Concerned Women for America (CWA)

CWA Rejects LGBTQIA+ Marriage Based On Fundamentalist Christian Views. “CWA believes that marriage consists of one man and one woman” [CWA Website, 11/05/21].

Mario Díaz, CWA’s General Counsel, Equated The Legalization Of LGBTQIA+ Marriage With “The Criminalization Of Christianity.” [CWA Website, 07/02/15].

CWA President Penny Nance Compared Same-Sex Marriage To Counterfeit Money. “Speaking on The Mike Huckabee Show, Nance warned that same-sex marriage is like ‘counterfeit money’ that ‘takes at something that’s the real deal and diminishes it,’ adding that the legalization of polygamy is coming next. Later in the show, Nance said the government will ‘cast aside’ around ‘two thousand years of tradition’ and ‘hurt everyone’ by recognizing same-sex unions.” [Right Wing Watch, 06/26/13].

CWA Has Equated The So-Called “Gay Agenda” With “Satan’s Agenda”. According to Sancha Smith, Louisiana state director of CWA, the LGBTQIA+ community promotes “sexual relativism”, which is “Satan’s plan of attack” or “agenda to mislead the masses towards mayhem” [Covenant Spotlight Magazine, 2016]. CWA has endorsed Smith’s remarks by openly promoting her writings on their webpage [CWA Website, 09/01/16]  

CWA Promoted Abusive So-Called “Conversion Therapy.” According to a report, CWA advertised “Love In Action”, a so-called “Conversion Ministry” in their 2001 “Family Voice” publication. However, such publication has been archived [Bride Project and NARAL Report, 06/22/15].  

CWA General Counsel Mario Díaz Promotes Transphobic Ideologies And Deadnames Caitlyn Jenner: “I wish I was Bruce Jenner’s father. Looking at the most recent Vanity Fair cover, it just breaks my heart to see a man in such pain. Jenner seems to be looking for acceptance and validation among those who seek to exploit him most for their personal gain, when the reality is that he is and always has been of immeasurable value”. [CWA Website, 06/02/15]

Doreen Denny, CWA’s Vice President of Government Relations, Co-Opts The Language of Civil Rights to Promote Transphobic Falsehoods About Trans Student Athletes. “Assuring fair play for women and girls based on biological sex, not gender identity, should be something on which we can all agree. It should be a matter of biological fact, physiological advantage, and basic civil rights, not partisanship or political activism. Male athletes should not be competing in women’s sports, regardless of how they identify.” [CWA Website, 4/8/21]

Beverly LaHaye has been an influential voice in American conservative politics for decades. LaHaye came up with the idea of CWA in 1978 in San Francisco, California. At that time, Ms. LaHaye perceived that the “feminists’ anti-God, anti-family rhetoric” was not representing her views, so she decided to found CWA in order to “educate and alert Christian women on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).” The organization was legally incorporated in 1979. 

Ms. LaHaye has been the name behind CWA ever since. She served as President and CEO of CWA for many years, looking to insert fundamentalist Christian ideologies and conservative principles into public policy. LaHaye even led a delegation to the 1995 Beijing Conference, where she sought to “ensure that the voice for pro-family women was heard.”

In 2019, Ms. LaHaye appeared in CWA’s 40th Anniversary Gala, where she called CWA to “put an end to the killing of babies in America” and celebrated “conservative Christian women who are speaking out and taking leadership.” Following that event, Ms. LaHaye stepped down as Chairman of CWA’s Board.  

Ms. LaHaye holds deeply anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQIA+ views. She has openly claimed gay people are at fault for a “radical leftist crusade” in the United States and equated homosexuality with pedophilia [Southern Poverty Law Center, 11/04/10].

Penny Nance was CEO of CWA from 2010 to 2013 and has been its President since 2013.  As the head of CWA, Nance has consistently promoted anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQIA+ policies in the United States and internationally. Most prominently, Nance has supported extremist first-term bans on abortion and President Trump’s “Global Gag Rule” (or Mexico City policy), which prevented foreign organizations receiving U.S. global health assistance from providing information, referrals, or services for legal abortion or advocating for access to abortion services in their country. Nance has claimed that same-sex marriage equality is like “counterfeit money” that will “hurt everyone.”

Nance has been a vocal supporter of President Trump’s anti-abortion and anti-LGBTIQIA+ agenda. During his presidency, Nance served on the so-called “Life Advisory Council”, a body composed chiefly of leaders of Religious Right organizations, TV preachers, and conservative pastors. Nance had originally been nominated by President Trump to be Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, a heading at the Office of Global Women’s Issues in the United States Department of State. Nance was not appointed, as she eventually withdrew her name from consideration in November 2017. By the end of Trump’s presidency, Nance wrote an article praising all the policies that matched fundamentalist Christian values.  

