What's this website all about?

In the Fall of 2001, two journalists revealed that one of the most prominent nonprofit "think tanks" in labor economics wasn't "nonprofit" at all. It had been covertly created by the head of a public relations firm on behalf of his corporate clients who wanted to stop increases to the minimum wage. [The full story of the "Employment Policies Institute" is available here.].

Pervasive and covert conflicts of interest plague nonprofit research and advocacy, on both the political right and left. It is a distressing problem to anyone that values accurate research and responsible political advocacy.

This website began with the report, first prepared for an university program in ethics. It is meant to be a useful introduction to this important, and growing, problem.

Special thanks to professors Ted Glasser and Robert Reich, and all the people in Stanford's Ethics in Society program.

I want to email you. Where can I reach you?

Great. Send any questions, suggestions, or ideas to the address below.