Sunlight Foundation#Politwoops

The Sunlight Foundation was founded by Ellen S. Miller and Michael R. Klein because of their concern about the influence of money in politics. The Foundation was launched in April 2006 with a $3.5 million contribution from co-founder Klein, a securities lawyer and the founder of CoStar Group.{{cite news |title=Aiming to Shed Light on Lawmakers |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/25/AR2006042501699.html |first=Jeffrey |last=Birnbaum |date=April 26, 2006 |access-date=2008-03-22 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{cite news |url=http://www.sunlightfoundation.com/node/488 |title=New Group Sees Public Craving Ethics Reform |work=Roll Call |date=April 27, 2006 |first=Elysha |last=Tenenbaum |publisher=Sunlight Foundation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070303074549/http://www.sunlightfoundation.com/node/488 |archive-date=March 3, 2007 }}{{cite news |url=http://www.sunlightfoundation.com/press/ellen_cspan |title=Ellen Miller on C-Span's Washington Journal |publisher=C-SPAN |date=May 22, 2006 |access-date=2008-03-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928011545/http://www.sunlightfoundation.com/press/ellen_cspan |archive-date=September 28, 2007 }}

At its founding, Sunlight's board was Klein, serving as chairman, Miller serving as secretary and treasurer, and Nicholas J. Klein, Klein's son.{{webarchive |title=Sunlight Original Board |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070118153220/http://www.sunlightfoundation.com:80/node/160 |date=2007-01-18 }}

Sunlight's original advisory board was Esther Dyson, Craig Newmark, and Kim Malone. Jimmy Wales, Yochai Benkler, Charles Lewis, Lawrence Lessig, Kim Scott, and Mitch Kapor later joined as advisors, with Newmark and Dyson moving to the board.

Miller was the Sunlight Foundation's executive director from 2006 until her retirement in 2014. The first national director of the organization was law professor Zephyr Teachout.{{cite news |last1=Mogulescu |first1=Miles |title=Run, Zephyr, Run — Teachout Should Challenge Hillary for the Democratic Presidential Nomination |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/miles-mogulescu/run-zephyr-runteachout-sh_b_5805234.html |access-date=April 17, 2015 |work=The Huffington Post |date=September 11, 2014 }} In September 2014, Christopher T. Gates was selected as the organization's new president, after the board conducted a search.{{cite news |last1=Lippman |first1=Daniel |title=Sunlight Foundation picks new chief |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2014/09/chris-gates-sunlight-foundation-110697.html |access-date=April 21, 2015 |publisher=Politico |date=September 8, 2014 }} Gates was formerly the chairman of the Colorado Democratic Party and executive director of Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement and the National Civic League.{{cite news |last1=Greene |first1=Susan |title=Chris Gates to head national watchdog group |url=http://www.coloradoindependent.com/149187/chris-gates-to-head-national-watchdog-group |access-date=April 21, 2015 |work=Colorado Independent |date=September 9, 2014}} In 2010, Matt Halprin of the Omidyar Network joined the board. In 2011, lawyer Andrew McLaughlin joined the board. In 2013, Stacey Donahue of the Omidyar Network joined, replacing Halprin. In 2014, Sunlight announced that Sue Gardner, Allison Fine, Mark Horvit and Daniel X. O'Neil would join its board of directors.{{cite news |last1=Sunlight |first1=Board |title=New Sunlight Board Members |url=https://sunlightfoundation.com/2014/12/23/sunlight-welcomes-new-board-members/ |access-date=June 7, 2018 |work=SunlightFoundation.com|date=December 11, 2014 }} Donahue subsequently left.

