Committee to Unleash Prosperity

The Committee to Unleash Prosperity is a nonpartisan organization that advocates for supply-side economics and seeks to educate policy makers and the public about increasing economic growth. 1

At-A-Glance

Issue Areas: Economic Policy
Formation:

2016

Board Chair:

Stephen Moore

Board Chair’s Salary:

$95,000 2

Location: Potomac, MD View on map
Tax ID: 47-3514328
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $10,051,484 Revenue: $5,258,792 Expenses: $3,110,062

Contents

    The Committee to Unleash Prosperity advocates for a stable currency, a flat rate tax, decreased regulation, free trade, and limited government spending. 1

    Activities

    The Committee to Unleash Prosperity advocates for equitable prosperity using supply-side economics and seeks to identify government policies that are ideal for unleashing prosperity. The Committee claims that supply-side economics is “across-the-board” and not “trickle-down,” meaning that the rich are not provided with unfair economic advantages. 1

    The Committee to Unleash Prosperity reports that the Biden administration-backed Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 will have negative economic effects on the U.S. economy, including negative incentives on work and investment. The Committee’s report projects that over the next ten years, the legislation will effectively reduce employment by 900,000, reduce the annual GDP by 1.2 percent, reduce the average household income by $1,200, and increase both the rate of inflation and the federal budget deficit. 3

    The Committee to Unleash Prosperity supports the flat-rate income tax proposed by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (R). The Committee’s analysis projects that Ducey’s flat-tax plan over ten years would create 253,000 jobs, yield $31.6 billion in personal economic growth, and increase household income by an average of $7,400. The Committee also claims that the flat-tax plan could move Arizona up six positions in the ALEC-Laffer state competitiveness index. 4 Arizona’s flat-tax plan will be implemented in 2023. 5

    Funding

    The Committee to Unleash Prosperity is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. While the Committee to Unleash Prosperity does not disclose other donors, tax filings confirm donations from the 85 Fund ($500,000 in 2020), 6 Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America ($500,000 in 2019), 7 and the FreedomWorks Foundation ($233,050 in 2020). 8

    People

    Co-founder Steve Forbes is the chair and editor-in-chief of Forbes Media. 9

    Co-founder Larry Kudlow 10 formerly worked as the director of the National Economic Council during the Trump administration and as the associate director for economics and planning in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget during the Reagan administration. 11

    Co-founder Arthur B. Laffer is a former member of the Economic Policy Advisory Board during the Reagan administration. 9

    Phil Kerpen is the president of American Commitment and the chair of the Internet Freedom Coalition. 9

    Jon Decker is the executive director. 2

    Additionally, the Committee to Unleash Prosperity currently lists 32 committee members on its website. 12

    Board of Directors

    Stephen Moore is a co-founder and the chair of the board of the Committee to Unleash Prosperity. Moore is a distinguished fellow in economics at the Heritage Foundation and the founder of both the Club for Growth and the Free Enterprise Fund. Moore formerly wrote for the Wall Street Journal on the economy and public policy. 13

    Anne Moore is the assistant treasurer of the board. 2

    Cleta Mitchell is the treasurer of the board, the senior legal fellow at the Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI), and the chair of CPI’s Election Integrity Network. She is a co-founder and chair of the Public Interest Legal Foundation. 14

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $10,051,484 $5,258,792 $3,110,062 View
    2023 $7,983,713 $4,674,721 $2,825,894 View
    2022 $5,987,194 $2,525,854 $2,186,627 View
    2021 $5,632,785 $4,283,191 $1,656,322 View
    2020 $3,005,916 $3,538,123 $1,374,513 View

    Prior year filings: 2019, 2018

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Stephen MooreCHAIRMAN$357,500
    Tim DoescherEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR$195,000
    Phil KerpenPRESIDENT$156,000

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $11,121,450
    • Number of Grants: 58
    • Number of Funders: 27

