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Non-profit

National Association of Scholars (NAS)

Website:

www.nas.org%20
Location:

New York, NY
Tax ID:

11-2741490
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2019):

Revenue: $2,184,880
Expenses: $1,523,150
Assets: $2,276,779
Formation:

1991
Type:

Nonprofit
President:

Peter Wood
President's Salary:

$179,976 1

References

  1. National Association of Scholars Inc, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2020, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a.

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The National Association of Scholars (NAS) is an advocacy organization that seeks to advance a liberal arts education that supports the search for the truth, intellectual freedom, and virtuous citizenship. To achieve its goals, NAS defends academic freedom through individual advocacy, the production of research reports, and advocacy for higher education policy. 1

The National Association of Scholars sponsors Minding the Campus 2 and convenes the Civics Alliance. 3 While NAS is non-partisan, members of its board have affiliations with right-leaning advocacy groups.

Activities

The National Association of Scholars views the liberal arts as a foundational part of higher education. To this end, NAS expects U.S. colleges and universities to maintain transparency in the curriculum and classroom, uphold the principles of academic freedom, and provide for civil debate that includes a fair examination of conflicting views. Additionally, NAS expects U.S. colleges and universities to emphasize education in core subjects like American history and Western civilization. 4

The National Association of Scholars is a joint sponsor of the Model Education Licensure Code, which is also sponsored by organizations like the Californians for Equal Rights Foundation, the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, the John Locke Foundation, and Washington Policy Center. The Code intends to reform education schools and education licensure by offering three model bills: the Education Licensure Nondiscrimination Act, the Education Licensure Review Act, and the Education Licensure Certificate Act. NAS and the other sponsors of this Code claim that education schools have been radicalized by the political left, are refusing students who do not agree with their political dogma, and are inserting a leftist ideology into their teacher trainings. Together, the three model bills proposed in the Code seek to limit the politicized education of future teachers, grant state policymakers veto power over politicized licensure requirements, and create a standard path to education licensure that would minimize education-school requirements. 5

The National Association of Scholars convenes the Civics Alliance, a coalition of organizations and individuals that seek to preserve and improve the teaching of American civics. The Alliance advocates for a civics education that includes the founding principles of the U.S., the function of all levels of government, how key U.S. institutions operate, and the structure of a self-governing republic. 6

Funding

The National Association of Scholars is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. While NAS does not disclose other donors, tax filings confirm donations from the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation ($225,000 in 2020), 7 the Sarah Scaife Foundation ($475,000 in 2020), 8 and the Searle Freedom Trust ($145,000 in 2019). 9

People

Peter Wood is the president of National Association of Scholars and the former provost of the King’s College. 10

Board of Directors

Keith Whitaker is the chair of the board, the president of Wise Counsel Research, and a former research consultant at the Pioneer Institute Public Policy Research. 11

Steve Balch is the founder of NAS and the director of the Institute for the Study of Western Civilization at Texas Tech University. 12

Peter Berkowitz is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. 13

Ward Connerly is the founder and president of the American Civil Rights Institute. 14

Gail Heriot is a member of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission. 15

Thomas Klingenstein is the chair of the board of the Claremont Institute. 16

Richard Vedder is the founder of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. 17

Bradley Watson is a vice president of the board of the Philadelphia Society and an associate professor of government at Hillsdale College. Watson is a senior scholar at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, a senior fellow at the Claremont Institute, and the former co-director of the Center for Political and Economic Thought. 18

Other members of the board include Daniel Asia, Jay A. Bergman, George W. Dent, Bruce Gilley, David Gordon, Wight Martindale, B. Nelson Ong, and Amy Wax. 19

Board of Advisors

John Agresto is the former president of St. John’s College and sits on the board of the Jack Miller Center. 20

Robert P. George is the director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University and a former chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. 21

Leslie Lenkowsky formerly worked as CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, president of the Institute for Educational Affairs, and director of research at the Smith Richardson Foundation. Lenkowsky formerly sat on the board of the Philanthropy Roundtable and is a former research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. 22

Christina Hoff Sommers is a senior fellow emeritus at the American Enterprise Institute. 23

Shelby Steele is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. 24

Other members of the advisory board include Harvey Mansfield, Stephan Thernstrom, and Virginia Thomas. 25

