For more information, see Mother Jones

The Foundation for National Progress is a center-left nonprofit that publishes and supports the social-democratic opinion and news magazine Mother Jones and supports the development of left-of-center journalists writing for the publication.

Background

The Foundation for National Progress publishes and supports the left-wing periodical Mother Jones, founded in 1976 by self-proclaimed activist journalist Paul Jacobs. ¹ Mother Jones explores political and social issues via two main platforms: a bimonthly national magazine release and its website. ² Mother Jones claims as many as 200,000 subscribers, and a substantial online presence. ³

As of fiscal year 2017, 93.7% or $8,964,224 of the Foundation’s expenses was directed toward investigative reporting while the remaining 6.3% or $601,935 was allocated for Mother Jones’ Ben Bagdikian Fellowship Program, which mentors maturing left-of-center journalists. ² The MacArthur Foundation also granted the Foundation for National Progress a $15,000 to provide an annual conference for The Media Consortium to “…discuss cultural and political trends affecting their industry.” ³

Key Staff

Monika Bauerlein was named Mother Jones’ chief executive officer in 2015 after serving as co-editor with Clara Jeffery for the preceding nine years. Jeffery remains the group’s editor-in-chief. Steven Katz is the publisher of Mother Jones, and David Corn is the Washington, D.C. bureau chief. ⁴ Phil Straus holds the position of chairman of the Foundation’s board of directors. ²

Media Consortium

In 2017, the Foundation for National Progress created The Media Consortium, a network of independent journalism outlets, purporting to represent “communities of color.” ³ That year, the MacArthur Foundation granted Foundation for National Progress $15,000 to create an annual conference known as the Media Consortium during which independent journalists from under-privileged areas come together to discuss current political and cultural trends affecting the journalism industry. ⁵

Funding

The MacArthur Foundation awarded the Foundation for National Progress nearly $2,000,000 between 1998 and 2017. In 1998, the Foundation was awarded $35,000 “to support an initiative on arms issues through the Internet-based version of the magazine.” ³ In 2014, the Foundation was awarded $300,000 to support general operations because of the “high quality of journalism” displayed in Mother Jones. ³ In 2016, the Foundation for National Progress was gifted $1,500,000,³and, most recently, in 2017, the Media Consortium was awarded an additional $15,000. ³

Other major contributors include the Quixote Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Marisla Foundation, and Ford Foundation. ⁶ Mother Jones has further cultivated a dedicated base of small donors, accounting for $20 million in charitable contributions from 2013 to 2015. Following the election of President Donald Trump, the magazine saw a surge in support;⁷ tech entrepreneur Rob Glaser granted $250,000 to Mother Jones to investigate alleged connections between Trump’s 2016 Presidential campaign and persons associated with the Russian government. ⁷

In fiscal year 2011, the Foundation reported a negative net income with total revenue of $9,747,036 and expenses of $10,104,860. ⁸ In fiscal year 2012, the Foundation turned a small profit with total revenue of $11,755,037 and net income of $512,096;⁹ 2013 saw a significant decrease in contributions, and, thus, revenue, with the Foundation ending the fiscal year $108,819 in the red. ⁸ In fiscal year 2014 revenue increased dramatically, totaling $13,536,283, $6,259,779 of which was from contributions. ⁸ In fiscal years 2015, 2016, and 2017 contributions steadily increased to $8,713,127; $8,830,782; and $11,565,250 respectively. ⁸ In 2017, the Foundation made a net income of $2,850,145. ⁸¹⁰

1. Hochschild, Adam. “Mother Jones: The Magazine” https://www.motherjones.com/about/history/, May/June 2001, Accessed March 24, 2019
2. Charity Navigator “Foundation for National Progress,” Accessed on March 24, 2019, https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.programs&orgid=7989
3. MacArthur Foundation. “Foundation for National Progress,” Accessed on March 24,2018, https://www.macfound.org/grantees/2464/
4. Mother Jones. “Staff,” Accessed March 24, 2019, https://www.motherjones.com/about/staff
5. MacArthur Foundation. “Foundation for National Progress,” Accessed on March 25, 2019, https://www.macfound.org/grantees/2464/
6. Data compiled by Foundationsearch subscription service, a project of Metasoft Systems, Inc., from forms filed with the IRS. Queries conducted April 9, 2019.
7. Callan, David. “Here’s How Magazines Like Harper’s and Mother Jones Stay Afloat,” Inside Philanthropy. June 20, 2018, Accessed on March 26, 2019, https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2018/6/20/heres-how-magazines-like-harpers-and-mother-jones-stay-afloat
8. ProPublica. “Foundation for National Progress,” Accessed on March 28, 2019, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/942282759
9. ProPublica. “Foundation for National Progress,” Accessed on March 28, 2019, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/942282759
10. Foundation for National Progress, Return of Exempt Organization from Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Part 1