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Organization · Evidence-based referenceReviewed November 4, 2026

Conservative Partnership Institute

Conservative nonprofit focused on personnel, training, and organizational infrastructure

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Additional archive dossier fields

Founder / chairman
Jim DeMint
Core functions
Staffing · Training · Incubation · Coalition building
Physical infrastructure
Patriots’ Row

Related reading from the archive dossier

Archive profile record

Conservative Partnership Institute, founded by Jim DeMint in 2017, openly describes staffing, training, organizational incubation and coalition-building as core functions and operates a Washington hub known as Patriots’ Row.

Why this entry is in the archive: Its own materials describe staffing and organizational support; its filings also document grants to an election-focused fund. Separate filings do not establish that one donor’s money passed through the whole chain.

Additional archived dossier material

Origins & purpose

CPI was founded after Jim DeMint left the Heritage Foundation. It presents itself as a support institution for conservative members of Congress, staff, activists and policy organizations.

Unlike many think tanks, CPI explicitly emphasizes personnel placement, training, convening and the launch of new organizations.

Staffing & training

CPI says it identifies, interviews and recommends staffers for congressional offices and conservative organizations.

Its training programs cover congressional procedure, floor strategy, communications, budgeting, foreign policy and other governing skills. The Conservative Partnership Academy formalized recurring training in 2023.

Incubation

CPI says it provided administrative, staffing and legal support to help launch organizations including America First Legal, Center for Renewing America, Election Integrity Network, American Moment, Personnel Policy Operations, American Accountability Foundation and State Freedom Caucus Network.

Election-focused funding

CPI’s 2023 Form 990 lists a $795,000 contribution to the Foundation for Accountability, Integrity & Research in Elections Fund (FAIR; EIN 93-1870447). CPI’s 2024 Form 990 lists another $6,042,000 contribution to FAIR.

FAIR’s 2025 Form 990 lists Cleta Mitchell as president and director and Heather Honey as vice president and director. It also lists grants to Election Integrity Network and Election Research Institute, plus consulting payments to Verity Vote LLC.

These are separate transactions reported on different organizations’ filings. They do not show that any specific original donor’s money traveled through CPI and then through FAIR to a particular recipient or project.

Patriots’ Row

CPI describes a cluster of Washington properties as Patriots’ Row and presents the space as infrastructure for conservative organizations, staff and events.

Physical proximity is evidence of shared space and convening capacity, not proof that every occupant shares leadership, finances or strategy.

Evidence limits

CPI’s launch support is stronger evidence than mere ideological similarity, but it still does not establish command over independent organizations.

Employment at CPI does not establish that CPI directs a person’s later government decisions.

Overview

Founded in 2017, the Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI) describes its mission as training, equipping, and uniting conservative leaders. Its leadership and published tax filings provide a documented view of how the organization operates.

Origins and mission

CPI says it was founded in 2017 to train, equip, and unite conservative leaders. Its public communications describe work with elected officials, congressional staff, activists, and associated organizations.[1][2]

Jim DeMint, previously a U.S. senator and president of the Heritage Foundation, is identified by CPI as its chairman.[3][2]

Personnel and organizations

CPI announced in January 2021 that former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows had become a senior partner. Its current team page also identifies Cleta Mitchell as a senior legal fellow.[1][2]

The Election Integrity Network says it was founded in 2021 by Mitchell and incubated by CPI. That relationship is directly described by the network itself.[4]

Financial record

CPI's IRS Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 reports $34,490,626 in revenue, $32,556,834 in expenses and $43,310,282 in net assets. These are figures from a specific filed return, not a measure of undisclosed spending or the total resources of related organizations.[5]

The 2024 return lists Mark Meadows as senior partner and James W. DeMint as chairman. IRS returns document reported compensation and organizational governance; they do not identify every ultimate donor behind every contribution.[5]

What the evidence establishes

CPI is an identifiable organizational hub linking leadership, staff training and partner work. Employment, board positions, and organizational incubation are different relationships and are labeled separately in this Encyclopedia.[2][4]

Shared staff or office space does not, by itself, establish a common command structure, illegal conduct, or agreement on every policy. Claims about individual funding transfers require their own return or filing.[5]

Timeline

  1. CPI founded and granted federal tax-exempt status. [5]
  2. Meadows appointment announced; EIN identifies itself as founded and incubated by CPI. [1][4]
  3. IRS Form 990 reports revenue of $34.49 million. [5]
  4. CPI is founded

    Jim DeMint founds the Conservative Partnership Institute, which later describes staffing, training, coalition building and incubation as core functions.

    Jim DeMint

  5. CPI is founded

    Jim DeMint launches the Conservative Partnership Institute as a Washington hub focused on staffing, training, coalition building and movement support.

    Jim DeMint

  6. Election Integrity Network is founded

    Cleta Mitchell launches EIN, incubated by CPI, to build a permanent state-based election-integrity volunteer network.

    Cleta Mitchell · Election Integrity Network

  7. The CPI ecosystem expands

    CPI brings in Mark Meadows; Cleta Mitchell launches Election Integrity Network; Russ Vought launches Center for Renewing America; Stephen Miller co-founds America First Legal; and American Moment begins building a personnel pipeline.

    Mark Meadows · Cleta Mitchell · Election Integrity Network · Russ Vought · Center for Renewing America · Stephen Miller · America First Legal · American Moment

  8. Election Integrity Network is created under CPI

    EIN's own materials say it was originally created by the Conservative Partnership Institute under Cleta Mitchell's leadership.

    Election Integrity Network · Cleta Mitchell

  9. Personnel Policy Operations launches

    CPI describes Personnel Policy Operations as a support system for conservative civil servants and prospective officials, including training, vetting and staffing-related work.

    Personnel Policy Operations

  10. Patriots’ Row and personnel infrastructure grow

    CPI reports expanding Patriots’ Row and names Personnel Policy Operations among the organizations it helped launch.

    Patriots’ Row · Personnel Policy Operations

  11. CPI formalizes training through the Academy

    CPI launches the Conservative Partnership Academy to expand and formalize training in congressional process, policy and government operations.

    Conservative Partnership Academy

Documented connections

Open an entry to learn more. Each relationship below identifies exactly what its supporting record establishes.

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Additional archive relationship receipts

Related reading

View the original research archive profile →

Sources & original records

These links identify primary records, institutional accounts and independently reported findings. Source classifications describe the document's origin, not an automatic guarantee that its claims are true.

  1. CPI — Meadows appointed senior partner (Jan. 27, 2021)Organizational announcement
  2. CPI — Team and leadershipOrganization record
  3. CPI — Jim DeMint biographyOrganizational biography
  4. Election Integrity Network — About and historyOrganizational account
  5. CPI — Form 990 and IRS filings (FY2024)IRS filing mirrored by ProPublica
  6. CPI — About
  7. CPI — Partners
  8. CPI 2023 Form 990 — Schedule I
  9. CPI 2024 Form 990 — Schedule I
  10. ProPublica + Documented — Ziklag and CPI
  11. CPI — Job Bank
  12. CPI — 2022 annual report
  13. FAIR 2025 Form 990 — officers, grants and payments

Evidence rule: Being linked to a person or organization does not establish criminal conduct, common command, financial control or shared intent. Claims of that kind require specific proof.