In January 2015, the Sunlight Foundation restructured, combining its reporting staff with its communications team. As a result of the restructuring, three staffers left the organization, including managing editor Kathy Kiely, who was laid off.{{cite news |last1=Mullin |first1=Benjamin |title=3 leave in restructuring of Sunlight Foundation |url=http://www.poynter.org/news/mediawire/316607/3-leave-in-restructuring-of-sunlight-foundation/ |access-date=6 November 2015 |publisher=Poynter Institute |date=February 2, 2015 }} In June 2015, four more staffers left the organization.{{cite news |last1=Mullin |first1=Benjamin |title=4 staffers to exit The Sunlight Foundation |url=http://www.poynter.org/news/mediawire/352297/4-staffers-to-exit-the-sunlight-foundation/ |access-date=6 November 2015 |publisher=Poynter Institute |date=June 19, 2015 }} Niko Klein and Gardner left the board. In January 2016, Klein announced on Sunlight's blog that the organization was looking for a new chief executive, with Gates leaving the organization and John Wonderlich serving as the interim executive director.{{cite web |url=https://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2016/01/04/a-message-from-michael-klein-co-founder-and-chairman-of-the-sunlight-foundation/ |title=A message from Michael Klein, co-founder and chairman of the Sunlight Foundation |last1=Klein |first1=Michael |publisher=Sunlight Foundation |date=January 4, 2016 |access-date=January 12, 2016 }} In September 2016, Klein announced on Sunlight's blog that Sunlight Labs would be shutting down and the board would explore potential mergers.{{cite web |url=https://sunlightfoundation.com/2016/09/20/statement-from-sunlight-foundations-board-chairman/ |title=A message from Michael Klein, co-founder and chairman of the Sunlight Foundation |last1=Klein |first1=Michael |publisher=Sunlight Foundation |date=September 20, 2016 |access-date=December 20, 2017 }} O'Neil subsequently left the board. Klein announced on Sunlight's blog on December 16 that the organization would remain independent, with Wonderlich becoming the permanent executive director and Alexander B. Howard promoted to be the deputy director.{{cite web |url=https://sunlightfoundation.com/2016/12/16/sunlight-will-endure/ |title=A message from Michael Klein, co-founder and chairman of the Sunlight Foundation |last1=Klein |first1=Michael |publisher=Sunlight Foundation |date=January 4, 2016 |access-date=December 20, 2017 }} Fine, Horvit, McLaughlin, and Dyson all left the board.{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170110193001/https://sunlightfoundation.com/about/board/ |date=2017-01-10 |title=Sunlight Board of Directors in January 2017 }}

In March 2018, Katherine Maher and Zoe Reiter joined Klein, Newmark and Wonderlich on the board.{{cite web |title=Sunlight Foundation Board |url=http://sunlightfoundation.com/about/board/ |publisher=Sunlight Foundation |access-date=July 5, 2018 }}

In May 2018, the Huffington Post reported that Clay Johnson, former director of Sunlight Labs, had been accused of sexual misconduct and mistreatment by multiple women during his employment there. He quit after being given a warning after a reported incident.{{cite web |title=Johnson sexual harassment |date=4 May 2018 |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/clay-johnson-attempted-rape-dean-campaign_us_5aebb6d7e4b0c4f1932090ac |publisher=Huffington Post |access-date=July 5, 2018 }} Subsequently, Sunlight's board announced that it would conduct a review of the organization's history.{{cite web |title=Board review |url=https://sunlightfoundation.com/2018/05/21/our-process-for-reviewing-sunlights-history/ |publisher=Sunlight Foundation |access-date=July 5, 2018 }} In February 2019, Sunlight's board announced the conclusion of the review, publishing a report which found significant problems that led to institutional failures.{{cite web |title=review conclusion |url=https://sunlightfoundation.com/2019/02/26/conclusion-of-the-sunlight-foundations-review-process/ |publisher=Sunlight Foundation |access-date=October 26, 2020 }}{{cite web |title=review report|url=http://sunlightfoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Sunlight-Foundation-2018-Review-Report.pdf |publisher=Sunlight Foundation |access-date=October 26, 2020 }}

In September 2020, co-founder Mike Klein announced that the Foundation would shut down. He wrote that the organization was no longer necessary because "Virtually all of the activities and staff of Sunlight have been transferred to other engaged institutions, or closed."{{cite web |title=review conclusion |date=30 September 2020 |url=https://nonprofitquarterly.org/becoming-an-ancestor-sunlight-foundation-closes-its-own-shutters/ |publisher=Sunlight Foundation |access-date=October 26, 2020 }} Another open-government advocate suggested that a decline in donations was the ultimate cause.{{cite news |last1=Schuman |first1=Daniel |author-link1=Daniel Schuman |title=Open-Government Nonprofits Are Dying Off Just When They’re Needed Most |url=https://www.thebulwark.com/p/open-government-nonprofits-are-dying-off-just-when-needed-most |work=The Bulwark |date=16 December 2024}}