Nance does not seem to have any visible ties to anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQIA+ organizations in Mexico. Prior to CWA, Nance was president of the anti-choice group Kids First Coalition and of Nance and Associates, a public policy and media-consulting firm. Nance also served as Special Advisor for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). 

According to CWA’s website, Nance currently serves on the Board of Trustees at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, an institution with a strong Evangelical focus. This University had also cultivated a relationship with former President Trump.

Originally from Mexico, Ms. Casillas currently serves as Vice President of the International Affairs Department, which “focuses on U.S. foreign policy and aid, women’s empowerment, religious freedom, and human rights.” Casillas is one of the newest additions to CWA, having joined their staff in April 2021.

In her new role, Casillas has been instrumental in expanding CWA’s influence to Latin America in general, and Mexico in particular. Indeed, in July 2021—only three months after Casillas joined the staff—CWA announced that the organization would be “co-hosting [their] first international event in Mexico City to support government officials in protecting their national laws.” The audience included members of the Mexican Legislature, including Representative Laura Barrera Fortoul and Representative César Agustín Hernández Pérez. While there is no information on the next steps, the fact that the forum was advertised as the “first” international event in Mexico suggests that Neydy Casillas will continue to pursue CWA’s anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQIA+ rights in the country.

Casillas previously served as a Senior Legal Counsel at noted hate group ADF International. She was the visible face of ADF at both UN New York and the Organization of American States, where she pushed anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQIA+ ideologies before the Inter-American Court and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Ms. Casillas has claimed that the expansion of rights by courts and international organizations is “a new form of dictatorship.”

Ms. Denny is Vice President of Government Relations for CWA. As part of her role, she oversees policy engagement with the legislative and executive branches of government to advance CWA’s seven core issues, including religious liberty, the sanctity of human life, and the defense of the family.  Ms. Denny had previously worked at the United States federal government, holding positions in the White House Office of Policy Development under George H.W. Bush, U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and both chambers of Congress. She does not seem to have any visible ties to anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQIA+ organizations in Mexico.

Concerning reproductive health, Doreen Denny has strongly pushed for extremist first-term abortion bans and opposed legislation in the United States Congress that seeks to prevent barriers to abortion access in the country. She has also opposed the Equal Rights Amendment. Regarding LGBTQIA+ rights, Ms. Denny has been particularly emphatic in her opposition to sex education and hormone therapy, wrongfully claiming that it confuses children. Ms. Denny has also vocally resisted allowing transgender athletes to compete in sporting events, leading the efforts behind CWA’s petition urging the International Olympic Committee to prevent transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. Ms. Denny has openly claimed that “[m]ale athletes should not be competing in women’s sports, regardless of how they identify”.

Mr. Díaz serves as CWA’s General Counsel, leading CWA’s Legal Studies Department, directing the amicus briefs program, and CWA’s work against judicial activism. In particular, Mr. Díaz has recently led CWA’s submission of an amicus brief in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case before the United States Supreme Court.

Mr. Diaz holds strong anti-LGBTQIA+ views, openly present in his various columns and op-eds. Among other things, he has argued that LGBTQIA+ people intend to “captur[e] and manipulat[e]” children’s minds, that children are unsafe around LGBTQIA+ culture, or that Pride events expose children to “sexual deviant behavior” [CWA Website, 07/07/21]. 

Mr. Díaz does not seem to have any visible ties to anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQIA+ organizations in Mexico.

The following are other members of CWA’s Staff:

• Christina Ruiz Wolfe, Office Manager, Financial Assistant
• Julia Curtis, Lead Graphic Designer. 
• Deanna Drogan, Young Women for America Regional Coordinator
• Katie Everett, Young Women for America Regional Coordinator
• Ashley Judah, Legislative Strategist
• Michelle Minor, Field Organization Coordinator
• Natalie Panettiere, Executive Assistant to CEO, Communications Assistant
• Darby Sue Stielstra, Executive Assistant, Donor Relations
• Keri Ann Thompson, Constituent Service Representative
• Jacklyn Washington, Communications Strategist
• Celso Wiggins, Staff Assistant
• Danielle Buck, Senior Director of External Relations

The following are part of CWA’s Board of Trustees:

• Linda Murphy, Chairman (daughter of Beverly LaHaye). 
• Janne Myrdal, Vice Chairman (member of the North Dakota Senate).
• Carrie Chupp Harper, Secretary
• Caroline Aderholt
• Debbie Beyer
• Jean Crisp
• Charlotte Johnson
• Cheryl Keithly
• Jeanne Riegsecker
• Jon Whetsell

Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC) is the 501(c)(4) arm of CWA. The organization’s mission is to “educate the general public on current legislative issues affecting the family.” While CWA and CWALAC share the same directors, staff, Board of Trustees, and website, both organizations remain separate and file separately with the IRS.

