UNDUE INFLUENCE

Midwest Academy

Undue Influence by Ron Arnold
Midwest Academy
 225 W Ohio St
Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: (312) 427-2304
Website: http://www.midwestacademy.com/
Email: mwacademy1@aol.com

Description: Training organization for various left-wing causes, led by long-time Democratic Party flak Heather Booth.

Trained Peter Altman, executive director of Texas Fund for Energy and Environmental Education, in grassroots activism tactics - being applied in the anti-Exxon Mobil campaign.

In its own words: "The Midwest Academy offers five day training sessions for leaders and staff of citizen and community groups. The Academy is one of the nation's oldest and best known schools for community organizations, citizen organizations and individuals committed to progressive social change."

Financial condition, 2000

  Revenue     Expenses
Contributions $531,592
Government Grants $0
Program Services $252,849
Investments $5,808
Special Events $0
Sales $0
Other $0
 
Program Services $460,605
Administration $53,121
Other $94,030
Total Expenditures $607,756
Total Revenue $790,249   NET GAIN/LOSS $182,493

EIN: 36-2776406
Exempt since 1973

Board of Directors
ROBERT CREAMER, DIRECTOR ETHEL KLEIN, DIRECTOR
JACKIE KENDAL, PRESIDENT PAUL BOOTH, DIRECTOR
HEATHER BOOTH, CHAIR OF BOARD NANCY SHIER, DIRECTOR
JACKY GRIMSHAW, SEC. TREAS.  

Background:
Midwest Academy was founded by

Heather Booth, Chicagoan whose activist career began in the Mississippi Summer civil rights projects in 1964. She returned to Chicago and organized an early woman's group in 1967. She founded the Midwest Academy in 1973 to provide training for organizers in neighborhood organizations.


Her husband, Paul Booth, was a founding member of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) in the early 1960s, and was president of Chicago's Citizen Action Program formed in 1969 by organizer trainees from Saul Alinski's Industrial Areas Foundation.

The Midwest Academy and IAF worked together on CAP's campaigns. In 1977, Heather Booth got together with William Winpisinger, president of the International Association of Machinists and William Hutton of the National Council of Senior Citizens.

In 1978, the leaders of about 70 labor, citizen, senior, and farm organizations met in Washington, D.C. to found the Citizens/Labor Energy Coalition (CLEC).

In 1979, five state groups met in Chicago to form a national federation, Citizen Action. The founding organizations were:

  • Oregon Fair Share
  • Massachusetts Fair Share
  • Illinois Public Action Council
  • Connecticut Citizen Action Coalition
  • Ohio Public Interest Campaign

Heather Booth and Ira Arlook (of Ohio Public Interest Campaign) were co-directors until 1988 when Arlook became sole director.

In 1990 Booth became director of the Coalition for Democratic Values, a partisan organization of leading far-left Democrats, formed as a counterweight to the centrist Democratic Leadership Council.

In 1993 Booth took a job as training director with the Democratic National Committee, also using her contacts to solicit endorsements of Clinton administration policies from interest groups.

In 2000, Booth became executive director of NAACP's National Voter Fund, where she remains.

Heather Booth also joined with activists in 1999 to revive the defunct Citizen Action as USAction, where she now serves as co-chair.

Grants to Midwest Academy:

Foundation Name: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
Abstract: To train additional organizers, develop advanced organizer training, translate curriculum materials into Spanish, and work with college students to develop their leadership and organizing skills
Amount: $200,000             Year Authorized: 2000
Duration: 2-year grant

Foundation Name: The Retirement Research Foundation
Abstract: For Training and Technical Assistance for Senior Advocacy Organizations
Amount: $216,300             Year Authorized: 2000

Foundation Name: H. W. Buckner Charitable Residuary Trust
Amount: $10,000             Year Authorized: 1999

Foundation Name: Woods Fund of Chicago
Amount: $75,000             Year Authorized: 1999

Foundation Name: The Arca Foundation
Abstract: To further work of training progressive organizers in social change work
Amount: $10,000             Year Authorized: 1998

Foundation Name: Open Society Institute
Abstract: For drug policy conference
Amount: $10,000             Year Authorized: 1997

Foundation Name: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Abstract: For general operations
Amount: $50,000             Year Authorized: 1997

Foundation Name: Energy Foundation
Abstract: For continued support for public education on benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy within Illinois utility restructuring debate
Amount: $15,000             Year Authorized: 1998

Foundation Name: The Retirement Research Foundation
Foundation State: IL     Geographic Focus: FL, IA, IL, IN, KY, MI, MO, WI
Abstract: For scholarships for senior citizen organizations
Amount: $93,400             Year Authorized: 1998

Foundation Name: Energy Foundation
Abstract: For public education on benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy within Illinois utility restructuring debate
Amount: $20,000             Year Authorized: 1997

Foundation Name: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Abstract: For general operations
Amount: $50,000             Year Authorized: 1996

Foundation Name: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Abstract: For youth initiative, which trains young people for careers as organizers in community and public interest organizations
Amount: $50,000             Year Authorized: 1994

Foundation Name: Woods Fund of Chicago
Abstract: For Summer Organizing Institute that recruits, trains and places college students in Chicago community organizing groups engaged in issues campaigns
Amount: $12,500             Year Authorized: 1994

Foundation Name: Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation, Inc.
Abstract: For community organizing training for grassroots environmental leaders and organizers in Southeast and Southwest
Amount: $10,000             Year Authorized: 1993

Foundation Name: Woods Charitable Fund, Inc.
Abstract: For consultation with Chicago Rehab Network and member organizations to expand organizing and policy impact on issues of affordable housing
Amount: $10,000             Year Authorized: 1993  

Foundation Name: Foundation for Deep Ecology
Abstract: For Save America's Forests
Amount: $10,000             Year Authorized: 1992

 Foundation Name: Wieboldt Foundation
Abstract: For Summer Organizing Institute, training project placing interns in community organizations to work on affordable housing campaign
Amount: $10,000             Year Authorized: 1992

Foundation Name: The Retirement Research Foundation
Abstract: To provide leadership development training for leaders of senior organizations
Amount: $30,310             Year Authorized: 1992

Foundation Name: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Abstract: For Student Trainer-Training Program
Amount: $47,000             Year Authorized: 1991

Foundation Name: Woods Charitable Fund, Inc.
Abstract: For development of leaders and staff of Dearborn and Lathrop Homes
Amount: $12,000             Year Authorized: 1988

Foundation Name: Woods Charitable Fund, Inc.
Abstract: For study of organizing and training models that may be effective in public housing and for continuing consultation with public housing organizing initiatives
Amount: $14,000             Year Authorized: 1989

Foundation Name: Wieboldt Foundation
Abstract: For scholarships to national academy that trains community organizers
Amount: $5,000             Year Authorized: 1988

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