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $1,550,0002023 Vanguard CharitableFOR RECIPIENT'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
    $1,535,0002025 Vanguard CharitableFOR RECIPIENT'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
    $1,015,0002024 Vanguard CharitableFOR RECIPIENT'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
    $1,010,0002022 Vanguard CharitableFor recipient's exempt purpose
    $745,0002021 Donors Trust Incfor general operations
    $700,0002021 Vanguard CharitableFOR RECIPIENT'S EXEM
    $500,0002020 The 85 Fundgeneral support
    $400,0002024 The Searle Freedom TrustRESEARCH
    $302,5002020 Donors Trust Incfor general operations
    $275,0002022 The Searle Freedom TrustRESEARCH
    $250,0002021 The Searle Freedom TrustRESEARCH
    $233,0502020 Freedomworks Foundation IncGeneral Support
    $225,0002024 Donors Trust Incfor general operations
    $200,0002023 Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust IncUNRESTRICTED GENERAL SUPPORT
    $150,0002024 Aerospike Foundation IncEDUCATION
    $150,0002023 The Searle Freedom TrustRESEARCH
    $150,0002020 The Searle Freedom TrustRESEARCH
    $145,0002024 Holman Foundation IncUNRESTRICTED CHARITABLE GIFT
    $125,0002023 The Searle Freedom TrustRESEARCH
    $103,7502025 Donor Advised Charitable Giving, Inc.PUBLIC, SOCIETAL BENEFIT
    $102,0002023 Donor Advised Charitable Giving, Inc.PUBLIC, SOCIETAL BENEFIT
    $100,5002024 Donor Advised Charitable Giving, Inc.PUBLIC, SOCIETAL BENEFIT
    $100,0002024 Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust IncUNRESTRICTED GENERAL SUPPORT
    $55,0002024 Gogo FoundationGENERAL PURPOSE
    $55,0002023 The Vernon K. Krieble FoundationGENERAL PURPOSE

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $441,000
    • Number of Grants: 30
    • Number of Recipients: 8

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $155,0002023 American Legislative Exchange CouncilGRL DONATI
    $100,0002021 America First Policy InstitutePUB EDUCAT
    $100,0002020 Save Our SecurityPUB EDUCAT
    $26,0002020 American Commitment FoundationPUB EDUCAT
    $25,0002021 American Legislative Exchange CouncilPUB EDUCAT
    $15,0002021 American Commitment FoundationPUB EDUCAT
    $7,5002022 American Commitment FoundationPUB EDUCAT
    $7,5002021 The Institute for College Access and SuccessPUB EDUCAT
    $5,0002022 Institute for Energy ResearchPUB EDUCAT
    $02023 Anonymous Recipient
    $02023 Anonymous Recipient
    $02023 Anonymous Recipient
    $02023 Anonymous Recipient
    $02023 Anonymous Recipient
    $02023 Anonymous Recipient
    $02023 Anonymous Recipient
    $02023 Anonymous Recipient
    $02023 Anonymous Recipient
    $02023 Anonymous Recipient
    $02023 Anonymous Recipient
    $02022 Multiple EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC Recipients
    $02022 Multiple EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC Recipients
    $02022 Multiple EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC Recipients
    $02022 Multiple EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC Recipients
    $02022 Multiple EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC Recipients

    References

    1. “Our Mission.” Committee to Unleash Prosperity. Accessed October 10, 2022. https://committeetounleashprosperity.com/our-mission/.
    2. Committee to Unleash Prosperity, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a.
    3. Mulligan, Casey B. “The Negative Economic Effects of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.” Committee to Unleash Prosperity, August 2022. Accessed October 10, 2022. https://committeetounleashprosperity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/CTUP_NegativeIRAReport_082022.pdf.
    4.  Moore, Stephen and Antoni, E.J. “Economic Impact of the Proposed Arizona ‘Flat Tax.’” Committee to Unleash Prosperity, June 2021. Accessed October 10, 2022. https://committeetounleashprosperity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CTUP_ArizonaFlatTax.pdf.
    5. “Arizona’s Lowest Flat Tax in Nation To Take Effect Next Year.” Office of Governor Doug Ducey, September 29, 2022. Accessed October 10, 2022. https://azgovernor.gov/governor/news/2022/09/arizonas-lowest-flat-tax-nation-take-effect-next-year
    6. The 85 Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2020, Schedule I, Part II.
    7. Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Schedule I, Part II.
    8. FreedomWorks Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2020, Schedule I, Part II.
    9. “Our Founders.” Committee to Unleash Prosperity. Accessed October 4, 2022. https://committeetounleashprosperity.com/our-founders/.
    10. “Economists Steve Forbes, Larry Kudlow, Dr. Arthur B. Laffer, Steve Moore Launch the Committee to Unleash Prosperity.” PR Newswire, July 29, 2015. Accessed October 10, 2022. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/economists-steve-forbes-larry-kudlow-dr-arthur-b-laffer-steve-moore-launch-the-committee-to-unleash-prosperity-300120349.html.
    11. “Larry Kudlow.” Ballotpedia. Accessed October 10, 2022. https://ballotpedia.org/Larry_Kudlow.
    12. “Committee Members.” Committee to Unleash Prosperity. Accessed October 10, 2022. https://committeetounleashprosperity.com/committee-members/.
    13. “Stephen Moore.” The Heritage Foundation, 2022. Accessed October 4, 2022. https://www.heritage.org/staff/stephen-moore.
    14. [1] “Cleta Mitchell.” Conservative Partnership Institute, 2022. Accessed October 4, 2022. https://www.cpi.org/staff/cleta-mitchell/.