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Non-profit

Colorado Center on Law and Policy

Website:

cclponline.org/
Location:

DENVER, CO
Tax ID:

84-1264154
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2020):

Revenue: $2,125,311
Expenses: $1,600,486
Assets: $3,252,690
Type:

Left-of-center economic policy-focused think tank
Founded:

1998
Executive Director:

Tiffani Lennon

The Colorado Center on Law and Policy (CCLP) is a left-of-center advocacy organization that seeks to expand welfare state benefits in Colorado and proposes changes to the various laws and regulations that affect low-income Coloradans. 1 2

Founding and History

The Colorado Center on Law and Policy was formed in 1998 after certain restrictions were placed on federal funding for legal services. Since its formation, the organization has advocated for a variety of measures in Colorado that tend to expand the welfare state and enlarge state programs and services. It has campaigned for an increase in the minimum wage, Medicaid expansion, the establishment of health-insurance exchanges, and increasing welfare payouts, among other initiatives. 3

Finances

In 2019, the Colorado Center on Law and Policy reported $1,639,896 in revenue, of which $1,638,613 was derived from grants and contributions. It reported $1,400,486 in expenses, of which $1,022,103 was allocated towards employee salary and benefits. It ended the year with $1,961,610 in net assets, up from $1,721,695 at the end of the previous year. 4

Policies and Projects

The Colorado Center on Law and Policy works in a variety of different policy areas, generally seeking to expand government benefits and programs, with four self-identified policy areas: food, health, housing, and income. 5

Food

CCLP seeks to expand the access and eligibility of Coloradans to access government food assistance programs, including SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, previously known as food stamps) and the WIC (Women Infant and Children) program. CCLP is a major supporter of the Blueprint to End Hunger program, helped to design its legislative program, and advocates for its implementation. Other CCLP policy positions include changes to the SNAP appeals process and involvement in various other changes to the program. 6

Health

CCLP lobbies for increased eligibility and access to government and state-subsidized private health insurance programs, including Medicaid and Childhealth Plus (CHP+). CCLP has lobbied for a variety of technical changes to Colorado’s Medicaid program, ranging from changes to how the state classifies the money children receive from Social Security to Medicaid buy-in procedures. Its policy work has also affected the mental health coverage that Colorado insurance market plans are required to provide. 7

Housing

CCLP has lobbied for a variety of changes to Colorado laws regarding tenant-landlord relations, including increasing the amount of time required for a notification of rent increases, termination of leases, or evictions, and the establishment of a legal fund to pay for tenants contesting evictions. The CCLP also lobbied for a bill that changed the laws around renting mobile home lots and also eliminated the sales tax on mobile homes. 8

Income

CCLP has lobbied to expand access to government assistance programs for low-income Coloradans and pushed to reform how wage garnishment takes place. It has also sought the expansion of the state’s cash assistance program and the establishment of a pilot program that would provide emergency aid to Coloradans seeking to enter the workforce or receive training to acquire a better-paying job. 9

Leadership

Tiffani Lennon is the executive director of the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, a position she has held since 2019. Prior to this she was the CEO of the Ray of Hope Cancer Foundation and held various positions at the University of Colorado, where she was the chair of the Law and Society and Community-Based Research programs. She is the author of the book Recognizing Women’s Leadership: Strategies and Best Practices for Employing Excellence. 10

Lennon released a statement on June 3, 2020, criticizing the role of the “white moderate” in the philanthropic community and arguing that poverty is the result of systemic oppression and racism and stating that CCLP would seek to promote diversity within its own ranks. 11

In the wake of the Supreme Court Decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that overturned Roe v. Wade, Lennon released a statement criticizing the ruling and characterizing it as an attack on fundamental rights, women’s healthcare, and economic rights. She promised that the CCLP would fight against the decision and what she characterized as other assaults on equality. 12

References

  1. “Our History.” CCLP. Accessed September 17, 2022. https://cclponline.org/about-us/our-history/.
  2. “Focus Areas.” CCLP. Accessed September 17, 2022. https://cclponline.org/focus-areas/.
  3. “Our History.” CCLP. Accessed September 17, 2022. https://cclponline.org/about-us/our-history/.
  4. Colorado Center on Law and Policy, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Part I
  5.  “Focus Areas.” CCLP. Accessed September 17, 2022. https://cclponline.org/focus-areas/.
  6. “Food.” CCLP. Accessed September 17, 2022. https://cclponline.org/focus-areas/food/.
  7. “Health.” CCLP. Accessed September 17, 2022. https://cclponline.org/focus-areas/health/.
  8.  “Housing.” CCLP. Accessed September 17, 2022. https://cclponline.org/focus-areas/housing/.
  9. “Income.” CCLP. Accessed September 17, 2022. https://cclponline.org/focus-areas/income/.
  10. “Tiffani Lennon, J.D., LL.M.” CCLP, April 28, 2021. https://cclponline.org/about-us/our-staff/tiffani-lennon/.
  11. Lennon, Tiffani “STATEMENT: The Role of the ‘White Moderate.’” CCLP, June 3, 2020. Accessed September 17, 2022. https://cclponline.org/news/statement-the-role-of-the-white-moderate/.
  12. Lennon, Tiffani “Remarks on Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization.” CCLP, June 25, 2022. Accessed September 17, 2022. https://cclponline.org/news/remarks-on-dobbs-v-jackson-womens-health-organization/
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: November 1, 1994

    • 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
    2020 Dec Form 990 $2,125,311 $1,600,486 $3,252,690 $711,398 N $2,093,400 $0 $4,081 $148,485
    2019 Dec Form 990 $1,639,896 $1,400,486 $2,003,757 $42,147 N $1,638,613 $3,742 $8,317 $140,563 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $1,536,862 $1,474,839 $1,785,152 $63,457 N $1,522,912 $21,997 $3,372 $132,336 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $1,702,024 $1,154,061 $1,688,590 $28,918 N $1,701,561 $14,814 $0 $120,040
    2016 Dec Form 990 $1,666,101 $1,193,686 $1,138,024 $26,315 N $1,550,268 $99,937 $0 $120,746
    2015 Dec Form 990 $1,483,647 $1,140,762 $674,164 $34,870 N $1,446,099 $0 $0 $112,000 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $1,003,218 $998,060 $316,295 $19,873 N $967,836 $0 $450 $112,028 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $733,684 $989,734 $320,728 $29,464 N $711,253 $7,873 $264 $202,623 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $1,173,830 $1,469,478 $592,318 $45,037 N $1,162,665 $10,947 $218 $112,272 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $1,562,044 $1,524,739 $918,700 $75,771 N $1,468,991 $92,695 $358 $107,159 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Map image for Colorado Center on Law and Policy

    Colorado Center on Law and Policy

    789 N. Sherman Street, Suite 300
    DENVER, CO 80203-3529