Common Sense Institute is a Colorado policy organization that appears in this repository as a recurring research and media-validation node in Colorado conservative policy fights. In the Advance Colorado source cluster, it is central because CTR reporting and the Who is Advance Colorado? microsite frame it as the think-tank component of a broader ballot-politics persuasion system.
The current repo evidence supports two layers. Direct linked Schedule I excerpts show ADVANCE COLORADO granting money to COMMON SENSE INSTITUTE in 2022 and 2023. CTR reporting and the microsite add the interpretation that Common Sense Institute research helps make Advance Colorado-backed policy positions look neutral or nonpartisan in public debate.
This page should not be used to assert that Common Sense Institute is controlled by Advance Colorado. The current source set supports funding, recurring personnel or network overlap as reported by CTR, and a role in the microsite's persuasion-machine frame.
$50,000 in 2022 and $40,000 in 2023 to Common Sense Institute for GENERAL ASSISTANCE.2022 and 2023 excerpts, plus broader CTR reporting context.raw/papers/2026-04-18T215643-0600-advance-990-2022-partial.md: first-page Schedule I text sample showing a $50,000 Advance Colorado grant to Common Sense Institute.raw/papers/2026-04-18T215643-0600-advance-990-2023-partial.md: first-page Schedule I text sample showing a $40,000 Advance Colorado grant to Common Sense Institute.raw/articles/2026-04-11T155513-0600 ctr-66741-despite-claim-not-to-take-sides-common-sense-institute-accepts-funds-from-conservative-adv.md: CTR reporting on CSI funding and research work.raw/articles/2026-04-11T155513-0600 ctr-59634-most-reporters-arent-informing-you-that-the-common-sense-institute-is-conservative-investi.md: CTR reporting on media treatment of CSI.wiki/summaries/who-is-advance-colorado-microsite-and-linked-tax-document-cluster.md: bounded source-cluster synthesis for the microsite and one-hop linked sources.$600k in 90 Days? article should be checked against direct archived Advance Colorado team pages before being hardened.