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'''Concerned Women for America''' (CWA) is a conservative women's organization that describes its goal as "helping our members across the country bring Biblical principles into all levels of public policy."<ref name="about"/> ''Mother Jones'' describes CWA as "a conservative anti-feminist operation,"<ref name="mencimer">Stephanie Mencimer, "[http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/06/concerned-women-americas-6-million-anti-obama-campaign Who's Paying for $6 Million of New Anti-Obamacare Ads?]," ''Mother Jones'', June 27, 2012. Accessed July 17, 2014.</ref> while the Southern Poverty Law Center identified CWA as one of the most influential anti-gay groups in the U.S.<ref>Southern Poverty Law Center, "[http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2005/spring/a-mighty-army#6 A Dozen Major Groups Help Drive the Religious Right’s Anti-Gay Crusade]," Intelligence Report, Spring 2005. Accessed July 17, 2014.</ref>



CWA was founded by [[Beverly LaHaye]], wife of conservative activist [[Tim LaHaye]], in 1979.<ref>Concerned Women for America, [http://www.cwfa.org/about/our-history/ Our History], organizational website, accessed July 17, 2014.</ref>





CWA describes its mission as "to protect and promote Biblical values among all citizens — first through prayer, then education, and finally by influencing our society — thereby reversing the decline in moral values in our nation."<ref name="about">Concerned Women for America, [http://www.cwfa.org/about.asp About CWA], organizational website, accessed July 17, 2014.</ref> According to its website, CWA focuses on seven core issues, which it lists as "sanctity of life," "defense of family," "education," "religious liberty," "national sovereignty," "sexual exploitation," and "support for Israel."<ref>Concerned Women for America, [http://www.cwfa.org/about/issues/ Issues], organizational website, accessed July 17, 2014.</ref>





CWA operates a think tank, the [http://www.beverlylahayeinstitute.org/bli/ Beverly LaHaye Institute]. It also operates a [[political action committee]], [http://www.cwpac.org/ Concerned Women PAC], and a legislative action committee, [http://www.cwalac.org/ CWALAC].



{{Template:KochConnection}}





==Ties to the Koch Brothers==



[[File:A_Maze_of_Money.png|500px|thumb|right|The Koch network was one of the biggest political operations in 2012 and worked largely outside the campaign finance system, raising at least $407 million. ''Source: Robert Maguire with the Center for Responsive Politics.'']]





CWA was part of the Koch brothers' $400 million network in the 2012 election cycle.<ref name="koch network">Matea Gold, "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/koch-backed-political-network-built-to-shield-donors-raised-400-million-in-2012-elections/2014/01/05/9e7cfd9a-719b-11e3-9389-09ef9944065e_story.html Koch-backed political network, built to shield donors, raised $400 million in 2012 elections]," ''Washington Post'', January 5, 2014. Accessed July 17, 2014.</ref> It has received substantial funding from the Koch donor network in recent years. The Kochs' [[Freedom Partners]] gave CWA $8.15 million in 2012, and the [[Center to Protect Patient Rights]] gave donations totaling $1,678,073 to CWA between 2010 and 2012. [[DonorsTrust]], a donor-advised fund to which the Kochs contribute, reported a $70,000 grant to CWA in 2010.





==News and Controversies==





===Ties to Russian Anti-LGBT Law===





CWA has been a co-sponsor of the [[World Congress of Families]] (WCF) since 1999, according to its own press releases.<ref>Concerned Women for America, "[http://www.cwfa.org/cwa-leader-helps-plan-2012-world-congress-of-families/ CWA Leader Helps Plan World Congress of Families]," press release, October 26, 2011. Accessed July 17, 2014.</ref> The Southern Poverty Law Center identifies WCF as an anti-LGBT hate group,<ref>Southern Poverty Law Center, "[http://www.splcenter.org/blog/2014/03/25/world-congress-of-families-suspends-russia-conference/ World Congress of Families Suspends Russia Conference]," March 25, 2014. Accessed July 17, 2014.</ref> and a detailed 2014 report by ''Mother Jones'' has described how "WCF has lent its support to anti-gay politics elsewhere in Eastern Europe—Serbia, Lithuania, Romania—but it has had its biggest and most notable successes in Russia."<ref name="world congress">Hannah Levintova, "[http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/02/world-congress-families-russia-gay-rights How US Evangelicals Helped Create Russia's Anti-Gay Movement]," ''Mother Jones'', February 21, 2014.</ref>





