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Non-profit

Conservative Leaders for Education

Parent Organization: New Venture Fund (NVF)
Website:

conservativeleaders4ed.org/
Location:

Alexandria, VA
Tax ID:

81-4027500
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2017):

Revenue: $1,050,000
Expenses: $701,835
Assets: $538,942
Formation:

2017
President:

Karen Nussle
Type:

Advocacy organization

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Conservative Leaders for Education (also styled CL4E) is a right-of-center advocacy organization that advocates for education policies at the state level. It is a project of the left-of-center New Venture Fund, a funding group managed by Arabella Advisors, a left-progressive philanthropic consulting firm based in Washington, D.C.

Background

Conservative Leaders for Education was founded in 2015 and was formed as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization in March 2017 in Alexandria, Virginia, in response to the passage into law of the Every Student Succeeds Act in December 2015. The Act, which superseded the No Child Left Behind Act, in large part governs the federal government’s K-12 public education policy. Unlike its predecessor, the legislation gives far more freedom to each state in the determination of the standards to which its students are held. 1 Conservative Leaders for Education advocates for the development of ostensibly conservative-aligned accountability plans in every state. The organization’s members consist of 21 Republican state legislators. 2

Activities

On August 1, 2016, Conservative Leaders for Education submitted comments on proposed accountability rules from the U.S. Department of Education pursuant to the Every Student Succeeds Act. The comments advocated for the inclusion of education accountability indicators, transparency, and mechanisms to facilitate stakeholder engagement. 3

On November 18, 2016, Karen Nussle, Conservative Leaders for Education’s president (then styled executive director), published a post on the organization’s website discussing her recommendations regarding then President-elect Donald Trump’s potential choice for Secretary of the Department of Education. Among Nussle’s list of candidates were Conservative Leaders for Education’s chairman Bill Bennett, formerly President Ronald Reagan’s Education Secretary, as well as conservative philanthropist Betsy DeVos, whom Trump later appointed. 4

In 2018, Conservative Leaders for Education published a policy catalog, “What Works in State Education Policy: Inspiring Ideas for Today’s Leaders.” The document features various stories from its members about aligned legislation passed in their states, and a statement of principles, advocating for increased state-level control of public K-12 educational institutions, parental involvement and organizing, increased accountability measures with regard to educational outcomes, and the development of new policy mechanisms to ensure educational quality and effective testing. 56

People

Karen Nussle, President

Prior to Conservative Leaders for Education, Karen Nussle owned and managed a boutique communications firm, Ripple Communications; worked at Burson-Marsteller, a communications firm; and Prime Policy Group. Prior to working in communications, Nussle worked for then-Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-GA) during his tenure as Minority Whip and as Speaker of the House in the early 1990s. 7

Chris Mohrman, Policy Director

Before working with Conservative Leaders for Education, Christopher Mohrman held positions in the administration and campaigns of former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson (R). 8

Mark Middleton, Policy Advisor

Before working with Conservative Leaders for Education, Mark Middleton was the Georgia Department of Education’s chief of staff. 9

The New Venture Fund

Conservative Leaders for Education is a project of the New Venture Fund, a 501(c)(3) funding and fiscal sponsorship nonprofit that typically offers grants to left-of-center advocacy organizations and organizing projects, such as Americans for Tax Fairness and Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders,10 and provides incubation services to smaller politically aligned organizations. 11 The Fund is directly administered by Arabella Advisors, a Washington, D.C.-based philanthropy consulting firm notable for its work with left-leaning clients, which also administers the Hopewell Fund and Windward Fund. 1213 According to a report by the right-of-center Washington Free Beacon, the organization is a distributor of “dark money” and a conduit through which left-leaning groups direct money to controversial advocacy projects. 14

References

  1. Hirschfeld-Davis, Julie. “President Obama Signs Into Law a Rewrite of No Child Left Behind.” New York Times. December 10, 2015. Accessed October 7, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/11/us/politics/president-obama-signs-into-law-a-rewrite-of-no-child-left-behind.html
  2. “About.” Conservatives Leaders for Education. Accessed October 2, 2020. https://conservativeleaders4ed.org/about/
  3. “CL4E WEIGHS IN ON PROPOSED DEPARTMENT OF ED RULES ON ESSA.” Conservative Leaders for Education. August 2, 2016. Accessed October 3, 2020.https://conservativeleaders4ed.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/CL4E-ESSA-NPRM-Letter-8-2-16_.pdf
  4. Nussle, Karen. “PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP: THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX ON SEC OF ED.” Conservative Leaders for Education. November 18, 2020. Accessed October 3, 2020. https://conservativeleaders4ed.org/2016/11/18/president-elect-trump-think-outside-box-sec-ed/
  5. “What Works in State Education Policy: Inspiring Ideas for Today’s Leaders.” Conservatives Leaders for Education. 2018. Accessed October 2, 2020. https://conservativeleaders4ed.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/What-Works-in-State-Education-Policy.pdf
  6. “What Works in State Education Policy.” Conservative Leaders for Education. 2018. Accessed October 2, 2020. https://conservativeleaders4ed.org/what-works-in-state-education-policy/
  7. “About.” Conservatives Leaders for Education. Accessed October 2, 2020. https://conservativeleaders4ed.org/about/
  8. “About.” Conservatives Leaders for Education. Accessed October 2, 2020. https://conservativeleaders4ed.org/about/
  9. “About.” Conservatives Leaders for Education. Accessed October 2, 2020. https://conservativeleaders4ed.org/about/
  10. “Project Directory.” New Venture Fund. Accessed March 28, 2019. http://www.newventurefund.org/project-directory/
  11. “About New Venture Fund.” New Venture Fund. Accessed March 28, 2019. http://www.newventurefund.org/about-nvf/
  12. Application for Recognition of Exemption (Form 1023). New Venture Fund. 2006. Available: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/03/New-Venture-Fund-1023-IRS-Exemption.pdf
  13. Markay, Lachan. “Over 100 Left-Wing Groups Sourced to DC Dark Money Outfit.” Washington Free Beacon. October 22, 2015. Accessed March 28, 2019. http://freebeacon.com/issues/over-100-left-wing-groups-sourced-to-d-c-dark-money-outfit/
  14. Markay, Lachan. “Over 100 Left-Wing Groups Sourced to DC Dark Money Outfit.” Washington Free Beacon. October 22, 2015. Accessed March 28, 2019. http://freebeacon.com/issues/over-100-left-wing-groups-sourced-to-d-c-dark-money-outfit/
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: March 1, 2017

    • 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
    2017 Dec Form 990 $1,050,000 $701,835 $538,942 $40,777 N $1,050,000 $0 $0 $110,000 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Conservative Leaders for Education

    8643 MOUNT VERNON HWY
    Alexandria, VA 22309-2030