Formation 1987 President Charles Mitchell Revenue (2015) $2,113,078 Type of business Public policy think tank | Region served Pennsylvania Chairwoman Jane Leader Janeczek Founded 1987 | |
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Location 225 State Street
Harrisburg, PA Headquarters Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States Similar Pennsylvania State Educatio, State Policy Network, Tax Foundation, Mackinac Center for Public Po, Beacon Center of Tennessee Profiles | ||
The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives is a nonpartisan think tank based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It develops and advances fiscally conservative and libertarian public policies. The organization's stated mission is to "transform free-market ideas into public policies so all Pennsylvanians can flourish."
Contents
History
The Commonwealth Foundation was founded in 1987 by Don Eberly. Matthew Brouillette was hired as the organization's president in February 2002. At the time, the organization had three employees and $350,000 in annual revenue. In April 2016, Brouillette announced he was stepping down from his position. During his tenure, the organization grew to have 18 employees and an annual budget of more than $4 million with offices in Harrisburg and King of Prussia. Charles Mitchell replaced Brouillette as the organization's president and CEO.
Jane Leader Janeczek chairs the organization's board of directors. Leader Janeczek is a registered Democrat and the daughter of former Pennsylvania Democratic Governor George M. Leader. Leader Janeczek became involved with the Commonwealth Foundation due to the organization's work on prison reform. In a column announcing her election as the organization's chairwoman, she wrote: "As my father and I — both lifelong Democrats — became more familiar with the work of the Commonwealth Foundation, we found not one policy proposal with which we disagreed. Whether prison reform to fix an ailing system, pension reform to put our state on solid financial footing, or paycheck protection to respect the use of taxpayer dollars, the Commonwealth Foundation’s proposals represent common-sense policies."
Activities
The organization supports the privatization of Pennsylvania's state-run liquor stores. The Commonwealth Foundation is a proponent of increased school choice through charter schools and school vouchers. The organization supported former Democratic Governor Ed Rendell's proposal to privatize or lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.
The organization's projects include PennsylvaniaVotes.org, which describes every bill, amendment, and vote that takes place in the Pennsylvania General Assembly and PFTFails.com, a website that documents the activities of Pennsylvania's teacher's unions.