Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs

What Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs does

Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public policy think tank founded in 1993 and headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Its mission centers on advancing free-market economics, limited government, and conservative social policies in the state of Oklahoma. The organization produces research publications, policy analysis, and educational content across vertical issue areas including budget and tax, higher education, law and principles, economy, and judicial accountability, serving two primary audiences: Oklahoma state legislators and policymakers, and Oklahoma citizens and taxpayers concerned with fiscal responsibility.

OCPA's core products are the Legislative Scorecard and Judicial Scorecard, which track Oklahoma legislators' votes and Supreme Court justices' decisions respectively, scoring them against conservative principles on issues such as tort reform, abortion, free speech, and public health mandates. The organization also operates a portfolio of branded sub-initiatives: the Center for Independent Journalism (producing policy articles), the Center for Culture and the Family, the Center for Law and Liberty, Aim Higher Oklahoma (higher education policy), the Fears Fellowship leadership program, the Repeal JNC campaign for judicial selection reform, the Thinkin' on Lincoln Podcast, and proprietary Data Tools for policy research.

The organization is funded through individual donations and a legacy planned giving program, with a sales-led go-to-market focused on policy research dissemination, content marketing via the ocpathink.org website, podcast distribution, social media presence on Facebook/X/LinkedIn, and the annual Liberty Gala event. Leadership includes President Jonathan Small (former Oklahoma state budget analyst and fiscal policy analyst), Ray Carter (Director, Center for Independent Journalism), Matt Oberdick (Director, Center for Culture and the Family), Ryan Haynie (Vice President for Legal Affairs), and Trent England (David and Ann Brown Distinguished Fellow). OCPA does not develop technology products and operates with 11–50 employees serving a single-state (Oklahoma) market.

Name

Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs

Legal name

Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs

Website

https://ocpathink.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs is a 501(c)(3) conservative think tank founded in 1993 and based in Oklahoma City, producing policy research, Legislative and Judicial Scorecards, and civic engagement content for Oklahoma policymakers and citizens.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Oklahoma City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The organization solicits donations from supporters through its website, with options for both immediate donations and legacy planned giving.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

OCPA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public policy think tank that produces free-market and limited-government research on Oklahoma state policy. Its core offerings are recurring publications and tools — including the annual Legislative Scorecard and Judicial Scorecard — plus policy articles, a podcast, a leadership fellowship program, and issue-specific initiatives (e.g., Aim Higher Oklahoma, Center for Independent Journalism, Center for Culture and the Family). Distribution is primarily through its website, social media, syndicated columns, and an annual fundraising event.

Product overview

Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) is a conservative think tank that offers a suite of policy research and civic engagement tools rather than a unified software product. Its core offerings include the Legislative Scorecard and Judicial Scorecard for tracking government officials' votes and decisions, alongside the Center for Independent Journalism producing articles on budget/tax, higher education, law & principles, economy, and culture. Additional products include the Center for Culture and the Family, the Fears Fellowship leadership program, the Thinkin' on Lincoln Podcast, Data Tools for research, and the Aim Higher Oklahoma higher education initiative. The organization functions primarily as a policy research organization with publications, scorecards, and educational programs rather than a traditional software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fears Fellowship: Fellowship program under OCPA projects
• Center for Law and Liberty
• Center for Independent Journalism
• Center for Culture and the Family
• Aim Higher Oklahoma
• Repeal JNC
• Thinkin' on Lincoln Podcast

Products and services

• Legislative Scorecard Annual rating of Oklahoma state legislators that records and scores their votes on key bills aligned with conservative principles; intended for Oklahoma citizens, taxpayers, and policymakers evaluating incumbent voting records.
• Judicial Scorecard Annual scorecard that tracks Oklahoma Supreme Court justice voting records and decisions across issues such as tort reform, abortion, free speech, and public health mandates; intended for Oklahoma citizens, journalists, and policymakers.
• Thinkin' on Lincoln Podcast Recurring OCPA-branded podcast that explores conservative principles, public policy, and Oklahoma issues through interviews and analysis; distributed via the OCPA website and standard podcast platforms for general public audiences.
• Fears Fellowship Leadership development fellowship program named after J. Rufus Fears that trains and develops future conservative policy leaders and advocates in Oklahoma.
• Aim Higher Oklahoma OCPA initiative dedicated to higher education policy reform and expanding educational opportunity for Oklahoma students, operated via a dedicated public-facing website.

Quantifiable outcome

• SNAP rolls in Oklahoma declined by 14 percent from February 2025 to February 2026, compared to national decline of 10 percent

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fears FellowshipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA fellowship program named after J. Rufus Fears, providing training and development for future policy leaders in Oklahoma.
• Center for Law and LibertycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn internal center focused on constitutional law, judicial reform, and protecting civil liberties consistent with OCPA's mission.
• Aim Higher OklahomaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn initiative focused on education policy and expanding opportunity in Oklahoma's educational system.
• Repeal JNCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampaign to abolish the Judicial Nominating Commission and replace it with a system where the governor appoints appellate judges subject to Senate confirmation.
• Data ToolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerData analysis resources and tools for understanding Oklahoma policy issues and legislative outcomes.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mackinac Center for Public Policy: Michigan-based state-level free-market think tank producing policy research, journalism, and accountability tools. Directly comparable as a state-focused nonprofit policy organization with similar content, donor-driven revenue model, and ideological orientation.
• Pacific Research Institute: West Coast free-market state-level think tank producing policy research, journalism, and events. Comparable as a state/region-focused free-market policy organization with similar donor-supported nonprofit structure and policy editorial output.
• Heartland Institute: National and state-focused free-market think tank producing policy research, journalism, and advocacy on budget, education, and environmental issues. Comparable in ideological positioning and in operating parallel journalism and policy output streams.
• Goldwater Institute: Arizona-based state-level conservative and libertarian think tank producing policy research, litigation, and scorecards. Closest direct peer in mission, scale, and state-focused free-market advocacy model, including judicial and legislative accountability work that mirrors OCPA's scorecards.

Broad incumbents

• Heritage Foundation: National conservative think tank producing policy research, scorecards, and advocacy across federal and state issues. Comparable as a peer think tank in the same ideological ecosystem that also publishes commentary, hosts events, and operates affiliated leadership programs; broader in geography and budget than OCPA.
• Cato Institute: National libertarian think tank producing policy research, scorecards, and a popular podcast. Comparable in mission, content format (articles, podcasts, events), and donor-supported nonprofit model, though national in scope.
• Manhattan Institute: National policy research organization focused on free-market ideas, criminal justice, and cultural policy. Comparable as a peer in the broader conservative think tank ecosystem with similar policy verticals, scorecard-style accountability work, and journalism-focused commentary.
• Claremont Institute: Conservative think tank focused on constitutional governance and American political philosophy. Comparable as a peer in the conservative think tank ecosystem producing commentary, scorecard-style accountability content, and legal/constitutional analysis like OCPA's Center for Law and Liberty.
• American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC): Membership association of state legislators that drafts model policy and rewards pro-free-market legislators, the body that gave OCPA's president the Private Sector Member of the Year award. Directly comparable given its state-legislator focus, scorecards, and conservative policy positioning.

Others

• State Policy Network: Umbrella network of state-level free-market think tanks that includes organizations like OCPA. Highly comparable as an ecosystem-level peer and convener, even though SPN itself does not compete for Oklahoma donors directly.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ocpathink
• Facebookfacebook.com/ocpathink
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ocpathink

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs