Kirk at 13:38, 16 October 2026

2026-10-16T13:38:39Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:38, 16 October 2026
Line 4:		Line 4:
	\|description=Investigate Advance Colorado's political funding, billionaire connections, nonprofit donors, and involvement in Colorado's 2026 ballot initiatives. Examine Philip Anschutz, Walton family foundations, political committees, and campaign finance disclosures.		\|description=Investigate Advance Colorado's political funding, billionaire connections, nonprofit donors, and involvement in Colorado's 2026 ballot initiatives. Examine Philip Anschutz, Walton family foundations, political committees, and campaign finance disclosures.
	\|keywords=Advance Colorado, Colorado ballot initiatives 2026, billionaire political donors, Philip Anschutz, Walton family, Michael Fields, Colorado Opportunity Foundation, Bradley Impact Fund, political donations, Colorado campaign finance, dark money, nonprofit political funding, ballot measures, political action committees, donor advised funds, Brighter Colorado, Common Sense America, TRACER		\|keywords=Advance Colorado, Colorado ballot initiatives 2026, billionaire political donors, Philip Anschutz, Walton family, Michael Fields, Colorado Opportunity Foundation, Bradley Impact Fund, political donations, Colorado campaign finance, dark money, nonprofit political funding, ballot measures, political action committees, donor advised funds, Brighter Colorado, Common Sense America, TRACER
	\|image=~~File~~:~~Placeholder~~.png		\|image=https://wikidemocracy.us/images/2/23/Advance_Colorado_Funding.png
	\|image_width=300		\|image_width=300
	\|image_height=200		\|image_height=200
Line 28:		Line 28:

	__NOTOC__		__NOTOC__

			[[File:Advance Colorado Funding.png]]

	== Advance Colorado: Political Funding, Billionaire Connections, and 2026 Ballot Initiatives ==		== Advance Colorado: Political Funding, Billionaire Connections, and 2026 Ballot Initiatives ==

Kirk: Created page with " {{#seo: |title=Advance Colorado: Billionaire Donors, Political Funding Networks, and 2026 Ballot Initiatives |description=Investigate Advance Colorado's political funding, billionaire connections, nonprofit donors, and involvement in Colorado's 2026 ballot initiatives. Examine Philip Anschutz, Walton family foundations, political committees, and campaign finance disclosures. |keywords=Advance Colorado, Colorado ballot initiatives 2026, billionaire political donors, Phil..."

2026-10-16T13:34:45Z

Created page with " {{#seo: |title=Advance Colorado: Billionaire Donors, Political Funding Networks, and 2026 Ballot Initiatives |description=Investigate Advance Colorado's political funding, billionaire connections, nonprofit donors, and involvement in Colorado's 2026 ballot initiatives. Examine Philip Anschutz, Walton family foundations, political committees, and campaign finance disclosures. |keywords=Advance Colorado, Colorado ballot initiatives 2026, billionaire political donors, Phil..."

New page

{{#seo:
|title=Advance Colorado: Billionaire Donors, Political Funding Networks, and 2026 Ballot Initiatives
|description=Investigate Advance Colorado's political funding, billionaire connections, nonprofit donors, and involvement in Colorado's 2026 ballot initiatives. Examine Philip Anschutz, Walton family foundations, political committees, and campaign finance disclosures.
|keywords=Advance Colorado, Colorado ballot initiatives 2026, billionaire political donors, Philip Anschutz, Walton family, Michael Fields, Colorado Opportunity Foundation, Bradley Impact Fund, political donations, Colorado campaign finance, dark money, nonprofit political funding, ballot measures, political action committees, donor advised funds, Brighter Colorado, Common Sense America, TRACER
|image=File:Placeholder.png
|image_width=300
|image_height=200
|type=article
}}

[[Category:Colorado Politics]]
[[Category:Colorado Elections]]
[[Category:2026 Elections]]
[[Category:Ballot Initiatives]]
[[Category:Campaign Finance]]
[[Category:Political Donations]]
[[Category:Billionaires]]
[[Category:Corporate Political Influence]]
[[Category:Money in Politics]]
[[Category:Political Action Committees]]
[[Category:Political Nonprofit Organizations]]
[[Category:Dark Money]]
[[Category:Campaign Finance Transparency]]
[[Category:Political Influence]]
[[Category:Direct Democracy]]
[[Category:Election Transparency]]

__NOTOC__

== Advance Colorado: Political Funding, Billionaire Connections, and 2026 Ballot Initiatives ==

Advance Colorado is a conservative policy and political advocacy organization involved in taxation, government spending, public safety, education, immigration, and individual rights. Its executive director is Michael Fields.

The organization is associated with a network of nonprofit organizations, foundations, political committees, and advocacy groups that participate in Colorado politics.