Founded in 1999, the Beverly LaHaye Institute (BLI)  was the think tank and research arm of CWA. The Institute “focuses on women’s issues from a conservative, Biblical perspective [and] provides resources on feminism, marriage, pornography and sex trafficking, religious trends and freedoms, as well as national political commentary and reports about recent United Nations activities.”

As of November 2021, it seems that BLI is no longer an active arm of CWA, as there are no activities published on CWA’s website or social media channels.

Founded in 1997, World Congress of Families (WCF) is a U.S.-based coalition that promotes Christian right values internationally.  It was created by and is coordinated by the Howard Center for Family, Religion, and Society. It opposes same-sex marriage, abortion, and pornography and promotes the so-called “natural family doctrine” that has been used to curtail reproductive and LGBTQIA+ rights across the world.  WCF has been designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group. 

CWA Has Sponsored WCF’s Conferences. According to an archived press release, “[s]ince 1999, CWA has been a co-sponsor of the WCF.”  According to a more recent report, “WCF partners are some of the largest and most influential conservative groups in America and in the West (…) A 2001 conference in Washington, D.C., was sponsored by, among others, (…) Concerned Women for America (…)”

Janice Shaw Crouse, Former Executive Director WCF IX, Was Also A Former Senior Fellow at the Beverly LaHaye Institute. [Human Rights Campaign Press Release, 05/05/15; CWA Twitter Profile, 06/05/09].

The Council for National Policy (CNP) is an umbrella group for GOP activists founded in 1981 by Rev. Tim LaHaye as a forum for fundamentalist Christians to strategize. In recent years, CNP has brought together a cross-section of the right from Edwin J. Feulner to Wayne LaPierre of the NRA. The group currently claims to “lead the conservative movement”, defending limited government and traditional values. CNP was originally launched as a secretive organization. 

CWA CEO Penny Nance Is A “Gold Circle Member” of CNP. Although the list of members is meant to remain secretive, leaks have confirmed Nance’s membership in CNP [Source Watch, 11/05/21; AP News, 10/26/20].

The Political Network for Values (PNfV) is a global coalition of legislators that promotes fundamentalist Christian ideologies at the domestic, regional, and international levels. The coalition opposes reproductive and LGBTQIA+ rights and strongly defends religious freedom, conscientious objection, and the fundamentalist Christian notion of family. PNfV has strong links to far-right organizations in Spain, Hungary, Mexico, and the United States.

Neydy Casillas Is Both A Member Of PNfV Committee Of Experts and Vice President of the International Affairs Department at CWA. [PNfV Website, 10/29/21; CWA Website, 10/29/21]

Red De Acción Ética Política (RAEP) is a coalition of legislators, politicians, and representatives from the private sector that operates in Mexico. Founded in 2012, RAEP seeks to work as a networking platform and a “high-level training space” on what it considers traditional values such as human dignity, the family, and religious freedom. Per RAEP’s website, the coalition has held more than 9,750 meetings with legislators and proposed more than 450 bills—even though RAEP provides no concrete information on these activities.

CWA And RAEP Cohosted The “Parliamentarian Action On The International Law Of Human Rights” Forum In Mexico City. The event’s main objective was to train recently elected Mexican senators and representatives to defend their national law and oppose international organizations and the U.S. government. RAEP’s website provides no concrete information on this event.

The International Civic Network (ICN) is a 501c (3) non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. that supports lawmakers in the Americas through different initiatives. One of ICN’s main goals is to “educate future leaders that will defend family values and liberties” by “creating and supporting a close-knit system of support and engagement (…)”. ICN also monitors and lobbies against “local, state and federal bills and policies in the Americas that may become law and potentially be a threat to existing traditions and society.” ICN’s website provides no concrete information on the structure or financials of the non-profit. ICN has no active social media profiles. 

CWA And ICN Cohosted The “Parliamentarian Action On The International Law Of Human Rights” Forum In Mexico City. The event’s main objective was to train recently elected Mexican senators and representatives to defend their national law and oppose international organizations and the U.S. government. ICN’s website provides no concrete information on this event.

