Kirsch Foundation Annual Report 2002-2003/Contents

The Issue:
The California Clean Money Campaign proposed placing a “clean money” initiative, which would provide public financing of elections, on the California ballot in November 2004. Knowing of the Foundation’s support for Public Campaign and “clean money” efforts, the group approached the Kirsch Foundation in summer 2002 for substantial support. The group had estimated that it could cost close to $20 million to run a campaign.

Action:
Foundation staff consulted with California Clean Money Campaign, national advocates of campaign finance reform, and political and initiative consultants. Due to the lack of current, comprehensive data on Californians’ perceptions of clean money or other campaign finance reforms, we decided to undertake and self-fund statewide focus groups and polling. The results of the focus groups and poll were then shared with groups interested in pursuing the initiative and colleague organizations, as well as posted on our website.

As of June 2003:
• We launched a 16-week feasibility study project in the summer of 2002. Working hand-in-hand with a consulting firm and a polling firm, we convened focus groups, developed a statistically valid statewide survey, and shared the final results and analysis with key California and national reform groups. The results indicated that more education about the concept, and messaging work on the phrase “clean money,” would be required in order to achieve success. As a consequence, the California Clean Money Campaign decided to defer an initiative effort until 2006 and to pursue a short-term strategy in the state Legislature.
• The Foundation’s Board of Directors decided that the Foundation would not commit to a public financing initiative in California given the results of the poll, the priority of other issue areas for the Foundation, and the decrease in our assets.
• To demonstrate continued support for “clean money” efforts at the national level, the Foundation made $130,000 in grants to Public Campaign and Public Campaign Action Fund.
• Founder Steve Kirsch appeared on MSNBC’s Phil Donahue Show to discuss campaign finance reform. He explained the virtues of public financing of elections and the positive results in Arizona and Maine, where it has been implemented.