Investigations based on Internal Revenue Service filings, campaign finance disclosures, and organizational records have identified millions of dollars flowing through this network. Some contributors are publicly identifiable, while the original sources of other substantial contributions remain undisclosed.

As of October 16, 2026, Advance Colorado and individuals associated with the organization have been connected to eight measures on Colorado's November 3, 2026 statewide ballot.

=== Advance Colorado's 2026 Ballot Initiatives ===

The following eight initiatives have been linked to Advance Colorado through organizational leadership, initiative representatives, campaign committees, or associated political organizations.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Initiative
! Subject
! Description
|-
| Amendment 81
| Immigration Enforcement
| Would require specified communications between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
|-
| Amendment 82
| Natural Gas
| Would establish constitutional protections for purchasing and selling natural gas.
|-
| Amendment 83
| Hunting and Fishing
| Would establish a constitutional right to hunt and fish.
|-
| Amendment 84
| Voter Identification
| Would establish additional identification requirements for voting by mail.
|-
| Amendment 85
| Ballot Language
| Would require ballot titles to meet an eighth-grade reading-level standard.
|-
| Amendment 86
| Congressional Redistricting
| Would impose additional requirements on congressional redistricting outside the normal ten-year cycle.
|-
| Proposition 132
| Fentanyl Crimes
| Would increase criminal penalties for possession and distribution of fentanyl and certain synthetic opioids.
|-
| Proposition 136
| Income Taxes
| Would establish a limit on Colorado's individual and corporate income tax rates.
|}

These organizational connections do not necessarily mean that Advance Colorado directly financed every initiative.

=== Individuals Connecting Advance Colorado to Ballot Initiatives ===

The involvement of particular individuals as designated representatives provides evidence of organizational relationships between Advance Colorado and the ballot campaigns.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Initiative
! Identified Individuals or Organizational Connections
|-
| Amendment 81
| Michael Fields and Suzanne Taheri
|-
| Amendment 82
| Michael Fields
|-
| Amendment 83
| Suzanne Taheri and Steven Ward
|-
| Amendment 84
| Suzanne Taheri; supporting committee also lists Advance Colorado's address
|-
| Amendment 85
| Michael Fields and Suzanne Taheri
|-
| Amendment 86
| Suzanne Taheri and Elizabeth Caven
|-
| Proposition 132
| Michael Fields and Suzanne Taheri
|-
| Proposition 136
| Michael Fields and Suzanne Taheri
|}

These connections were described by the investigative project ''Who Is Advance Colorado?'' and in reporting by the ''Colorado Times Recorder''.

=== Ballot Initiatives Advance Colorado Opposes ===

Advance Colorado has also been reported as opposing two other statewide measures.

* '''Amendment 87 — Graduated Income Tax:''' Would replace Colorado's flat income tax with a graduated income tax structure.

* '''Proposition NN — Education Funding:''' Would allow the state to retain and spend specified revenue for education and other purposes.

These positions were reported in the September 29, 2026 ''Colorado Times Recorder'' ballot guide.

=== Who Funds Advance Colorado? ===

Advance Colorado receives financial support from foundations, political organizations, donor-advised funds, and other nonprofit entities.

Public IRS filings covering 2021–2024 identify several major institutional contributors.

These are reported grants to the nonprofit Advance Colorado and should not automatically be interpreted as contributions to specific 2026 ballot campaigns.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Contributor
! Reported Contributions
|-
| Colorado Opportunity Foundation
| $3,600,000
|-
| Bradley Impact Fund
| $750,000
|-
| Biz Action for Colorado
| $627,000
|-
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc.
| $501,000
|-
| National Philanthropic Trust
| $500,000
|-
| Ready Colorado
| $500,000
|-
| High Hopes Colorado
| $400,000
|-
| Unite America Institute
| $250,000
|-
| Public Trust Institute
| $47,000
|-
| Western Citizens Protecting Our
| $40,000
|}

'''Total identified contributions: Approximately $7.3 million.'''

These amounts were compiled from IRS-derived records published by Philanthropy.org.

The total represents identified institutional grants, not the entire funding received by Advance Colorado or its broader organizational network.

=== Billionaires and Wealthy Families Connected to the Network ===

==== Philip Anschutz ====

Philip Anschutz is a Colorado billionaire with interests in energy, real estate, entertainment, and media.

An August 20, 2025 investigation by the ''Colorado Times Recorder'' examined evidence suggesting that Anschutz may be a significant financial supporter of the Advance Colorado political network.

The investigation reported that a Colorado Republican Party official had publicly attributed financial backing for the network to Anschutz.

However, the investigation did not establish that Anschutz personally supplied the network's largest anonymous contributions.