In July 2009, the Sunlight Foundation received the Public Access to Government Information Award from the American Association of Law Libraries.{{cite web |url=http://www.aallnet.org/about/award_information.asp |title=Public Access to Government Information Award |publisher=American Association of Law Libraries |access-date=January 11, 2011 }} In July 2010, the Sunlight Foundation won the grand prize of the Knight-Batten Awards for Innovations in Journalism for their Sunlight Live project that incorporates streaming video, live blogging, social networking, and data presentation.{{cite news |last1=Cohen |first1=David|title=2010 Knight-Batten Awards for Innovation in Journalism: Sunlight Foundation Wins Grand Prize |url=http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/2010-knight-batten-awards-for-innovation-in-journalism-sunlight-foundation-wins-grand-prize/53919 |access-date=April 21, 2015 |work=Social Times |date=July 19, 2010 }}

The Sunlight Foundation's donors included the Open Society Foundations, The Pew Charitable Trusts, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Omidyar Network, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and the Laura and John Arnold Foundation.{{cite web |title=How We're Funded |url=http://sunlightfoundation.com/about/funding/ |publisher=Sunlight Foundation |access-date=November 6, 2015 }}{{cite web |title=A Brief History of the Sunlight Foundation |url=http://sunlightfoundation.com/about/history/ |publisher=Sunlight Foundation |access-date=April 21, 2015 }}{{cite news |last1=Tapscott |first1=Mark |title=Sunlight Foundation poses 23 key questions Clinton must answer on her emails |url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/sunlight-foundation-poses-23-key-questions-clinton-must-answer-on-her-emails/article/2561106 |access-date=April 21, 2015 |work=The Washington Examiner |date=March 5, 2015 }}{{cite news |title=The Omidyar way of giving |url=https://www.economist.com/news/business/21588353-founder-ebay-aims-be-more-entrepreneurial-philanthropist-his-predecessors |access-date=21 April 2015|newspaper=The Economist |date=October 26, 2013 }}

The Sunlight Foundation advocated for more regulation and limitations regarding campaign finance. The organization opposed the ruling in Citizens United v. FEC, calling it "disastrous."{{cite news|last1=Wonderlich|first1=John|title=Disclosing Money in Elections|url=http://sunlightfoundation.com/policy/disclosingmoney/|access-date=6 November 2015|publisher=Sunlight Foundation}}{{cite web|title=Issues|url=https://sunlightfoundation.com/issues/|publisher=Sunlight Foundation|access-date=6 November 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118073041/http://sunlightfoundation.com/issues/|archive-date=18 November 2015}} The organization supported the DISCLOSE Act, a congressional bill that would have enacted stricter campaign finance regulations by requiring increased disclosure of political spending in federal elections.{{cite news|last1=Moyers|first1=Bill|title=Citizens Mobilizing Against Citizens United|url=http://billmoyers.com/content/citizens-mobilizing-against-citizens-united/|access-date=6 November 2015|publisher=Moyers & Company|date=March 9, 2012}} The Sunlight Foundation believed that Congress should mandate real-time online disclosure of political contributions. It opposed dark money, or funds given to nonprofit organizations that are not required to disclose their donors.

File:FEC Colbert Super PAC.jpg offices as they discuss the application of Colbert Super PAC]]

The Sunlight Foundation's initiatives included investigative journalism, lobbying, activism and software development at Sunlight Labs, which was an open source community that collected and organized public data;{{cite news|last1=Gilbertson|first1=Scott|title=Sunlight Labs Offering $5K for Best Government Data Mashups|url=https://www.wired.com/2010/03/sunlight-labs-offering-5k-for-best-government-data-mashups/|access-date=17 April 2015|publisher=Wired|date=March 29, 2010}} Influence Explorer, which was an online tool for tracking money in politics;{{cite news|last1=Racino|first1=Brad|title=How To Uncover A Scandal From Your Couch|url=http://www.kpbs.org/news/2014/jan/27/how-uncover-scandal-you-couch/|access-date=17 April 2015|publisher=KPBS|date=January 27, 2014}} and Foreign Influence Explorer, which tracked lobbyists who represent foreign clients in Washington D.C.{{cite news|last1=Itkowitz|first1=Colby|title=Which foreign countries spent the most to influence U.S. politics?|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/wp/2014/05/14/which-foreign-countries-spent-the-most-to-influence-u-s-politics/|access-date=17 April 2015|newspaper=Washington Post|date=May 14, 2014}}

