Institute for Family Studies (IFS)

Background

Institute for Family Studies (IFS) was established in 2009 to sponsor research and programs that advanced right-of-center perspectives on marriage and family life. The organization was known as the Ridge Foundation until 2013. The institute is based in Charlottesville, Virginia. ²

In 2025, the IFS’ Brad Wilcox, a Future of Freedom Fellow and Director of the Get Married Initiative, and Michael Toscano, Senior Fellow and Director of the Family First Technology Initiative; signed a petition titled “The National Declaration on AI and Kids’ Safety.” The petition highlights documented cases where AI-driven tools such as chatbots and recommendation algorithms, exposed minors to sexually explicit content, psychological manipulation, and harmful advice. It argues that current AI products often prioritize engagement and profit over child safety and are deployed without adequate testing or oversight. The petition calls for the implementation of core safety principles, including bans on manipulative AI design, minimal and protected data collection, full parental transparency, and independent safety auditing. It also urges Congress to reform Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to remove liability shields for AI-generated or algorithmically promoted content. The declaration asserts that AI products posing inherent risks to minors should face product liability and, if necessary, be banned. ³

IFS releases an annual “World Family Map” which reports on issues affecting families on a global scale. Each year, the institute focuses on a particular issue that impacts family life, such as religion, employment, or health. IFS also publishes a “Home Economics Report” every year. These reports aim to promote the benefits of marriage and two-parent family formation to leaders in business, politics, and academia. ⁴

Briefs

Institute for Family Studies briefs draw attention to issues such as marriage rates and sexual practices, and analyze differences between single-parent, cohabiting, and two-parent households. These briefs emphasize the positive benefits of heterosexual marriage and premarital abstinence. ⁵

Books

Institute for Family Studies features several books on marriage and family life. Soul Mates by IFS senior fellow Brad Wilcox and sociology professor Nicholas Wolfinger argues that church attendance improves the lives of black and Hispanic couples. Gender and Parenthood by Brad Wilcox and child psychiatrist Kathleen Kline discusses the complementary roles of biological mothers and fathers, as well as the impact of parenting practices on children. Manning Up by IFS contributing editor Kay Hymowitz analyses societal forces impacting young men’s development. The Power of Commitment by IFS senior fellow Scott Stanley promotes married couples staying together. ⁶

Advocacy

IFS research has been cited in major publications on both the right and left. A February 2018 Forbes article cited IFS statistics on divorce rates among single fathers. ⁷ In May 2019, the New York Times published an opinion piece by IFS senior fellow Brad Wilcox and two other writers discussing a study which suggested that religious conservative couples had higher-quality relationships than liberal and secular couples. ⁸ The Christian Science Monitor and left-of-center Huffington Post have both previously cited the institute. ⁹¹⁰

Leadership

Carter Skeel is the executive director of the Institute for Family Studies (IFS). Skeel was previously the Director of Institutional Advancement for First Things magazine as well as a Senior Consultant at American Philanthropic. ¹¹

Wendy Wang is the director of research at IFS. She previously worked as a senior researcher for the Pew Research Center. Wang earned her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. ¹² Bradford Wilcox is a senior fellow at IFS. He is also the director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia and a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. Wilcox earned his Ph.D. from Princeton University. ¹³ He was also the first president of IFS. ¹⁴

Controversy

Institute for Family Studies (IFS) has come under attack from left-of-center organizations for promoting heterosexual marriage. Right Wing Watch (RWW), a project of People for the American Way, cited the institute’s work as an example of social science research making the case against same-sex marriage. RWW also claimed that a study on same-sex parenting to which IFS senior fellow Brad Wilcox had contributed to was flawed. ¹⁵

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which targets right-of-center organizations, made a passing reference to Wilcox and IFS when Wilcox went on the radio show of Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council (FRC). The SPLC has labeled the FRC, a social-conservative advocacy organization, a “hate group.” ¹⁶

Financials

According to its 2023 990 form, the Institute for Family Studies (IFS) reported a revenue of $1,366,757, expenses of $1,081,176, and total assets of $1,410,823. ¹⁷

From 2013 to 2024, the institute received between $50,000 and $150,000 per year from the right-of-center Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation. ¹⁸¹⁹