The NM Political Report is a left-leaning nonprofit news organization that covers politics and policy in New Mexico. The site is webhosted by the ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund, a left-of-center advocacy group that focuses on abortion access, environmentalism, and voter mobilization. ^{1 2}

As of August 2024, the beats covered by NM Political Report were “Reproductive Justice,” “Environment,” and “Politics/Legislative.” ³

ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund

ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund is a left-of-center nonprofit that focuses on abortion access, environmentalism, voter mobilization, and combatting disinformation in New Mexico. ⁴ The fund is the charitable arm of the lobbying and advocacy group ProgressNow New Mexico. Both groups are state affiliates of ProgressNow, a national left-of-center advocacy group that works to disseminate left-of-center to policies through campaigns including earned media strategies and targeted email campaigns.  ⁵

The NM Political Report states that the ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund is the “webhost” of the site in its privacy policy, and lists the same address as the fund on its Facebook page. ^{6 7 8}

The ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund also shares an address with the Center for Civic Policy, a charitable left-of-center nonprofit. ^{9 10} The Center for Civic Policy organizes the New Mexico Civic Engagement Table, a coalition of over 40 groups including the ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund that is engaged in voter mobilization efforts in New Mexico. ¹¹ As of 2023, the ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund listed the Center for Civic Policy as a related organization on IRS filings. ¹²

As of August, 2024, the ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund had received money from large left-of-center groups including the New Venture Fund, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, and the Foundation to Promote Open Society. ^{13 14 15 16}

Activities

NM Political Report publishes online news articles centered around politics and policy in New Mexico. As of August 2024, the beats covered by the site included “Reproductive Justice,” “Environment,” and “Politics/Legislative.”  ¹⁷

Funding

NM Political Report states that its web host, the ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund, helps find funding for the outlet. ¹⁸

In 2017, the ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund received a $49,800 grant from the Foundation to Promote Open Society to establish a “Hate Desk” at the NM Political Report. ¹⁹

Leadership

Matthew Reichbach has been the editor of the NM Political Report since 2015. ²⁰ Reichbach’s previous work experience includes reporting for the New Mexico Telegram, Clearly New Mexico, and the New Mexico Independent. ²¹ In an archived “About Us” page of the seemingly defunct New Mexio Independent, the site claimed to be part of a “network of state-based online news sites founded by the Center for Independent Media.” The Center for Independent Media, also known as the American Independent Institute, was led by David Brock, the founder of the left-of-center fact-checking group Media Matters for America. The American Independent Institute funded left-of-center journalists to investigate the “nexus of conservative power in Washington.” ²²

1. “Privacy Policy – NM Political Report.” NM Political Report -, September 28, 2016. https://nmpoliticalreport.com/about/privacy-policy/.
2. “ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2023. Page 2 Part III Line 4a.
3. “Our Team – NM Political Report.” NM Political Report -, November 29, 2023. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://nmpoliticalreport.com/about/our-team/
4. ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2023. Page 2 Part III Line 4a.
5. “About ProgressNow.” ProgressNow. Accessed August 9, 2024. https://progressnow.org/about/.
6. “Privacy Policy – NM Political Report.” NM Political Report -, September 28, 2016. https://nmpoliticalreport.com/about/privacy-policy/.
7. New Mexico Political Report.” Facebook. Accessed July 16, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/NMpoliticalReport/.
8. ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) Page 1 Section C.
9. ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) Page 1 Section C.
10. Center for Civic Policy, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (From 990) Page 1 Section C.
11. “New Mexico Civic Engagement Table.” Center for Civic Policy, September 28, 2020. https://civicpolicy.com/nmcet/.
12.  ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2023 Schedule R.
13. “New Venture Fund,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2022 Schedule I.
14.  “Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2022 Schedule I.
15. “The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation,” Return of Private Foundation (Form 990PF) 2022.
16. “Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships.” Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships – Open Society Foundations. Accessed July 12, 2024. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?filter_keyword=ProgressNow%2BNew%2BMexico%2BEducation%2BFund&grant_id=OR2016-32240
17. Our Team – NM Political Report.” NM Political Report -, November 29, 2023. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://nmpoliticalreport.com/about/our-team/.
18. Dunlap, Susan. “New Billboards Aim to Start Conversation about Abortion Access.” NM Political Report. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://nmpoliticalreport.com/issues/women/new-billboards-aim-to-start-conversation-about-abortion-access/.
19. “Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships.” Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships – Open Society Foundations. Accessed July 12, 2024. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?filter_keyword=ProgressNow%2BNew%2BMexico%2BEducation%2BFund&grant_id=OR2016-32240.
20. “Our Team – NM Political Report.” NM Political Report -, November 29, 2023. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://nmpoliticalreport.com/about/our-team/.
21. “About Us.” New Mexico Independent RSS. Accessed August 9, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20081203142922/http://newmexicoindependent.com/about.
22. Byers, Dylan. David Brock to launch journalism institute.” Politico. June 19, 2014. Accessed August 8, 2024. http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2014/06/david-brock-to-launch-journalism-institute-190746.