In 2006, the Sunlight Foundation provided funding to OpenSecrets to improve its campaign finance and lobbying listings and to the Center for Media and Democracy to oversee a joint project called Congresspedia. In June 2006, the Sunlight Foundation reported on Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert's real estate investments, accusing Hastert of not divulging connections between a $207 million earmark he won for a highway and an investment he and his wife made in nearby land.{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/speaker-hasterts-land-deal-questioned/ |title=Speaker Hastert's Land Deal Questioned |date=2006-06-22 |access-date=2008-03-22 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=CBS News}}

In January 2007, the Sunlight Foundation launched the Open House Project, a working group designed to make congressional procedures more transparent.{{cite news|last1=Glaser|first1=Mark|title=Sunlight Foundation Mixes Tech, Citizen Journalism to Open Congress|url=https://mediashift.org/2007/04/sunlight-foundation-mixes-tech-citizen-journalism-to-open-congress094/|access-date=17 April 2015|publisher=PBS|date=April 4, 2007}} In February 2007, the Participatory Politics Foundation and the Sunlight Foundation launched OpenCongress.org, a site to track the full text of legislation and build a community to better follow congressional activities. Originally run by the Participatory Politics Foundation with funding from the Sunlight Foundation, in 2013 the Sunlight Foundation overtook operations of OpenCongress.org.{{cite web|last1=Margolies|first1=Nicko|title=Reintroducing OpenCongress: Now From The Sunlight Foundation|url=http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2013/10/29/reintroducing-opencongress-now-from-the-sunlight-foundation/|publisher=Sunlight Foundation|access-date=17 April 2015}} In 2016, Sunlight retired OpenCongress and directed its community to GovTrack.us{{cite web|last1=Duffy|first1=Kat|title=Sunlight Foundation Mixes Tech, Citizen Journalism to Open Congress|url=https://sunlightfoundation.com/2016/02/12/farewell-opencongress-hello-govtrack/4/|access-date=20 January 2017|date=February 12, 2016}} amid its "explor[ation of] alliances with other organizations," with the idea of possibly "merging with one of them."{{Cite web|title=Sunlight Foundation scales down, may merge|url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2016/09/sunlight-foundation-shut-down-mike-klein-228422|last=Gerstein|first=Josh|website=POLITICO|language=en|access-date=2020-05-29}}

In October 2007, the Sunlight Foundation joined Taxpayers for Common Sense to launch EarmarkWatch.org, a project that asked citizens to research over 3,000 earmarks and identify the sponsors and recipients.{{cite web|url=http://philanthropy.com/article/Seeking-Online-Exposure/61177/|title=Seeking Online Exposure|publisher=The Chronicle of Philanthropy|author=Suzanne Perry|date=2008-01-10|access-date=2010-08-18}} In 2008, the Sunlight Foundation launched a project called Public Markup. The project crowdsourced ideas for model transparency legislation.{{cite news|last1=Lai Striland|first1=Sarah|title=Sunlight Foundation Asks The Public For Ideas On A More Accountable Government|url=https://www.wired.com/2008/03/sunlight-founda/|access-date=17 April 2015|publisher=Wired|date=March 31, 2008}}

Scout was a tool to create customized keyword alerts that notify users whenever the subscribed issue or bill is talked about in Congress, mentioned in the Federal Register or comes up in state legislation.{{cite web |title=Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff |url=http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL33895.pdf |publisher=Congressional Research Service |access-date=2012-09-19}} During beta testing Scout helped a coalition of transparency advocates oppose and remove a FOIA exemption for a bill.{{cite web |title=Sunlight's Scout is a promising new tool |url=https://www.cjr.org/the_kicker/sunlights_scout_is_a_promising.php |publisher=Columbia Journalism Review |access-date=2012-09-19}}