In 2013, Russia passed a federal law banning "propaganda of non-traditional sexual orientations," which has been widely criticized for spurring discrimination and violence against LGBT Russians.<ref>Human Rights Watch, "[http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/06/29/russia-anti-lgbt-law-tool-discrimination Russia: Anti-LGBT Law a Tool for Discrimination]," June 30, 2014. Accessed July 17, 2014.</ref><ref>Owen Gibson and Shaun Walker, "[http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jan/30/olympic-athletes-russia-repeal-anti-gay-laws Olympians urge Russia to reconsider 'gay propaganda' laws]," ''The Guardian'', January 30, 2014. Accessed July 17, 2014.</ref> In February 2014, CWA senior fellow Janice Shaw Crouch expressed support for Russia's policies at a press conference, saying, “I hope that the United States will learn some lessons, quite frankly, from Russia."<ref>J. Lester Feder, "[http://www.buzzfeed.com/lesterfeder/russia-is-the-real-guardian-of-human-rights-say-activists-fi Russia Is The Real Guardian Of Human Rights, Say Activists Fighting LGBT Advances]," ''Buzzfeed'', February 5, 2014. Accessed July 17, 2014.</ref>





CWA only withdrew from a planned 2014 WCF conference in Moscow after Russian forces invaded Ukraine in March 2014.<ref>J. Lester Feder, "[http://www.buzzfeed.com/lesterfeder/leading-conservative-group-withdraws-from-pro-life-olympics Leading Conservative Group Withdraws From “Pro-Life Olympics” In Moscow Over Russian Invasion Of Ukraine]," ''Buzzfeed'', March 11, 2014. Accessed July 17, 2014.</ref>





==Involvement in Elections==





CWA's PAC, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, has reported several hundred thousand dollars in spending to the FEC in the past several election cycles. However, CWA itself has also been politically active as a "dark money" nonprofit, not required to disclose its donors or its spending on so-called "issue ads" during election cycles. Thus its total spending on political activities during a given election cycle can be much higher than the amount reported by its PAC.





===2014 Election Cycle===



As of July 2014, CWA's PAC had reported $117,322 in spending to the FEC for the 2014 election cycle.<ref>Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?cycle=2014&strID=C00375865 Concerned Women for America], 2014 spending report, accessed July 17, 2014.</ref>





'''North Carolina'''<br>



CWA endorsed Baptist preacher Mark Harris in the North Carolina Republican Senate primary. Harris tweeted that he was "honored" to receive the endorsement,<ref>Mark Harris, [https://twitter.com/MarkHarris2014/statuses/420933483771334657 Honored to receive the endorsement of CWPAC, the nation's largest public policy women's organization!], Twitter post, January 8, 2014. Accessed July 17, 2014.</ref> prompting LGBT rights group Equality NC [http://equalitync.org/latest/news/equality_nc_responds_to_anti_LGBT_group_endorsement_of_senate_candidate/]





In May 2014, Harris lost the primary to Thom Tillis, who will face incumbent Kay Hagan for North Carolina's Senate seat in November 2014.<ref>John Frank, "[http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/05/06/3840882/us-senate-thom-tillis-trying-to.html US Senate: Thom Tillis easily wins Republican primary, takes aim at Democrat Kay Hagan]," ''News Observer'', May 6, 2014. Accessed July 17, 2014.</ref>





===2012 Election Cycle===



In the 2012 cycle, CWA's PAC reported a total of $295,516 in spending to the FEC. The bulk of the spending, according to CWA's filings, went to "fundraising" (70%) and "administrative" (29%) expenses.<ref>Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cycle=2012&cmte=C00375865 Concerned Women for America], 2012 spending profile, accessed July 17, 2014.</ref> According to the ''Washington Post'', CWA organized a get-out-the-vote campaign for conservative Christian women.<ref name="koch network"/>