References

  1. “About Us.” National Association of Scholars, 2022. Accessed October 17, 2022. https://www.nas.org/about-us.
  2. “Home.” Minding the Campus, 2022. Accessed October 17, 2022. https://www.mindingthecampus.org/.
  3. “The Civics Alliance: Who We Are.” National Association of Scholars, 2022. Accessed October 17, 2022. https://www.nas.org/civics-alliance/who-we-are.
  4. “About Us.” National Association of Scholars, 2022. Accessed October 17, 2022. https://www.nas.org/about-us.
  5. “Model Education Licensure Code.” National Association of Scholars, 2022. Accessed October 17, 2022. https://www.nas.org/policy/model-education-licensure-code.
  6. “Home.” Civics Alliance, 2022. Accessed October 17, 2022. https://civicsalliance.org/.
  7. Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2020, Part XV, Line 3.
  8. Sarah Scaife Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2020, Part XV, Line 3.
  9. Searle Freedom Trust, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2019, Part XV, Line 3.
  10. “Staff and Boards.” National Association of Scholars, 2022. Accessed October 13, 2022. https://www.nas.org/about-us/staff-boards.
  11. “Keith Whitaker.” LinkedIn, 2022. Accessed October 13, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/wisecounsel/details/experience/.
  12.  “Staff and Boards.” National Association of Scholars, 2022. Accessed October 13, 2022. https://www.nas.org/about-us/staff-boards.
  13. “Staff and Boards.” National Association of Scholars, 2022. Accessed October 13, 2022. https://www.nas.org/about-us/staff-boards.
  14. “Staff and Boards.” National Association of Scholars, 2022. Accessed October 13, 2022. https://www.nas.org/about-us/staff-boards.
  15.  “Staff and Boards.” National Association of Scholars, 2022. Accessed October 13, 2022. https://www.nas.org/about-us/staff-boards.
  16. “Staff and Boards.” National Association of Scholars, 2022. Accessed October 13, 2022. https://www.nas.org/about-us/staff-boards.
  17. “Staff and Boards.” National Association of Scholars, 2022. Accessed October 13, 2022. https://www.nas.org/about-us/staff-boards.
  18. “Bradley Watson.” Hillsdale College. Accessed October 13, 2022. https://dc.hillsdale.edu/Profiles/Bradley-Watson/.
  19.  “Staff and Boards.” National Association of Scholars, 2022. Accessed October 13, 2022. https://www.nas.org/about-us/staff-boards.
  20. “John Agresto.” Jack Miller Center, 2022. Accessed October 13, 2022. https://jackmillercenter.org/about-us/jmc-board-of-directors/john-agresto/.
  21. “About.” Robert P. George, 2022. Accessed October 13, 2022. https://robertpgeorge.com/about/.
  22. “Leslie Lenkowsky.” Indiana University, 2022. Accessed October 13, 2022. https://oneill.indiana.edu/faculty-research/directory/profiles/faculty/full-time/lenkowsky-leslie.html.
  23. “Christina Hoff Sommers.” American Enterprise Institute, 2022. Accessed October 13, 2022. https://www.aei.org/profile/christina-hoff-sommers/.
  24. “Shelby Steele.” Hoover Institution, 2022. Accessed October 13, 2022. https://www.hoover.org/profiles/shelby-steele.
  25. “Staff and Boards.” National Association of Scholars, 2022. Accessed October 13, 2022. https://www.nas.org/about-us/staff-boards.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: November 1, 1991

    • 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 $2,184,880 $1,523,150 $2,276,779 $66,631 N $1,964,190 $0 $6,342 $273,721 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $1,492,669 $1,489,883 $1,332,634 $57,882 N $1,432,187 $0 $47,461 $298,434 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $1,254,632 $1,225,920 $1,395,363 $8,733 N $1,197,090 $0 $44,478 $300,418 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $1,167,745 $1,095,412 $1,320,217 $10,240 N $1,128,304 $0 $26,258 $301,423
    2015 Dec Form 990 $1,309,243 $1,233,371 $1,243,752 $37,126 N $1,249,325 $0 $40,195 $263,638 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $1,214,025 $1,206,060 $1,229,982 $33,857 N $1,156,941 $0 $44,421 $271,334 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $1,839,843 $1,908,797 $1,229,712 $23,258 N $1,186,013 $604,258 $32,673 $228,644 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $2,523,517 $2,508,668 $1,346,412 $75,976 N $798,637 $1,690,168 $31,869 $159,327 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $2,843,727 $2,995,135 $1,422,534 $220,203 N $693,346 $2,090,796 $50,716 $235,000 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    National Association of Scholars (NAS)

    420 MADISON AVE 7TH FL
    New York, NY 10017-1197