Center for Organizational Research and Education

Center for Organizational Research and Education
Founded1995
FounderRichard Berman
Type501(c)(3)
Location
MethodLobbying
Revenue
$3,561,286 (2014)[1]
Expenses$4,252,732 (2014)[1]
Websitecoreprojects.com

The Center for Organizational Research and Education (CORE), formerly the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) and prior to that the Guest Choice Network, is an American non-profit entity founded by Richard Berman. It describes itself as "dedicated to protecting consumer choices and promoting common sense."[2]

Projects and campaigns of CORE include Humane Watch, a watchdog of the Humane Society of the United States; the Environmental Policy Alliance, which criticizes environmental activists; and Activist Facts, a site dedicated to tracking tax-exempt nonprofits.[3]

The organization defends the alcohol, meat, and tobacco industries[4] and has been critical of organizations including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the Humane Society of the United States, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.[2]

Experts on non-profit law have questioned the validity of the group's non-profit status in The Chronicle of Philanthropy and other publications, while others, including political commentator Rachel Maddow and author Michael Pollan, have treated the group as an entity that specializes in astroturfing.[5][6][7][8]

  1. ^ a b "The Center for Organizational Research and Education". GuideStar. Internal Revenue Service. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
  2. ^ a b Mayer, Caroline E.; Joyce, Amy (April 27, 2005). "The Escalating Obesity Wars". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  3. ^ "Center for Organizational Research and Education". Center for Organizational Research and Education. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  4. ^ Speed, Madeleine (October 6, 2023). "Plant-based meat industry on a mission to rebrand itself as healthy option". Financial Times. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  5. ^ Pollan, Michael (June 4, 2006). "Attacks on the 'Food Police'". The New York Times. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  6. ^ Preston, Caroline (March 11, 2010). "Nonprofit Group Attacks Humane Society Over Spending of Donations" (PDF). The Chronicle Of Philanthropy. Vol. XXII, no. 8. IPA Publishing Services. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 2, 2015 – via HumaneSociety.org.
  7. ^ Drajem, Mark; Wingfield, Brian (November 2, 2012). "Union Busting by Profiting From Non-Profit May Breach IRS". Bloomberg Business. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  8. ^ Johnson, Sara (March 6, 2014). "Beltway Astroturf Organization Sets Sights on Green Building". Architect.