Community News Center is a nonprofit organization headed by a former Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee director that launches and distributes local newsletters. The Sixteen Thirty Fund reported contributing $100,000 to the organization in 2022. ¹

Background

Community News Center is headed by executive director Aaron Strauss. Strauss is the former director of the Analyst Institute, a for-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works with left-of-center organizations and campaigns to assess and enhance their impact. Strauss’s personal website describes his background as working for several Democratic party campaigns, and his X social media profile describes his work as “using evidence-based strategies to re-elect Biden.” ^{2 3}

Strauss is also a former director of targeting and data for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and described his work since 2019 as “crafting anti-Trump ads and measuring their real-world effects.” ⁴

Community News Center advocates for local journalism and claims to be addressing the problem of “local news deserts” with local newsletters to increase civic participation. ⁵

Activities

Community News Center’s primary efforts involve launching and distributing local newsletters, which the organization claims to have done in 13 states. ⁶

Community News Center claims that these newsletters discuss a broad range of topics such as local events, money saving tips, and government resources and counteract the negative effects of local news deserts where no local journalism outlets are based. ⁶

Community News Center also raises awareness about national resources, such as federal and consumer protection resources and prescription drug discount programs. ⁶

Funding

Community News Center reported over $3 million in revenue in 2022. ⁷ Community News Center does not disclose its donors, but the left-of-center Sixteen Thirty Fund managed by Arabella Advisors reported contributing $100,000 to the organization in 2022. ¹

Community News Center is also involved in political activities, reporting $117,213 in political campaign activity expenditures in 2022. ⁷

Community News Center also reported receiving $1 million in publicly traded securities in 2022, which the organization liquidated at a loss. ⁷

The organization’s largest expenditures are for printing and mailing services, reporting payments of $1.3 million to Snap Pack Mail and $757,917 to Mission Control, Inc in 2022. Community News Center also issued large payments to research consultants based in Washington, D.C., reporting payments of $250,000 to Democratic polling firm Hart Research Associates and $133,456 to PSG Consulting in 2022. ⁷

The organization also reported purchasing $174,466 worth of gift cards from Tango Card in the same year. Community News Center’s only reported assets for 2022 were $160,041 in cash. The directors of Community News Center report no compensation from the organization. ⁷

1. Sixteen Thirty Fund, Return of an Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990). 2022.
2. Aaron Strauss, “About Me,” accessed February 12, 2024, https://www.aaronstrauss.net/about-me.
3. Aaron Strauss, X profile, accessed February 12, 2024, https://twitter.com/aaronstrauss.
4. “Aaron Strauss”, LinkedIn. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-strauss-216b3224/.
5. “Local News Deserts,” Community News Center, accessed February 12, 2024, https://www.communitynewscenter.com/local-news-deserts/.
6.  “Our Work,” Community News Center, accessed February 12, 2024, https://www.communitynewscenter.com/our-work/.
7. Community News Center, Return of an Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990). 2022.