Opportunity Ohio (O2) is a is a right-of-center organization promoting free-market ideas through education for citizens and policymakers in Ohio. O2 supports policies that encourage job creation in Ohio. O2’s videos, data sheets, articles, and public speaking engagements espouse free-market ideas and policies to citizens on a variety of issues including budget reform, elections, education, health care, and jobs. ¹

History

Opportunity Ohio was founded in 2012 with the intention to create a more prosperous Ohio through free-market-aligned policy. O2 advises policymakers on a wide variety of issues including budget reform, elections, education, health care, and jobs. O2 also provides education to Ohio citizens on many of these same topics through videos, comprehensive data sheets, articles, and public speaking engagements. ²

In its first year, O2 provided data sheets on 36 Ohio school districts, released its first public opinion survey, and published multiple articles on employment issues. That same year, O2 held a series of public educational events focused on preventing voter fraud. ³

Opportunity Ohio continues to provide similar educational materials on its website; as of 2020, it provided materials on the 2020 Presidential elections,⁴ the effects of Covid-19 on Ohio’s economy,⁵ and jobs-related data sheets. ⁶

Activity

In 2012, O2 made a $50,000 contribution to True the Vote to support volunteer trainings to help prevent voter fraud. ⁷

In 2013, O2 made a $10,000 contribution to Greenhouse Solutions (Media Trackers), ⁸ an organization advocating for accountability in the mainstream media, fact-based journalism, and government transparency. ⁹

Funding

Opportunity Ohio is a former member of the State Policy Network (SPN). O2 received funding from SPN in the amounts of $265,775 in 2012¹⁰ and $129,000 in 2013. ¹¹ Other funding for O2 comes from individual donations. ¹²

People

Matt Mayer is the president of Opportunity Ohio. Mayer is a former columnist for U.S. News & World Report, a former visiting fellow for the American Enterprise Institute, a former visiting scholar for the Heritage Foundation, and formerly served as a senior official at the Department of Homeland Security. Mayer is the author of several books on public policy, is a contributor to public policy journals and newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Politico, and the Federalist, and has appeared on C-SPAN, ABC, and NBC, among other outlets. ¹³

Mayer is the sole owner of Provisum Strategies LLC, which provides services for O2 including research, policy writing, fundraising, and bookkeeping. Since 2014, Provisum has been paid $774,800 for these services. ¹⁴

Mary McCleary is a visiting fellow at Opportunity Ohio, ¹⁵ where she formerly served as the vice president of policy from 2013 to 2014. Before that, McCleary was the director of data analysis at the Liberty Foundation, a public affairs officer in the Ohio Treasurer’s office, and a policy analyst for the Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions. McCleary served as a Koch fellow for the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation from 2008-2009. ¹⁶

Board of Directors

John Adams joined the board as treasurer in 2016. Adams is a former member of the Ohio State of Representatives, in which he served from 2007 to 2014 representing a district including Sidney, Ohio. ¹⁷ Adams was elected to serve as Majority Whip in 2010. ¹⁸

Michael Carnuccio served as treasurer of the board until October 2015. ¹⁹ Carnuccio is the president and CEO of the Liberty Foundation of America and the president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. ²⁰

Other board members include chair of the board Richard F. O’Donnell and secretary Samuel Gallo.

1. “About Us.” Opportunity Ohio, 2020. Accessed September 11, 2020. http://www.opportunityohio.org/about-us/.
2. “About Us.” Opportunity Ohio, 2020. Accessed September 11, 2020. http://www.opportunityohio.org/about-us/.
3. Opportunity Ohio, Inc., Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2012, Part III, Lines 4a and 4b.
4. “Elections.” Opportunity Ohio, 2020. Accessed September 11, 2020. http://www.opportunityohio.org/category/elections/.
5. “Budget Reform.” Opportunity Ohio, 2020. Accessed September 11, 2020. http://www.opportunityohio.org/category/budget-reform/.
6. “Jobs.” Opportunity Ohio, 2020. Accessed September 11, 2020. http://www.opportunityohio.org/category/jobs/.
7. Opportunity Ohio, Inc., Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2012, Schedule I, Part II.
8. Opportunity Ohio, Inc., Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2013, Schedule I, Part II.
9. Greenhouse Solutions, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2013, Part I, Line I.
10. State Policy Network, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2012, Schedule I, Part II.
11. State Policy Network, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2013, Schedule I, Part II.
12. Opportunity Ohio, Inc., Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2018, Part I, Line 8.
13. “About Us.” Opportunity Ohio, 2020. Accessed September 11, 2020. http://www.opportunityohio.org/about-us/.
14. Opportunity Ohio, Inc., Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2014-2018, Schedule O, Part VI, Section A, Line 3.
15. “About Us.” Opportunity Ohio, 2020. Accessed September 11, 2020. http://www.opportunityohio.org/about-us/.
16. “Mary McCleary.” LinkedIn, 2020. Accessed September 13, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-mccleary-5a558211/.
17. “John Adams (Ohio).” Ballotpedia. Accessed September 13, 2020. https://ballotpedia.org/John_Adams_(Ohio).
18. “John Adams Elected to House Majority Leadership.” Ohio House of Representatives Republican Caucus, November 10, 2010. Accessed September 13, 2020. http://ohiohousegop.blogspot.com/2010/11/john-adams-elected-to-house-majority.html.
19. Opportunity Ohio, Inc., Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2015, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a.
20. “Michael Carnuccio.” LinkedIn, 2020. Accessed September 13, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-carnuccio-1a762a90/.