The Club for Growth (CFG) is an economically conservative advocacy group with a claimed national network of over 500,000 Americans who support economic freedom. CFG advocates for policies that support principles of free enterprise and limited government. ¹

The Club for Growth has two political arms: Club for Growth Action and Club for Growth PAC. ² Board members David McIntosh, Adam Rozansky, and John Richardson also sit on the board of the Club for Growth Foundation. ³

Activities

The Club for Growth advocates for economic freedom by putting pressure on lawmakers to vote for economic policies that support free markets and limited government. CFG publicizes voting records and issues scorecards, with a focus on those who do not support basic economic conservative principles, regardless of party. ⁴

The Club for Growth supports tax policy reforms that would reduce income tax rates, repeal the death tax, and replace the current tax code with a flat tax. CFG also supports policy that would reduce the size, scope, and spending of the federal government, fully repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), pass a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and expand school choice. ⁵

Funding

The Club for Growth is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. While CFG does not disclose other donors, tax filings confirm donations from QXZ ($5 million in 2019), ⁶ the American Exceptionalism Institute ($3 million in 2019), ⁷ and the Judicial Crisis Network ($500,000 in 2019). ⁸

People

Scott Parkinson is the vice president of government affairs at CFG. Parkinson formerly worked as the executive director of the Republican Study Committee. ⁹

David McIntosh is the president of both the Club for Growth and CFG Action and a cofounder of the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, where he is the vice chair of the board. McIntosh is a former U.S. Representative from Indiana and formerly worked as special assistant to former Attorney General Edwin Meese III during the Reagan administration and as executive director of the President’s Council on Competitiveness during the George H.W. Bush administration. ¹⁰

Virginia James is the chair of the board of CFG. James is the former chair of the Empire Foundation for Policy Research, the founder of A Brighter Choice Scholarships, and formerly sat on the board of the Foundation for Education Reform and Accountability. ¹¹

Ken Blackwell is the senior fellow for human rights and constitutional governance at the Family Research Council. Blackwell sits on the boards of the Institute for Pension Fund Integrity, the National Rifle Association, the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs, the First Liberty Institute, and the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund. Blackwell is the chair of the Council for National Policy Action and a co-chair of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems. ¹²

Terry Considine is a former Republican Colorado State Senator, a former chair of the board of the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, and the former CEO and chair of AIMCO. ¹³

Frayda Levy formerly sat on the boards of Americans for Prosperity, the Marijuana Policy Project, ¹⁴ and the Ladies of Liberty Alliance. ¹⁵

Howard Rich is a co-founder and chair of U.S. Term Limits. Rich formerly chaired the boards of Americans for Limited Government, the Legislative Education Action Drive, and the Parents in Charge Foundation. ¹⁶

Other members of the board include Adam Rozansky, CFO and treasurer; John Richardson, COO and secretary; and Richard Gaby. ¹⁷

1.  “What We Do.” Club for Growth, 2022. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.clubforgrowth.org/about/what-we-do/.
2. “What We Do.” Club for Growth, 2022. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.clubforgrowth.org/about/what-we-do/.
3. Club for Growth Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2020, Schedule J, Part III.
4.  “What We Do.” Club for Growth, 2022. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.clubforgrowth.org/about/what-we-do/.
5. “What We Do.” Club for Growth, 2022. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.clubforgrowth.org/about/what-we-do/.
6. QXZ Inc, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Schedule I, Part II.
7.  American Exceptionalism Institute, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Schedule I, Part II.
8. Judicial Crisis Network, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Schedule I, Part II.
9. “Scott Parkinson.” Club for Growth, 2022. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.clubforgrowth.org/staff/scott-parkinson/.
10. “David McIntosh.” Club for Growth, 2022. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.clubforgrowth.org/staff/david-mcintosh/.
11. “Board of Trustees.” Foundation for Education Reform & Accountability. Archived from the original March 31, 2017. Accessed December 9, 2022. http://web.archive.org/web/20170331225923/https://www.nyfera.org/?page_id=189.
12. “Home.” Ken Blackwell, 2022. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://kenblackwell.com/.
13. “Terry Considine.” Colorado Christian University. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.ccu.edu/spotlights/trustees/tconsidine/.
14. “Frayda Levy.” LinkedIn, 2022. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/frayda-levy-7b63664b/.
15. Ladies of Liberty Alliance, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2014, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a.
16. “Howard Rich.” Ballotpedia, 2022. Accessed December 9, 2022. https://ballotpedia.org/Howard_Rich.
17. Club for Growth, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2020, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a.