,872 $147,389 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $1,923,378 $1,273,029 $2,468,851 $76,186 N $1,120,043 $784,047 $10,218 $146,911 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $1,446,658 $1,263,832 $1,802,834 $60,518 N $682,289 $750,874 $6,921 $147,226 PDF
    2010 Dec Form 990 $444,575 $1,221,502 $1,719,701 $160,211 N $163,835 $270,664 $9,231 $147,081 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Center for Responsive Politics (Open Secrets)

    1300 L ST NW STE 200
    WASHINGTON, DC 20005-4181