The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) is one of the most influential right-wing groups in the United States. ADF legally launders discrimination behind the rhetoric of “religious freedom” to restrict the rights of marginalized people, causing it to be classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

CWA And ADF Cohosted The “Parliamentarian Action On The International Law Of Human Rights” Forum In Mexico City. [Twitter, 07/07/21] 

Neydy Casillas, Vice President Of The International Affairs Department At CWA, Was The Former Senior Legal Counsel At ADF International. Casillas was the visible face of ADF at both UN New York and the Organization of American States, where she pushed anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQIA+ ideologies. [CWA Website, 11/12/21]

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization whose mission is to “end abortion by electing national leaders and advocating for laws that save lives, with a special calling to promote pro-life women leaders.” SBA is one of the most influential anti-abortion groups in Washington and has close ties to both former President Trump and former Vice President Pence. SBA works on the federal and state levels to push its anti-abortion agenda and elect anti-abortion legislators.

CWA And Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America Have Carried Out Various Anti-Abortion Advocacy Efforts. 

• In 2020, CWA Filed A Joint Amicus Brief With The Charlotte Lozier Institute, The Education And Research Arm Of SBA. The brief was filed in the June Medical Services L.L.C. v. Gee case in defense of Louisiana’s Act 620 requiring a physician to hold “active admitting privileges” at a hospital within 30 miles of the facility where an abortion is provided. [SBA Press Release, 01/03/20] 
• In 2019, CWA And SBA Delivered A Joint Press Conference To Oppose Abortion Legislation In Virginia. In 2019, CWA, SBA List, and The Family Foundation held a press conference to oppose Virginia Delegate Kathy Tran’s bill allowing abortion care throughout pregnancy. [CWA Press Release, 02/01/19]
• In 2018, CWA And SBA Jointly Celebrated Former President Trump’s “Protect Life Rule”. “As a coalition of women elected to serve in state government, we thank President Trump for keeping his promise to direct taxpayer dollars away from the abortion industry and instead fund life-affirming health care for women.” [SBA Press Release, 05/21/18] 
• In 2018, CWA And SBA Sent A Joint Letter To Former President Trump Asking For” A Policy Change On The Issue Of Taxpayer Funding For Research Using Fetal Tissue From Induced Abortions”. “We write to you today with great concern about National Institutes of Health (NIH) spending over $100 million taxpayer dollars in FY18 for research that involves the body parts of children derived from induced abortions. (…) These organs are “harvested” after abortions that deprive these children of their right to life. There is absolutely no moral or ethical justification for treating children and their organs like commodities.” [SBA Press Release, 12/20/18]
• In 2017, CWA And SBA Delivered A Joint Press Conference As Part Of A Single “Pro-Life Community”. “Penny Nance, the CEO and President of Concerned Women for America, Marjorie Dannenfelser, the President of the Susan B. Anthony List, and other prominent figures in the pro-life community condemned the ruling of the British court [on the Charlie Gard case] during their joint press conference. However, they also applauded both President Trump and Pope Francis for speaking about the injustice of this decision”. [CWA Website, 07/06/17] 

The Family Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that advocates for “policies based on Biblical principles that enable families to flourish at the state and local level.” The organization is associated with Focus on the Family.

CWA And The Family Foundation Delivered A Joint Press Conference To Oppose Abortion Legislation In Virginia. In 2019, CWA, SBA Pro-Life America, and The Family Foundation held a press conference to oppose Virginia Delegate Kathy Tran’s bill allowing abortions throughout pregnancy. During the conference, Penny Nance claimed that “In the United States of America, the beacon of human rights to the world, abortion is giving way to infanticide” [CWA Press Release, 02/01/19; See also JCN Twitter Profile, 07/26/18]. 

CWA And The Family Foundation Have Filed Joint Amici Briefs. A joint brief before the United States Supreme Court was filed in the Americans for Prosperity Found. v. Becerra case, soliciting funds in California to disclose the identities of their major donors to the state Attorney General’s Office. The brief can be found here. Another recent example on same-sex marriage can be found here.

The Judicial Crisis Network (JCN), also known as The Concord Fund, is a conservative, right-wing group that advocates the confirmation of right-wing judges to the courts. JCN has given millions of dollars to conservative 501 (c) (4) organizations over the years, most recently supporting the nomination of Trump-appointed justices to the United States Supreme Court. JCN is presided by Carrie Severino.

