FAQs

What is MapLight?

MapLight is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization that reveals money's influence on politics. We provide journalists with transparency tools that connect data on campaign contributions, politicians, votes, industries, companies, and more to show patterns of influence never before possible to see.

The “Map” in MapLight stands for money and politics. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Who funds MapLight?

We are funded by foundations and individuals who favor greater transparency for money and politics. For our most recent fiscal year, 69 percent of our funding came from foundations and 31 percent from individuals. Our top supporters, based on total funding since inception, are the Sunlight Foundation, Open Society Foundations, JEHT Foundation, and Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Please see our funding and budget pages for more details.

When did MapLight begin?

We began in March 2005, focused on money and politics in California, with the name “TakeBackCA.org.” In October 2006, we launched a website tracking money and votes in the California legislature. In May 2007, we launched our website tracking money and votes in U.S. Congress and changed our organization’s name to “MapLight” to reflect our focus beyond California.

How has MapLight been recognized? Have you won awards?

MapLight has received a number of awards, including:

Library Journal - Best Reference 2008 - April, 2009
James Madison Freedom of Information Award from the Northern California Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists - March, 2009
2008 Knight-Batten Awards for Innovations in Journalism - August, 2008
Finalist in the NetSquared Innovation Awards, 2008
Webby Awards, best Politics website, 2008
Finalist in the Stockholm Challenge for Public Administration - May, 2008
World Summit Award for e.Governance - September, 2007
First Prize NetSquared Innovation Awards - May, 2007

What are your future plans?

In Fall 2010, we expanded our California site to track money, bills, and votes in the California Legislature. In 2011, we launched a site for the Wisconsin Legislature. Over time, we will expand with new data sets to show deeper money-politics connections.

In 2012, we launched an online voter guide profiling California's ballot propositions. Over time, we will expand this voter information tool to different cities and states.

We regularly add new features and tools to our site. To keep up-to-date on our progress and plans, subscribe to our email list or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Do you have any job openings?

Please see our jobs page for available jobs and internships and subscribe to our email list for notification of future job openings.

How do I find out about what you’re up to?

Subscribe to our email list for occasional e-mails with major findings about Congress and news about our organization.

Subscribe to our Spotlight on Congress RSS feed or visit our Spotlight on Congress blog for all our findings about Congress.

Subscribe to our Spotlight on California RSS feed or visit our Spotlight on California blog for all our findings about California.

Subscribe to our Spotlight on Wisconsin RSS feed or visit our Spotlight on Wisconsin blog for all our findings about Wisconsin.

Subscribe to our MapLight News RSS feed or visit our MapLight News blog for news about our organization.

How can I help?

Stay up-to-date on us via email, Facebook, Twitter, and RSS.
Post about our findings via your blog, Twitter, Facebook, or email.
Volunteer as a research intern, if we have positions available.
Make a donation to support our work.
Write a letter to the editor at your local paper with your views on money and politics. Then send us a copy.
Write to your members of Congress with your views on money and politics. Then send us a copy.
Join a group working to change our broken money and politics system, like one of these: