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Non-profit

Bill of Rights Institute

Website:

billofrightsinstitute.org%20
Location:

Arlington, VA
Tax ID:

48-0891418
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2019):

Revenue: $5,746,237
Expenses: $5,281,873
Assets: $3,695,781
Formation:

1980
Type:

Non-profit
President:

David Bobb
President's Salary:

$233,7851

References

  1. Bill of Rights Institute, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a.

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The Bill of Rights Institute (BRI) is a non-partisan educational organization that develops materials and programs on American history, government, and civics based on the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. BRI offers programs and scholarships for students and professional development for teachers in support of self-governance in a free society based on constitutional principles. 1

Libertarian businessman-philanthropist Charles Koch is one of the founders of the Bill of Rights Institute,2 and BRI continues to receive funding from the Charles Koch Foundation. The Bill of Rights Institute is an associate member of the State Policy Network, a coalition of free-market state-level policy organizations. 3

Activity

The Bill of Rights Institute includes of a network of over 50,000 history and civics educators along with classroom resources that include YouTube videos and current events lessons. BRI uses its resources and programming to encourage students to look to the U.S. Constitution and other Founding documents when analyzing American history and current events. 4 BRI’s curriculum includes lessons on “Being an American,” “Liberty and Security in Modern Times,” and “Preserving the Bill of Rights.” 5

The Bill of Rights Institute maintains its own set of guiding principles, which include integrity, stewardship and compliance, “principled entrepreneurship,” transformation, knowledge, humility, respect, and self-actualization. 6

Funding

The Bill of Rights Institute is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. BRI discloses a partial list of donors in its annual reports and tax filings confirm donations from the Charles Koch Foundation ($750,000 in 2018),7 the Fred C. and Mary R. Koch Foundation ($190,000 in 2018), 8 and the Allegheny Foundation ($72,000 in 2018). 9

People

Staff

David Bobb is the president of the Bill of Rights Institute and founding director of the Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Studies. Bobb is a former research associate at the Pioneer Institute Public Policy Research. 10

Mike Catell is the director of development at BRI and the former director of development at the Media Research Center. 11

Gary Colletti is the director of teacher and student programs at BRI and a former policy associate at the National Association of State Boards of Education. 12

Victoria Hughes founded BRI in 1999. Hughes senior formerly held senior executive positions at the Charles Koch Foundation, Citizens for a Sound Economy, the Heritage Foundation, and the U.S. Information Agency. 13

Thomas Johnson is the manager of development operations at BRI. Johnson formerly worked as an external affairs assistant at the Leadership Institute, a development associate at the Acton Institute, and a field associate for Americans for Prosperity. Johnson is a former Koch fellow at the Charles Koch Institute. 14

Stan Swim is the chief program officer at BRI and serves on the board of the State Policy Network. Swim formerly served as the president of the GFC Foundation in Utah and as chair of the board of the Sutherland Institute. 15

Board of Directors

Mark Humphrey is the chair of the board at BRI and a former executive vice president at Koch Industries. 16

Preston Marshall serves as chair of the board of the Institute for Energy Research, serves on the board of the U.S.-Russia Chamber of Commerce, and formerly served on the board of the Cato Institute. 17

Ryan Stowers is the executive director of the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation. Stowers formerly worked as a program manager at the American Enterprise Institute and as a research assistant at the Institute for Political Economy. 18

Rob Testwuide is a senior vice president at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. 19

Todd Zywicki is a George Mason University Foundation professor of law at the Antonin Scalia Law School and a senior scholar at the Mercatus Center. Zywicki is a former director at the Office of Policy and Planning of the Federal Trade Commission. 20

References

  1. “About BRI.” Bill of Rights Institute, 2021. Accessed June 29, 2021. https://billofrightsinstitute.org/about-bri.
  2. “Bill of Rights Institute, OpenStax offer first free, digital U.S. history textbook aligned with AP standards.” Charles Koch Foundation, 2021. Accessed July 4, 2021. https://charleskochfoundation.org/news/bill-of-rights-institute-openstax-offer-first-free-digital-us-history-textbook-aligned-with-ap-standards/.
  3. “The Network: Virginia.” State Policy Network, 2021. Accessed June 29, 2021. https://spn.org/directory/#VA.
  4. “About BRI.” Bill of Rights Institute, 2021. Accessed June 29, 2021. https://billofrightsinstitute.org/about-bri.
  5. “Curricula.” Bill of Rights Institute, 2021. Accessed June 29, 2021. https://billofrightsinstitute.org/curricula.
  6. “Mission and Vision.” Bill of Rights Institute, 2021. Accessed June 29, 2021. https://billofrightsinstitute.org/mission-and-vision.
  7. Charles Koch Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2018, Part XV, Line 3a.
  8. Fred C. and Mary R. Koch Foundation Inc., Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2018, Part XV, Line 3a.
  9. Allegheny Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2018, Part XV, Line 3a.
  10. “David Bobb.” LinkedIn, 2021. Accessed June 29, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-bobb-07514a3/.
  11. “Michael A. Catell.” Bill of Rights Institute, 2021. Accessed June 29, 2021. https://billofrightsinstitute.org/people/michael-a-catell.
  12. “Gary Colletti.” Bill of Rights Institute, 2021. Accessed June 29, 2021. https://billofrightsinstitute.org/people/gary-colletti.
  13. “Victoria Hughes.” U.S. Department of State. Accessed July 4, 2021. https://2009-2017.state.gov/p/io/unesco/members/48880.htm.
  14. “Thomas Johnson.” LinkedIn, 2021. Accessed June 29, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/thatfellowthomas/.
  15. “Stan Swim.” Bill of Rights Institute, 2021. Accessed June 29, 2021. https://billofrightsinstitute.org/people/stan-swim.
  16. “Bill of Rights Institute.” Guidestar, 2021. Accessed June 29, 2021. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/48-0891418.
  17. “Preston M.” LinkedIn, 2021. Accessed June 29, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/preston-m-83b569139/.
  18. “Ryan Stowers.” LinkedIn, 2021. Accessed June 29, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-stowers-1832024/.
  19. “Robert Testwuide, CFP.” LinkedIn, 2021. Accessed June 29, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-testwuide-cfp%C2%AE-12542878/.
  20. “Todd Zywicki.” LinkedIn, 2021. Accessed June 29, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-zywicki-1333138/.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: June 1, 1980

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2019 Dec Form 990 $5,746,237 $5,281,873 $3,695,781 $1,028,024 N $5,742,978 $0 $7,444 $659,866 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $4,747,366 $4,940,502 $2,847,132 $643,739 N $4,744,994 $0 $2,372 $448,101 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $4,553,689 $4,000,644 $3,154,339 $757,810 N $4,474,000 $79,187 $31 $453,050 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $411,826 $1,063,244 $2,135,726 $292,242 N $355,584 $41,227 $15 $86,575 PDF
    2016 Aug Form 990 $3,246,699 $3,151,238 $2,760,804 $265,902 N $3,168,958 $73,891 $58 $379,751
    2015 Aug Form 990 $2,858,689 $2,759,997 $2,676,261 $276,820 N $2,631,573 $219,648 $62 $222,668 PDF
    2014 Aug Form 990 $3,320,048 $2,077,032 $2,511,792 $211,043 N $3,127,963 $163,481 $65 $182,755 PDF
    2013 Aug Form 990 $2,371,726 $2,091,391 $1,325,061 $267,328 N $2,205,243 $139,381 $136 $139,961 PDF
    2012 Aug Form 990 $2,260,016 $2,562,862 $1,006,263 $228,865 N $2,015,700 $190,429 $478 $301,167 PDF
    2011 Aug Form 990 $2,209,995 $3,733,823 $1,342,376 $262,132 N $1,836,993 $110,679 $1,559 $411,640 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Bill of Rights Institute

    1310 N COURTHOUSE RD STE 620
    Arlington, VA 22201-2594