CWA Received Money From JCN To Defend The Nomination Of Brett Kavanaugh. “JCN’s total contribution to CWA’s ‘Women for Kavanaugh’ campaign is not yet clear from the public record, but JCN [has] become increasingly significant [player] in the CWA orbit, funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars to CWA in the past three tax years”; “This was an apparent effort to use CWA’s position, ostensibly a women’s advocacy group, to support a man credibly accused of sexual assault and to undermine the credibility of his female accuser (…) CWA was a natural ally for JCN’s defense of Kavanaugh (…) CWA appears to have launched its Kavanaugh confirmation campaign in coordination with JCN.” [CfA Report, p. 13-15]

Freedom Partners was a nonprofit 501(c)(6) organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, aimed at promoting “the benefits of free markets and a free society” as well as “protecting freedom and expanding opportunity” for Americans. In practice, Freedom Partners worked as a major political operation led by Charles Koch to organize his billionaire allies and distribute funds to influence elections and public policy. In 2013, Politico revealed that the organization was providing funding as large as $63 million to groups promoting conservative causes. Freedom Partners was dissolved in 2019 and rebranded into a superseding Koch organization, called Stand Together.

Until 2015, CWA Received The Great Majority Of Its Funding From Freedom Partners [The Intercept, 04/28/15] 

• In 2013, CWA Received $260,000 From Freedom Partners. “According to Freedom Partners’ 990 for the 2013 tax year, Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce contributed $260,000 to [CWALAC]” [Bride Project and NARAL Report, 06/22/15].  
• Between 2011 and 2012, CWA Received $8.2 Million From Freedom Partners. “According to Freedom Partners’ 990 for the 2012 tax year, Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce contributed $8,150,000 to [CWALAC]” [Bride Project and NARAL Report, 06/22/15; See also The Intercept, 04/28/15]. 

American Encore is a 501 (c)(4) non-profit founded and managed by GOP strategist and Koch ally Sean Noble. The organization was formerly known as the Center to Protect Patient Rights (CPPR), originally set up in 2009 by Noble in conjunction with Randy Kendrick, an Arizona-based Republican activist and donor, to oppose then-President Obama’s Affordable Care Act. CPPR has distributed funds to conservative 501(c)(4) organizations backed by the Koch brothers. The fact that the organizations don’t have to disclose the names of their donors made them attractive repositories for contributions from individuals and corporations wanting to have an impact on the elections without having their roles known.

CWALAC Received Large Grants From CPPR From 2010 To 2012. “Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (…) received nearly $1.5 million from CPPR, spent $405,000 in the 2012 cycle at the federal level, split precisely in two — half to support Mia Love, a Republican, for a Utah House seat, and half to oppose Jim Matheson, the incumbent Democrat seeking re-election to the same seat. Matheson won. CPPR gave Concerned Women for America a small grant of $4,500 in 2010.” [Open Secrets, 12/17/12]

The National  Legal  Foundation (NLF)  is a public interest law firm often representing religious organizations. NLF also carries out capacity-building programs, “[t]raining generations of Christian scholars, statesman, lawyers, and jurists who will perpetuate this vision and impact the nation” [NLF Website, 11/05/21].

NLF, CWA, and the Beverly LaHaye Institute have filed various joint amici briefs before the United States Supreme Court. Most cases involve issues of religious freedom and opposition to LBGTQIA+ rights. An example can be found here.  A more recent example on same-sex marriage can be found here.

The Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) is an anti-LGBTQIA+ hate group founded in 1997 as a 501 (c)(3) organization. Among other things, the group has endorsed so-called “conversion therapy”; claimed marriage equality would lead to incest; fought against protections for trans children, fabricated a story of harassment by a trans student; and said that LGBT History Month promotes gay pornography to children. PJI has been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

PJI and CWA have filed joint amici briefs before the United States Supreme Court. Most cases involve issues of religious freedom and opposition to LBGTQIA+ rights. Examples can be found here and here.

The following have recently filed joint amici briefs with CWA or The Beverly LaHaye Foundation:

• The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). 
• Samaritan’s Purse.
• The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). 
• The Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation (CPCF). 
• Center for Arizona Policy (CAP).
• The Delaware Family Policy Council (DFPC). 
• Hawaii Family Forum (HFF). 
• The Illinois Family Institute (IFI). 
• Nebraska Family Alliance (NFA). 
• Cornerstone Policy Research.
• Wisconsin Family Action (WFA).

CWA’s Rejection Of The ERA Is Closely Tied To Its Fight Against Abortion In The United States. According to CWA, “Adding an equality amendment based on “sex” can have a reverse effect on women’s progress (…) Any limits on abortion or denying taxpayer-funds for abortion could be seen as a form of sex discrimination and a violation of this amendment.” [CWA Website, 10/22/21]

• CWA’s Rejection Of The ERA Is Also Grounded On The Protection Of So-Called “Traditional Family Values.” Beverly LaHaye, founder of CWA, believed that the ERA would “totally destroy the traditional American family. [Bride Project and NARAL Report, 06/22/15] 

CWA Advocated Against Ratification of CEDAW. CWA considers that the Convention undermines so-called “traditional family roles” and implicitly endorses abortion. “The CEDAW Committee has told countries to decriminalize prostitution, legalize abortion, limit women’s choices of what fields they may study, and criticized the celebration of Mother’s Day and honoring the “noble role of mother. (…) This treaty would hand over women’s freedom to make professional and personal decisions – such as childcare and household duties, parental rights, religious exercise, education, and employment – to government agents and an unaccountable U.N. Committee.” [CWA Website, 05/07/10, See also Washington Post, 03/08/20]

In 2017, CWA Supported Trump’s “Global Gag Rule”. Also known as the “Mexico City policy”, this policy prevented foreign organizations receiving U.S. global health assistance from providing information, referrals, or services for legal abortion. The policy also prevented advocating for access to abortion services in their country, even with their own money. CWA’s rationale for defending the rule was that “[a]bortion should not be one of America’s exports to the world.” [CWA Website, 01/30/17] 

In 2013, CWA Lobbied For The Extremist Anti-Abortion So-Called “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.” “CWA has directly reached out to 250,000 of our members and encouraged them to speak to their members of Congress (…) Concerned Women for America and others call on Congress to support H.R. 1797, the most important pro-life bill to be considered by the U.S. House of Representatives in the last 10 years.” [CWA Website, 06/18/13]

CWA Lobbies State Legislatures Through Their Local ‘Prayer/Action Chapters’. Prayer/Action Chapters meet monthly to review current issues on the local, state, and national levels, and to plan on how to take action. “CWA has nearly 500 prayer/action chapters in almost every state, where our members pray, educate themselves and others, and act to protect those Biblical principles we believe are the foundation of freedom. (…) No previous training is necessary; we will provide you with all the tools you need to make your voice heard in your state and at the federal level.” [CWA Website, 11/1/21]

CWA Targets Youth Through Their Young Women For America Local Chapters. Launched in 2016, Young Women For America (YWA) is a CWA Project that seeks “to educate young female leaders on Biblical and conservative issues, equipping them to then educate their peers while surrounding themselves with a community of women who share their core beliefs” [CWA Website, 01/18/21].

CWA Claims Its Youth Program Is A Response To “Leftist Indoctrination” Of College Students. CWA claims that college students have been indoctrinated by “liberal studies and programs that have been built by the left for 20 years”. [CWA Website, 11/3/15]

CWA Trains Prospective Lobbyists Through Project 535. Launched in 1984, Project 535 is a volunteer lobbying program that trains and equips volunteer teams to lobby on Capitol Hill, but also on a state and local level. The name refers to the 535 elected members of Congress, and it seeks to “bring [America] back to Biblical values”. The project has a prominent capacity-building component, as it seeks to equip volunteers  with “important legislative information and updates” and “a manual filled with tips on how to lobby effectively.” [CWA Website, 11/1/21]

CWA Lobbied To Confirm Justice Amy Coney Barrett. In 2020, CWA launched the “Women for Amy” campaign and bus tour to support the confirmation of Judge Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.  According to Nance, the purpose of the campaign was to protect the voice of conservative women on the nation’s highest court, and defend Barrett against the perceived “attacks on her faith” and “anti-Christian bigotry” [CWA Website, 09/26/20; CWA Website, 10/05/20].

CWALAC Also Sent A Letter To The Senate Judiciary Committee Supporting Coney Barrett’s Nomination. [AP News, 10/26/20]

CWA Lobbied To Confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh. In 2018, CWA launched a $500,000 grassroots campaign called “Women for Kavanaugh” to support the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court [CWA Website, 07/10/18].

CWA Has Recently Launched Its Own Education Series. In 2020, CWA launched ‘The CWA Academy for Conservative Principles (CWAACP)‘ as a response to the organization’s perceived need for a “trustworthy space [tp] get a robust education on the foundational principles that should guide [American] public policy debates”. The project consists of a series of informational videos and webinars, covering topics such as the United States Constitution, lobbying, socialism, censorship in Big Tech, and religious freedom. Members of CWA staff, including Mario Diaz, Tanya Ditty, and Annabelle Rutledge, are leading the project and serving as speakers in the videos. [CWA Website, 11/1/21]

CWA Is Training Senators and Representatives In Mexico City. On July 7, 2021, CWA co-hosted its first international event in Mexico City, the “Parliamentarian Action on the International Law of Human Rights” forum. The goal of the event was to “train recently elected Mexican senators and representatives” to “defend their national law and oppose international organizations and the U.S. government”. The forum rejected the alleged interference of international organizations such as the UN, OAS, UNFPA, and UNWomen with Mexico’s sovereignty. [CWA Website, 07/14/21] 

