Colorado Commits to Kids, the main committee pushing for passage of Amendment 66, on Monday reported raising an additional $1.8 million in the last two weeks, on top of the $1.6 million raised during the first two weeks of September.
The committee now has raised $5.02 million and spent a little more than $2 million, leaving some $3 million on hand as of Sept. 25, the last day covered in the reporting period.
Although the pace of fundraising has quickened, the bulk of the group’s money has come from a handful of contributors.
The National Education Association gave $1 million in the most recent period, and the Colorado Education Association gave an additional $300,000, for a total of $750,000.
The group Education Reform Now, which is affiliated with Democrats for Education reform and which also has a local committee, gave an additional $250,000 for a total of $500,000.
A new contributor in the latest period was the Rose Community Foundation, which kicked in $200,000.
Large contributions given during earlier reporting periods include $500,000 from architect and Walton Family Foundation trustee Ben Walton, $700,000 from the Gary Community Investment Co. and $650,000 from Fort Collins philanthropist and Democratic Party funder Pat Stryker. DaVita Corp. previously gave $100,000, and Kaiser Permanente Financial Services also gave $100,000.
So nine donors have provided about $4.5 million of the Colorado Commits’ $5 million total.
Other donors of note in the latest reporting period include Colorado Rockies owner Dick Monfort with $10,000, philanthropist and businesswoman Merle Chambers with $10,000 and state employees association Colorado WINS with $5,000. Henry Sobanet, Gov. John Hickenlooper’s budget director, chipped in $100, as did former congressman and former state higher education director David Skaggs.
Major Colorado Commits spending during the most recent reporting period include $354,747 to FieldWorks, the Washington-based consultant that has done much of the campaign’s petition circulation and canvassing work, and $106,558 to Putnam Partners of Arlington, Va., for advertising. (According to rumors circulating in campaign consultant circles, Colorado Commits has reserved TV ad spots and is about to launch its campaign, but the group hasn’t confirmed that.) The campaign also spent more than $73,000 with four printing companies.
Other committees involved in the Amendment 66 campaign reported much smaller contributions during the latest reporting period.
Coloradans for Real Education Reform, the main registered opposition committee, reported no new contributions. It has raised a total of $10,000.
The group Kids Before Unions reported no new contributions. It previously raised $7,200. (This group has shortened its name from the original – and cumbersome – Coloradans Against Unions Using Kids as Pawns.)
Among four smaller support committees, only Greeley Commits to Kids reported contributions of any size – $31.031. That included $20,000 from Hensel Phelps Construction and $5,000 from construction executive Robert Tointon of Phelps Tointon Inc.