Call on Congress was a toll free phone number individuals can call to learn about what Congress is doing.{{cite web |title=Call on Congress: A New/Free Telephone Service to Access Info About the U.S. Congress |date=12 June 2012 |url=http://www.infodocket.com/2012/06/12/call-on-congress-a-newfree-telephone-service-to-access-info-about-the-u-s-congress/ |publisher=InfoDocket |access-date=2012-09-19}} The project hopes to bridge the digital divide by letting callers find out how their representatives are voting on bills and raising campaign money or connect directly to the lawmakers’ Capitol Hill offices and get details on where to vote on Election Day.{{cite web |title=Low-Tech Phone Service Connects Citizens to Congressional Info |date=12 June 2012 |url=http://www.govtech.com/e-government/Low-Tech-Phone-Service-Connects-Citizens-Congressional.html |publisher=Government Technology |access-date=2012-09-19}}

Politwoops was a Sunlight Foundation project which published an archive of thousands of deleted tweets by U.S. politicians. The project prompted Rep. Jeff Miller to delete his Twitter account after his tweet questioning President Barack Obama's citizenship was made public.{{cite news |title=What Tweets Do Politicians Delete? 'Politwoops' Can Tell You |url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/05/31/154058713/what-tweets-do-politicians-delete-politwoops-can-tell-you |newspaper=NPR |date=31 May 2012 |access-date=2012-09-20|last1=Memmott |first1=Mark }}{{cite web |title=Congressman's Deleted Twitter Poll: "Was Obama Born in the United States?" |date=30 May 2012 |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2012/05/30/congressman_jeff_miller_s_office_sends_birther_twitter_poll_deletes_it_.html |publisher=Slate |access-date=2012-09-20}} Other incidents covered by Politwoops include a number of Republican politicians reacting to incorrect news of the ruling in the Supreme Court's case about health care reform,{{cite news |title=Erroneous #Scotus Tweets Saved Forever |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/06/28/erroneous-scotus-tweets-saved-forever/ |publisher=The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire |access-date=2012-09-20}} violations of the social media policies of the House of Representatives' Congressional Handbook by tweeting campaign information{{cite web |title=Twoops! Romney-Ryan ticket has some lawmakers violating congressional Twitter rules |url=http://reporting.sunlightfoundation.com/2012/deleted-tweets-supporting-rep-ryan-romneys-running-mate/ |publisher=Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group |access-date=2012-09-20}} and six politicians who deleted tweets praising and welcoming home Taliban prisoner Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl after questions arose over the prisoner swap that freed him.{{cite web |title=Politicians Delete Digital Praise of Bowe Bergdahl Release |date=3 June 2014 |url=http://mashable.com/2014/06/03/republicans-delete-bowe-bergdahl-praise/ |publisher=Mashable |access-date=2014-06-19}} Time selected Politwoops as one of their 50 Best Websites of 2012, calling it "strangely fascinating."{{cite news |title=50 Best Websites 2012 |url=https://techland.time.com/2012/09/18/50-best-websites-2012/slide/politiwoops/#politiwoops |publisher=TIME Magazine |access-date=2012-09-20 |date=2012-09-18}}

Politwoops went on hiatus in May 2015 when Twitter, citing concerns over user privacy, revoked the Sunlight Foundation's permission to use its API{{cite news|last1=Trujillo|first1=Mario|title=Sunlight Foundation rips Twitter for pulling plug on lawmaker archive|url=https://thehill.com/policy/technology/244049-sunlight-foundation-twitter-decision-at-odds-with-understanding-of/|access-date=6 November 2015|work=The Hill|date=June 4, 2015}} In November 2015, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey conceded that this had been a mistake,[https://www.theverge.com/2015/10/21/9586084/jack-dorsey-twitter-ceo-apology-developers Jack Dorsey apologizes to Twitter developers for chasing them away], by Nick Statt, at the Verge; published October 21, 2015; retrieved October 21, 2016 and Politwoops resumed international activity in January 2016 and American activity in February 2016.[https://www.theverge.com/2016/2/9/10952050/politwoops-returns-twitter-politicians-deleted-tweets Politwoops returns to the US to archive politicians' deleted tweets], by Nick Statt, at the Verge; published February 9, 2016; retrieved October 21, 2016 ProPublica now operates the U.S. version of the website.

