People United for Privacy Foundation (PUPF) is an advocacy organization that supports privacy rights, especially as they concern private citizens making donations to nonprofit organizations. PUPF aims to protect fundamental freedoms afforded by the First Amendment, which allow for the private support of causes without fear of intimidation or harassment. People United for Privacy is PUPF’s sister lobbying organization. ¹

While People United for Privacy Foundation supports transparency in government, PUPF does not support public policy that would require causes and nonprofit organizations to report private donor information to the government.

Although the State Policy Network (SPN) is an unrelated organization, tax filings indicate that in 2019, People United for Privacy Foundation delegated management duties to SPN. PUPF president Tony Woodlief was compensated $14,586 by SPN for related services. ²  

Funding

People United for Privacy Foundation is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. While the Center for Security Policy does not disclose its donors, tax filings confirm donations from the State Policy Network ($250,000 in 2020), ³ Donors Trust ($100,000 in 2018), ⁴ and the Searle Freedom Trust ($100,000 in 2019). ⁵

Board of Directors

Tony Woodlief is the president of People United for Privacy and the People United for Privacy Foundation and the executive vice president of the State Policy Network. Woodlief is the former president of the Bill of Rights Institute, the Market-Based Management Institute, and the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. ⁶

Matt Nese is the vice president of PUPF and the former director of external relations at the Institute for Free Speech. ⁷

Brian Hawkins is the secretary and treasurer of the board and the director of external affairs at the Philanthropy Roundtable. Hawkins formerly worked as the director of free speech at Stand Together, a senior public policy analyst at Koch Industries, and a policy coordinator at American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). ⁸

Starlee Coleman is the CEO of the Texas Charter Schools Association. Coleman formerly worked as a senior policy advisor at the State Policy Network, executive vice president at the Goldwater Institute, and vice president of communications at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. ⁹

Shayne Madsen is the director of the Political Law Center at the Independence Institute and works as local counsel for the Institute for Justice. ¹⁰

John Kramer sat as secretary of the board until January 2020. Kramer is the vice president for communications at the Institute for Justice. ¹¹

1.  People United for Privacy Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Part VI, Section A, Line 3.
2. People United for Privacy Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Schedule R, Part II, Line 1a.
3. State Policy Network, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2020, Schedule I, Part II.
4. Donors Trust, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2018, Schedule I, Part II.
5.  Searle Freedom Trust, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2019, Part XV, Line 3a.
6. “Tony Woodlief.” State Policy Network, 2022. Accessed February 18, 2022. https://spn.org/staffer/tony-woodlief/.
7. “Matt Nese.” LinkedIn, 2022. Accessed February 21, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-nese-5677b349/.
8. “Brian Hawkins.” LinkedIn, 2022. Accessed February 18, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/hawkins025/.
9. “Starlee Coleman.” LinkedIn, 2022. Accessed February 18, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/starlee-coleman-67ba2a5/.
10. “Shayne Madsen.” Independence Institute. Accessed February 18, 2022. https://i2i.org/shayne-madsen/.
11. “John E. Kramer.” Institute for Justice, 2022. Accessed February 18, 2022. https://ij.org/staff/jkramer/.