Anschutz-associated family foundations have also appeared in research involving organizations connected to the network.

'''Evidence classification: Reported connection; direct personal funding not verified.'''

No specific amount should be attributed to Anschutz personally without additional documentation.

==== Walton Family ====

Members of the Walton family, whose wealth is associated with Walmart, have connections to charitable foundations active in Colorado.

The Walton Family Foundation has supported organizations associated with the broader Advance Colorado network.

A 2025 investigation identified $375,000 contributed jointly by the Walton Family Foundation and the Donnell Kay Foundation to High Hopes Colorado in 2022.

High Hopes Colorado subsequently provided financial support to another connected organization.

This establishes a funding relationship involving affiliated organizations.

It does not demonstrate that an individual Walton family member personally donated to a specific 2026 ballot initiative.

'''Evidence classification: Documented foundation support for network-related organizations.'''

=== Nonprofit Organizations and Financial Intermediaries ===

An important characteristic of political financing networks is that funds may pass through several organizations before reaching a campaign or advocacy committee.

An organization listed as a contributor in campaign finance records may not be the original source of the money.

Research by the ''Colorado Times Recorder'' identified several significant transfers.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Funding Route
! Reported Amount
! Original Donor
|-
| 2022
| Colorado Stronger Alliance → Unite for Colorado Action
| $8,850,000
| Not publicly identified
|-
| 2022
| Donor-advised funds → Colorado Opportunity Foundation
| Over $2,000,000
| Underlying donors not fully identified
|-
| 2023
| CO Business Alliance → Network organizations
| Millions reported
| Original individual donors not identified
|}

These transactions occurred before the 2026 election cycle.

They demonstrate how nonprofit organizations and financial intermediaries can complicate efforts to identify the individuals ultimately financing political activity.

=== Donor-Advised Funds and Political Transparency ===

Donor-advised funds allow contributors to recommend grants through sponsoring charitable organizations.

Depending on the organizations and transactions involved, publicly available records may identify the sponsoring organization without identifying every original donor.

Consequently, a financial disclosure identifying a donor-advised fund does not necessarily reveal the individual or corporation originally providing the money.

The use of intermediary organizations also creates the possibility of counting the same funds more than once when analyzing organizational contributions and transfers.

An accurate investigation should distinguish original donations from subsequent transfers between organizations.

=== Funding of the 2026 Ballot Campaigns ===

Campaign finance disclosures from Colorado identify financial contributions to political committees connected with the broader Advance Colorado network.

One example is Brighter Colorado, which reported approximately $2.61 million in contributions through September 30, 2026.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Contributor
! Reported Contribution
|-
| Common Sense America
| $2,000,000
|-
| GOPAC Election Fund
| $500,000
|-
| Rado Capital
| $25,000
|-
| Oscar Brown
| $25,000
|-
| Matt Stava
| $25,000
|-
| Advance Colorado
| $20,000
|}

An additional $100,000 contribution from Colorado Dawn was reported on October 6, 2026, after the September 30 reporting period.

These figures were presented in an October 2026 review of Colorado Secretary of State campaign finance records.

The review also reported that the committee's spending records did not clearly allocate every expenditure to a particular ballot initiative.

Therefore, these committee contributions should not automatically be attributed in full to any single measure.

=== Major Organizations Requiring Further Investigation ===

==== Common Sense America ====

Common Sense America was identified as contributing $2 million to Brighter Colorado.

Establishing the original sources of Common Sense America's funding would help clarify who ultimately financed the associated political activities.

==== Colorado Stronger Alliance ====

Colorado Stronger Alliance was identified as transferring approximately $8.85 million to Unite for Colorado Action in 2022.

The original financial sources behind the transfer were not publicly identified in the investigation summarized here.

==== CO Business Alliance ====

CO Business Alliance was identified in reporting about multimillion-dollar funding flows through Colorado political organizations in 2023.

Additional examination of available nonprofit and campaign finance filings would be necessary to identify original donors and the ultimate recipients.

==== Colorado Opportunity Foundation ====

Colorado Opportunity Foundation was identified as the largest institutional contributor to Advance Colorado in the cited 2021–2024 grant compilation.

Its reported contributions totaled $3.6 million.

Separate reporting identified more than $2 million moving into the foundation through donor-advised funding arrangements.

These figures involve different financial relationships and should not be added together without determining whether any underlying funds overlap.

=== Understanding the Different Types of Political Funding ===

Political funding connected to Advance Colorado can be divided into several categories.

==== Direct Contributions ====

Money contributed directly to Advance Colorado or to a registered political campaign committee.

These transactions may be identifiable through IRS records or campaign finance disclosures.

==== Contributions to Affiliated Organizations ====

Money provided to organizations that maintain financial, personnel, or organizational relationships with Advance Colorado.

Such contributions do not necessarily demonstrate that the money reached Advance Colorado or financed a particular ballot initiative.

==== Intermediary Funding ====

Money transferred through nonprofit organizations, foundations, donor-advised funds, or political committees.

Investigators must trace each transaction to avoid counting the same funds repeatedly.

==== Reported but Unverified Billionaire Funding ====

Financial relationships attributed to wealthy individuals through interviews, investigative reporting, or indirect organizational connections without publicly verified personal contribution records.

These relationships should be presented as allegations, reported connections, or subjects of investigation rather than established direct donations.

=== Transparency and Disclosure Issues ===

The Advance Colorado network illustrates several challenges involved in investigating political funding.

* Some substantial contributions are identifiable through public IRS filings.
* Some campaign contributions are reported through Colorado's election disclosure system.
* Contributions may pass through multiple organizations.
* Original donors may not be publicly identifiable.
* Organizational relationships do not establish which donor financed a particular initiative.
* Transfers between committees can result in double-counting.
* Contributions to nonprofit organizations should be distinguished from spending on particular ballot measures.

The Colorado Secretary of State's TRACER database is an important primary source for examining registered political committees, contributions, and expenditures.

IRS Form 990 filings provide additional information about nonprofit revenues, expenditures, grants, and organizational activities.

=== Sources and Further Reading ===

==== Investigative Reporting ====

1. [https://coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/08/the-redprint-how-advance-colorado-and-anonymous-donors-shape-the-political-landscape/ | Logan M. Davis | Colorado Times Recorder | August 20, 2025]
Investigates the Advance Colorado organizational network, anonymous funding, nonprofit transfers, and reported relationships involving wealthy donors.

2. [https://coloradotimesrecorder.com/2026/09/the-official-muckraker-ballot-guide/82058/ | Logan M. Davis | Colorado Times Recorder | September 29, 2026]
Examines Colorado's 2026 ballot measures and identifies relationships involving Advance Colorado and supporting or opposing campaign organizations.

==== Financial Records and Investigations ====

3. [https://philanthropy.org/990/who-funds/854192457/advance-colorado | Philanthropy.org | Who Funds Advance Colorado? | 2021–2024 Records]
Compiles identified institutional grants to Advance Colorado from publicly available IRS-derived records.

4. [https://dibsworld.org/advance-colorado-2026-ballot.php | Dibsworld | Advance Colorado's Connections to Colorado's 2026 Ballot | October 2026]
Reviews political committee connections and reported contributions using Colorado campaign finance records.

5. [https://www.whoisadvancecolorado.org/ballot-measures | Who Is Advance Colorado? | Advance Colorado's 2026 Ballot Initiatives, Explained | 2026]
Examines initiative representatives and organizational connections involving Advance Colorado.

==== Official Government Records ====

6. [https://tracer.sos.colorado.gov/ | Colorado Secretary of State | TRACER Campaign Finance Database | Ongoing]
Official database of Colorado political committee registration, campaign contributions, and expenditures.

7. [https://leg.colorado.gov/initiatives/ballot-information-booklet-blue-book | Colorado General Assembly | State Ballot Information Booklet | September 2026]
Provides official nonpartisan analyses of Colorado statewide ballot measures.

==== Organizational Sources ====

8. [https://www.advancecolorado.org/2026-policy-agenda/ | Advance Colorado Institute | 2026 Policy Agenda | 2026]
Describes the organization's stated public policy priorities.

9. [https://www.advancecolorado.org/ | Advance Colorado | Official Website | Ongoing]
Provides information about Advance Colorado's leadership, mission, advocacy, and political activities.

=== Conclusion ===

Advance Colorado is associated with a network of foundations, nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups, and political committees involved in Colorado elections and public policy.

Available financial records identify millions of dollars in institutional contributions, including grants from Colorado Opportunity Foundation, Bradley Impact Fund, and other organizations.

Additional investigations have identified foundation relationships involving the Walton family and reported possible financial backing from billionaire Philip Anschutz. However, the precise personal financial contributions of Anschutz to Advance Colorado have not been established by the cited evidence.

Some substantial funding flows involve intermediary organizations whose underlying donors remain unidentified.

In the 2026 election cycle, committees associated with Advance Colorado have reported significant financial contributions, including a $2 million contribution from Common Sense America to Brighter Colorado.

Determining which individuals or corporations ultimately financed specific ballot initiatives requires examining original donations, organizational transfers, campaign expenditures, and IRS disclosures together.

Distinguishing verified donors from affiliated funders and unconfirmed financial relationships is essential to accurately documenting the influence of concentrated wealth on ballot initiative campaigns.

__TOC__

Advance Colorado - Revision history

Kirk at 13:38, 16 October 2026