• Noted Anti-Abortion Activist And CWA VP Neydy Casillas Organized This Event. The event was organized by CWA’s Vice President of International Affairs, Neydy Casillas, along with International Civic Network (ICN) and Red de Acción Ética y Política (RAEP) [CWA Website, 07/04/21].
• Fundamentalist Catholic Mexican Activist Rodrigo Iván Cortés Attended The Forum. [CWA Website, 07/14/21]

CWA Files Numerous Amici Briefs Expressing Extremist Views on Abortion, Religious Freedom, And LGBTQIA+ Rights. Since its foundation in 1979, CWA has been very active in pushing extreme right-wing ideologies before courts in general, and the United States Supreme Court in particular. Some Supreme Court cases where CWA has filed amici briefs include:

• Board of Education v. National Gay Task Force, 1985 U.S. LEXIS 1524 (SCOTUS, 1985). Case concerning whether schools might fire teachers for “public homosexual conduct”.  
• Brockett v. Spokane Arcades, 472 U.S. 491 (SCOTUS, 1985). Case concerning the constitutionality of a state law mandating penalties for individuals dealing in obscenity and prostitution. 
• Hartigan v. Zbaraz, 484 U.S. 171 (SCOTUS, 1987). Case concerning the constitutional validity of the Illinois Parental Notice Abortion Act, which required a physician to give 24-hour notice to both parents of a minor. 
• Edwards v. Aguillard, 482 U.S. 578 (SCOTUS, 1987). Case concerning the constitutionality of the Louisiana Creationism Act, which required either banishment of the theory of evolution or the presentation of a religious viewpoint that rejected evolution in its entirety. 
• County of Allegheny v. ACLU, 492 U.S. 573 (SCOTUS, 1989). Case on whether the display of a creche and a Chanukah menorah in government buildings violated the Establishment Clause and the First Amendment.
• Ohio v. Akron Ctr. for Reproductive Health, 497 U.S. 502 (SCOTUS, 1990). Case concerning a statute requiring parental notice and consent prior to a minor’s abortion. 
• Osborne v. Ohio, 495 U.S. 103 (SCOTUS, 1990). Case concerning the constitutional validity of Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2907.323(A)(3), which prohibited possession or viewing of child pornography.
• Int’l Union v. Johnson Controls, 499 U.S. 187 (SCOTUS, 1991). Case concerning whether an employer may implement a policy excluding women who are pregnant or capable of bearing children from being placed in jobs involving lead exposure.
• Lee v. Weisman, 505 U.S. 577 (SCOTUS, 1992). Case on whether public schools should be allowed to invite members of the clergy to offer invocation and benediction prayers as part of formal school graduation ceremonies. 
• Bray v. Alexandria Women’s Health Clinic, 506 U.S. 263 (SCOTUS, 1993). Case the legality of anti-abortion demonstrations, and whether they violate 42 U.S.C.S. § 1985(3) by conspiring to deprive women seeking abortions of their right to interstate travel. 
• Lamb’s Chapel v. Ctr. Moriches Union Free Sch. Dist., 508 U.S. 384 (SCOTUS, 1993). Case concerning whether denying a church access to school premises for public viewing of an alleged religious film violated the Free Speech Clause. 
• Romer v. Evans, 517 U.S. 620 (SCOTUS, 1996). Case concerning the constitutional validity of Colorado’s Amendment 2, which prohibited all legislative, executive, or judicial action at any level of state or local government designed to protect homosexual persons.
• United States v. Windsor, 570 U.S. 744 (SCOTUS, 2013). Case concerning the constitutionality of the refusal of the of the federal government to recognize the marriage for purposes of the estate tax exemption. CWA’s brief can be found here. The Beverly LaHaye Institute also filed a brief in the same case, which can be found here.
• Obergefell v. Hodges, 135 S. Ct. 1039 (SCOTUS, 2015). Case concerning the constitutionality of same-sex marriage. CWA’s brief can be found here. 
• Zubik v. Burwell, 136 S. Ct. 1557 (SCOTUS, 2016). Case concerning the constitutionality of federal regulations requiring employers to cover certain contraceptives as part of their health plans. CWA’s brief can be found here. 
• Gloucester Cnty. Sch. Bd. v. G.G., 136 S. Ct. 2442 (SCOTUS, 2017). Case concerning a transgender Virginia trans male student who had sued the local school board for being forced to use women’s restrooms. The case was sent back to lower courts. The brief can be found here. 
• Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colo. Civil Rights Comm’n, 138 S. Ct. 1719 (SCOTUS, 2018). Case concerning a Colorado baker who had told a same-sex couple that he would not create a cake for their wedding celebration because of his religious opposition to same-sex marriages. CWA’s brief can be found here.
• Aloha Bed & Breakfast v. Cervelli, 2019 U.S. LEXIS 1932 (SCOTUS, 2019). Case concerning a Bed & Breakfast that would not rent a room to unmarried or same-sex couples. The brief can be found here.
• Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, 141 S. Ct. 1868 (SCOTUS, 2021). Concerning whether the City of Philadelphia can bar Catholic Social Services (CSS) from placing children in foster homes because of its policy of not licensing same-sex couples to be foster parents. The Court held that the refusal of Philadelphia to contract with CSS violated the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. CWA’s brief can be found here.
• Bruni v. City of Pittsburgh, 141 S. Ct. 578 (SCOTUS, 2021). Case concerning the constitutionality of “buffer zones” around abortion clinics. CWA’s brief can be found here.
• Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Org., 2021 U.S. LEXIS 5467 (SCOTUS, 2021). Case concerning the constitutionality of a Mississippi state law that places strict limits on abortions after 15 weeks. CWA’s brief -filed by Mario Díaz- can be found here.