In April 2012, the Sunlight Foundation released Upwardly Mobile, a web application to research where in the United States individuals could enjoy financial security and an improved quality of life. The relocation search tool was mostly powered by publicly available federal economic data that includes employment, salaries, average rents, and local medical and transportation costs.{{cite web |title=Would You Be Better Off in a Different City? |url=http://www.theatlanticcities.com/technology/2012/04/would-you-be-better-different-city/1678 |publisher=The Atlantic |access-date=2012-09-19}}{{cite web |title=Is it time for you to move? |url=http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/news_cut/archive/2012/04/is_it_time_for_you_to_move.shtml |publisher=Minnesota Public Radio |access-date=2012-09-19}}

The online Churnalism tool was launched in 2013 in collaboration with the Media Standards Trust as an open-source plagiarism detection engine. The tool allowed users to compare two sources of text to analyze similarities, but has been abandoned for lack of funding.{{cite web|title=Is It Journalism, or Just a Repackaged Press Release? Here's a Tool to Help You Find Out|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/04/is-it-journalism-or-just-a-repackaged-press-release/275206/|work=The Atlantic|publisher=The Atlantic Monthly Group|access-date=24 April 2013|author=Rebecca J. Rosen|date=23 April 2013}}{{cite news|last1=Moore|first1=Martin|title=How to Detect Original Journalism vs. Churnalism from Press Releases|url=https://mediashift.org/idealab/2013/04/how-to-detect-original-journalism-vs-churnalism-from-press-releases114/|access-date=21 April 2015|publisher=PBS|date=April 26, 2013}}

In 2012, the Sunlight Foundation launched a mobile application called "Ad Hawk" to identify political ads. Similar to many song identification services, Ad Hawk made an acoustic fingerprint based on audio recorded while a television or radio ad plays and compares it against a central database for a match.{{cite web|url=https://sunlightfoundation.com/tools/ad-hawk/|title=Ad Hawk|publisher=Sunlight Foundation|access-date=31 July 2016}} Ad Hawk would return information from a variety of sources about the candidate, organization and issues ads if a match is found.{{cite web |title=The New Essential Apps August 2012 |date=31 August 2012 |url=https://gizmodo.com/5939615/the-new-essential-apps-august-2012 |publisher=Gizmodo |access-date=2012-09-17}}{{cite web|title=Fact Attack: A New App Watches Political Ads Like a Hawk |url=http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/cover-story/Ad-Buster-168552256.html |publisher=Philadelphia Weekly |access-date=2012-09-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130201085633/http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/cover-story/Ad-Buster-168552256.html |archive-date=2013-02-01 }}

In 2009, the Sunlight Foundation held the first annual TransparencyCamp, a conference where open government advocates met to discuss problems and solutions with government data.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/03/AR2010040304957_pf.html|title=A hotbed of techie agents of government transparency|date=2010-04-04|access-date=2010-08-18|newspaper=Washington Post | first=Mike | last=Musgrove}}

In March 2010, the Sunlight Foundation announced the Design for America contest to encourage visualizations to make complex government information more understandable to citizens.{{cite web|url=http://www.good.is/post/design-for-america-help-make-government-data-easier-to-understand/|title=Design for America: Help Make Government Data Easier to Understand|publisher=GOOD Magazine Blog|author=Andrew Price|date=2010-05-03|access-date=2010-08-18}}

In August 2012, the Sunlight Foundation launched Sunlight Academy, an interactive training portal to help journalists, staffers, and citizens use transparency tools to research issues more effectively.{{cite web |title=Low-Tech Phone Service Connects Citizens to Congressional Info |url=http://www.mediabistro.com/10000words/watchdog-journalism-skills-sunlight-foundation_b15133 |publisher=Mediabistro's 10,000 Words |access-date=2012-09-19}}

• Sunshine Week
• OpenSecrets
• Sunlight before signing

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://sunlightfoundation.com/}}

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