CWA also reported direct contributions to four candidates:<ref>Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cycle=2012&cmte=C00375865 Concerned Women for America], 2012 direct expenditures report, accessed July 17, 2014.</ref>



*Robert Aderholt (R-AL): $250



*Deb Fischer (R-NE): $250



*Richard Mourdock (R-IN): $1,000



*[[Mitt Romney]] (R): $250





====CWA Spends $6M on Anti-ACA Ads in Battleground States====



{{#evp:youtube|u8nfaDqNuBM|"Care"|right|300}}







CWA spent $6 million on television ads attacking the [[PPACA|Affordable Care Act]]. The 60-second ad, titled "Care," began running June 20, 2012 and ran in Iowa, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Virginia, and Wisconsin.<ref>Concerned Women for America, "[http://www.cwfa.org/cwa-launches-multi-million-dollar-ad-buy-highlighting-side-effects-of-government-run-health-care/ CWA Launches Multi-Million Dollar Ad Buy Highlighting Side Effects of Government-Run Health Care]," press release, June 20, 2012. Accessed July 17, 2014.</ref> ''Mother Jones'' described the ad buy as "unusually large" for the group, noting that $6 million "vastly exceed[ed] the action committee's entire budget from the past several years."<ref name="mencimer"/>





As described by the ''Huffington Post'', the ads "warn[ed] that the White House-backed health care law might limit patient care and increase the federal deficit."<ref>Peter H. Stone, "[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/05/mega-donors-bankrolling-religious-right_n_1735337.html Koch Brothers, GOP Mega Donors, Help Bankroll Religious Conservative's 2012 Efforts]," ''Huffington Post'', August 5, 2012. Accessed July 17, 2014.</ref>





==Personnel==



As of July 2014:<ref>Concerned Women for America, [http://www.cwfa.org/about/our-experts/ Our Experts], organizational website, accessed July 17, 2014.</ref>



*[[Penny Young Nance]], CEO and president



*[[Janice Shaw Crousel]], Executive Director and Senior Fellow



*[[Kenda Bartlett]], Executive Director



*[[Mario Diaz]], Legal Counsel



*[[Shari Rendall]], Director of House Legislation



*[[Alison Howard]], Communications Director



*[[Alexandria Paolozzi]], Senate Legislative Director



*[[Caroline Biggs]], Young Women for America Coordinator



*[[Beverly LaHaye]] - founder and chairman



*[[Wendy Wright]] - president



*[[Janice Shaw Crouse]] - senior fellow, Beverly LaHaye Institute





==Former personnel==



*[[Matt Barber]] - policy director for cultural issues, now with [[Liberty University]] Law School and [[Liberty Counsel]]





==Contact Information==



Concerned Women for America<br>



1015 Fifteenth St. N.W., Suite 1100<br>



Washington, D.C. 20005<br>



Phone: (202) 488-7000<br>



FAX: (202) 488-0806 <br>



Website: http://www.cwfa.org<br>





==Funding==



*The organization received $1.5 million from the [[Center to Protect Patient Rights]]. <ref> Novak, Viveca. [http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2012/12/center-to-protect-patient-rights-ga.html Center to Protect Patient Rights Gave Millions in 2011 to Outside Spenders in Election] Accessed 12/17/2012.</ref>





*[[Bill and Berniece Grewcock Foundation]]<ref>[http://www.mediatransparency.org/recipientprofile.php?recipientID=3651 Profile: Concerned Women for America], Media Transparency, accessed March 11, 2008.</ref>





==Articles and Resources==



===References===



<references/>





===Related SourceWatch Articles===



[[Independent Women's Forum]]





=== External links ===



*[http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=22376 Concerned Women for America], [[People for the American Way]], accessed March 12, 2008.



*Steven Gardiner, [http://feminism.eserver.org/cw-of-a.txt "Concerned Women for America: A Case Study"], Feminism and Women's Studies, August 28, 2006.



*  Ronnee Schreiber, ''Righting Feminism: Conservative Women and American Politics'', Oxford University Press, June 2008. ISBN 0195331818 ISBN 978-0195331813





[[category:religion]][[category:right wing]][[category:women]][[category:Christian]]

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