Transparency Directory

The Sunlight Foundation isn't the only organization traversing the open government landscape. We owe a lot to the work of our peer institutions thinking and working alongside us. Consider this page a resource to get a grip on the different players out there and the different areas of interest to our movement.

And please, make this a living page. We won't be able to fully audit and appreciate the work that's being done out there without your input.

= Federal =

Executive
OMB Watch

Watchdog dedicated to investigating and reporting on the Office of Management and Budget -- which plays an important role in the operation of other federal agencies -- and to tracking and analyzing policy related to government information.

OpenTheGovernment.org

A nonpartisan coalition of open government advocates dedicated to reviewing policy for openness and to raising the visibility of issues in government transparency on the web.

Judicial
Oyez

A multimedia archive for all things Supreme Court: a one-stop resource to learn more about the history of the justices and the Court, find case audio and text, and other handy resources.

Judicial Watch

Judicial transparency with a conservative perspective: specializes in open records research and litigation.

Alliance for Justice

Judicial watchdog: focus issues include public and lobbying disclosures.

Legislative
OpenCongress

A free, open-source web resource for federal legislative data, including information on elected representatives, legislation text, and tools for public participation.

Election Information
The Campaign Legal Center

Nonpartisan, nonprofit legal center involved in tracking and participating in ethics and campaign finance laws at federal, state, and local levels.

Center for Responsive Politics (OpenSecrets.org)

Comprehensive resource for federal campaign contributions, lobbying data, and analysis.

Center for Competitive Politics

Think tank and legal center with a First Amendment-centered approach to campaign finance reform.

Technology and Transparency
Center for Democracy and Technology

Public interest organization working to conceptualize, develop, and implement public policy promoting open Internet, privacy, and free expression.

Citizens Against Government Waste

Nonpartisan coalition focused on researching, identifying, and reporting on waste in government spending. Evaluates congressional votes on key measures for tax and spending.

Electronic Frontier Foundation

Civil liberties group combing legal experts and technologists to advocate for open Internet and consumer rights issues.

The Federation of American Scientists

A coalition of scientists providing nonpartisan technical analysis of government use of science and technology and manages an extensive archive of CRS reports.

The National Security Archive

A research institute and archive focused on collecting and publishing declassifed documents collected through the Freedom of Information Act, in addition to other government records.

Public.Resource.org

A nonprofit devoted to publishing public domain materials online, including federal court cases and decisions, and to outlining how citizens can interact with this material.

Budgets and Contracting
Government Accountability Project

A whistleblower protection and advocacy organization whose program areas include coverage of corporate and financial accountability and federal government employees.

National Taxpayers Union

Advocacy organization invested in transparency in government spending and use of Internet budget portals.

Project on Government Oversight

An independent nonprofit focused on investigating government corruption and secrecy, particularly related to government contracts, financial oversight, and public access to government information.

WashingtonWatch.com

Tracks the bills before Congress that affect the national budget and reports on government spending, taxation, and regulation in light of this legislation.

Ethics
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington

A nonprofit organization that combines research and litigation to target ethics issues in Congress, the Federal Election Commission, the IRS, and other areas of government.

Common Cause

A nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization founded as a vehicle for citizens to make their voices heard in the political process and to hold their elected leaders accountable to the public interest.

Journalism
Freedom Forum

A nonpartisan foundation dedicated to education and advocacy around the First Amendment rights of free press and free speech.

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

Offers free legal assistance to journalists and others on issues of free speech and reporter’s rights.

The Sunshine in Government Initiative

A coalition of media groups promoting public oversight, open information, and the preservation of the Freedom of Information Act.

= State =

Coalitions
The National Association for State Chief Information Officers

Supports the work of state CIOs and promotes the exchange of best practices and innovation through research, publication, and networking.

National Association of Attorneys General

Provides a platform for the chief legal officers of the states to cooperate on legal and law enforcement issues, to conduct policy research, and connect with federal government agents.

National Conference of State Legislatures

A bipartisan organization providing research, technical assistance, and opportunities for collaboration between policymakers.

The National Institute of Money in State Politics

Resource for information on campaign spending and finance on a state level spanning journalistic investigation and a database of contributions.

= Local =

Initiatives
Code for America

Inspired by efforts like Teach for America, this program targets US cities to connect city managers with technologists to innovate web solutions for local government issues.

City Camp

An unconference focused on combining the power of municipal governments with community organizations to make active change in local communities using technology and citizen power.

Open311

An effort working to standardize and open the data used in public services on a local and international level.

= Other =

Umbrella Organizations
National Freedom of Information Coalition

A nonpartisan alliance of citizen-driven nonprofit freedom of information organizations, academic and First Amendment centers, journalistic societies and attorneys. NFOIC awards annual grants to help foster the creation and growth of state FOI coalitions.

Think Tanks
American Enterprise Institute

A private, nonpartisan institution dedicated to research and education on public policy related to economics, public opinion, and legal and constitutional study.

Brookings Institution

Conducts independent research related to American democracy, governance, technology, and other issues in public policy.

Cato Institute

A conservative lens to research and reporting on campaign fiance, election laws, and other public policy measures.

Center for American Progress

Progressive research and advocacy around open government, technology, the federal budget, and other political and cultural issues.

Freedom Works

A limited government-focused organizing group working on policies in communication, technology, and spending.

The Heritage Foundation

A conservative research and educational institution with some interest in open government and federal spending.

Educational Institutions
Carnegie Mellon Parallel Data Lab

An interdisciplinary academic group maintaining and examining issues with large-scale data storage.

Cornell Legal Information Institute

A research, engineering, and editorial group focused on publishing US laws online for free, creating materials to help people understand law, and exploring legal technologies.

Harvard Berkman Center for Internet and Society

An entrepreneurial nonprofit research center devoted to developing and exploring the use, legal concerns, and standards of Internet platforms.

Princeton Center for Information and Technology Policy

A research center studying the intersection of digital technology, policy, markets, and society.

Standford Center or Computers and Law: CodeX

A multidisciplinary laboratory working with affiliates in industry, government, and academia to explore the relationship between information technology and the legal system.

E-Communities
Govfresh

A source for open government news, guides, feeds, and multimedia, spanning federal, local, and international developments.

govloop

A social network for the greater government community - from interested parties to actual government officials -- to connect via groups, blogs, forums and events.

Civic Commons

Wiki-based network to provide a permanent, sustainable organization to assist public agencies in adopting open systems, data standards, and technology.

Wikis
Government and Social Media Wiki

A wiki tracking governmental use of social media on Federal, State and Local levels.