• At the US level, CWA’s 501(c) (4) arm is called Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC), established in 1979. This group can spend money on political campaign activity. 
• At the international level, CWA has held ECOSOC Consultative Status since 2001 [U.N. Doc. E/2019/INF/5, 03/02/21].

• CWA was established as a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization in Virginia in 1981. The primary purpose of the organization is to “educate the general public on certain issues (i.e. abortion, abuse, family values)”. CWA has a fiscal year ending June 30. As a 501 (c) (3), CWA is prohibited from engaging in any political campaign actions. [CWA/CWALAC Consolidated Audited Financials, 2020]
• CWALAC was established as a 501 (c)(4) non-profit organization in Virginia in 1979. The primary purpose of the organization is to “educate the general public on current legislative issues affecting the family”. CWALAC has a fiscal year ending June 30 [CWA/CWALAC Consolidated Audited Financials, 2020].
• CWA publishes all financial information on its website, arguing that they have nothing to hide. 
  • “There is much talk of “transparency” in the day-to-day business world, but very little actually ever happens. That’s why Concerned Women for America is an accredited ministry through the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). We act as prayerful stewards of the donations given to us, so we have nothing to hide. Below you will find copies of our latest 990 filings with the Internal Revenue Service as well as the results of our latest audit”. [CWA Website, 10/20/21].  

CWA Financials Are Linked To Well-Funded Right-Wing Propaganda Machines. According to a report published by the Campaign for Accountability, CWA has recently attracted the support of two well-funded right-wing propaganda machines: (1) the Judicial Crisis Network and, (2) the Judicial Education Project, seeking to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. The groups transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to CWA. The report could not provide a full accounting of the current financial arrangement [CfA Report, p. 2]. 

CWA Has Used The Funds Received For Its 501 (c)(4) For Purposes Other Than Advocacy, Engaging In Shady Transfers Between Its (c)(4) And (c)(3) Arms. “While CWA receives funding from dark money groups to support its work, the organization often uses the money it raises to pad its own bank account for other purposes. For instance, money raised by CWA’s PAC and 501(c)(4) is often redirected back to the group’s 501(c)(3) arm, which cannot spend money on political activity. During the tax year ending in June 2018, CWA transferred nearly $1.2 million from its 501(c)(4) arm to its 501(c)(3) entity. The same year, CWA’s 501(c)(3) bought a $2.9 million office building in suburban Washington”. [CfA Report, p. 3].

CfA’s Report Noted CWA Founder Beverly LaHaye’s Children’s Involvement In The Organization, Including Payments From CWA To Their Private Companies.

• “All four of the LaHaye children, as well as other family members, have been involved with CWA (…) A son, Lee LaHaye, was CWA’s chief financial officer until 2015. From July 2006 to June 2015, CWA paid LaHaye a total of $1,224,373 in salary for his work as CFO, and in three of those years he was the group’s highest paid officer or employee. CWA has paid his successor as director of finance, Debbie Cappuccio, a significantly lower salary. (…)” [CfA Report, p. 5].
• “According to the organization’s 990 tax forms, from July 2007 to June 2012, CWA paid a total of $636,155 to Larry LaHaye and his company Advanced Marketing Concepts, based in El Cajon, California. CWA disclosed this conflict of interest in its IRS filings, indicating that Larry was Beverly LaHaye’s son”. [CfA Report, p. 6].

Latest 990 Filing by CWA [ProPublica, 10/29/21]

Latest 990 Filing by CWALAC [ProPublica, 10/29/21]