Texas Scorecard (also known as Citizens News Guild and formerly the Empower Texans Foundation) is a nonprofit organization that intends to educate the public through its website, featuring investigative journalism and news reporting. Texas Scorecard reports on the advancement of self-governance in Texas from a pro-liberty right-of-center point of view. 1
The group originally existed to promote free markets as the charitable arm of the advocacy group Empower Texans. 2
Activities
Texas Scorecard features news articles covering local, state, and federal issues along with investigative research and opinion pieces. 3
Texas Scorecard produces several podcasts ranging from Daily Headlines with Brandon Waltens, Reflections on Life & Liberty with Michael Quinn Sullivan, Texas Minute, and Exposed, which uncovers stories hidden from the public by bureaucrats. 4
Texas Scorecard provides tools for Texas citizens, including a directory of legislators. 5 The Texas Scorecard Fellowship provides a comprehensive program for conservative Texans under 25 who have an interest in political accountability and public policy. 6 Texas Scorecard also organizes and leads an annual trip to Israel to explore self-governance through Biblical roots. 7
Funding
Citizens News Guild is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. While Citizens News Guild does not disclose its donors, tax filings confirm donations from the Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program ($1.49 million in 2022), 8 Citizens for Self-Governance ($40,000 in 2022), 9 and the Texas Right to Life Committee Educational Fund ($25,000 in 2021). 10
People
Nathan Ofe is the CEO of Texas Scorecard, a former executive vice president at Sourcerock, and a former development director at Empower Texans. 11
Board of Directors
Tim Dunn is the chair of the board of Citizens News Guild and the CEO of CrownQuest. Dunn is a cofounder of the Center for Effective Criminal Justice at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and the chair of the Christian advisory board of the Israel Allies Foundation. 12 Dunn was the chair of the board of Empower Texans and America First Works and sits on the boards of Transparency Texas, the First Liberty Institute, the 1789 Alliance, the America First Policy Institute, the Lucy Burns Institute, Citizens for Self-Governance, and CSG Action. 13
Michael Sullivan is the president of Citizens News Guild and the publisher of Texas Scorecard. Sullivan is a former president and CEO of Empower Texans, a former vice president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and a former director of communications at the Media Research Center. 14
Ken Beattie is a senior vice president and COO of CrownQuest Operating. 15
Keith Uhles is a reservoir engineer at CrownRock Minerals, a member of the advisory board of the First Liberty Institute, and a member of the Liberty Leadership Council at the Midland Chapter of the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Uhles is a former member of the West Texas Regional Advisory Board of Empower Texans. 16
References
- “About Us.” Texas Scorecard. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://texasscorecard.com/about-us/.
- “About.” Empower Texans. Archived from the original February 14, 2016. Accessed March 6, 2024. http://web.archive.org/web/20160214153102/http://www.empowertexans.com/about/
- “News.” Texas Scorecard. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://texasscorecard.com/news/.
- “Listen.” Texas Scorecard. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://texasscorecard.com/listen/.
- “Find Your Legislators.” Texas Scorecard. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://directory.texasscorecard.com/.
- “Texas Scorecard Fellowship.” Texas Scorecard. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://texasscorecard.com/texas-scorecard-fellowship/.
- “Israel Trip 2024.” Texas Scorecard. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://texasscorecard.com/israel-2024/.
- Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2022, Schedule I, Part II.
- Citizens for Self-Governance, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2022, Schedule I, Part II.
- Texas Right to Life Committee Educational Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2021, Schedule I, Part II.
- “Natha Ofe.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-ofe-73670518/.
- “About Me.” Tim Dunn. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://timdunn.org/about-me-2/.
- “Tim Dunn.” ProPublica. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/name_search?q=%22Tim+Dunn%22.
- “Michael Quinn Sullivan.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelquinnsullivan/.
- “About Us.” CrownQuest. Accessed March 9, 2024. http://crownquest.com/aboutus/.
- “Keith Uhles.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithu87/.