Spark Freedom provided strategic planning, coaching, branding, and other communications consultant services to right-of-center non-profit groups. ¹ It appears that the groups is no longer operational as of October 2021.

It was formerly an associate member of the State Policy Network, a coalition of free-market state-level policy organizations. ²

Clients

A partial list of Spark Freedom’s clients includes a number of non-profit organizations that are members of the State Policy Network, including the American Conservative Union Foundation, Beacon Center of Tennessee, Foundation for Government Accountability, Goldwater Institute, Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Montana Policy Institute, Texas Public Policy Foundation, and other right-of-center state policy advocacy groups. ³

Funding

Spark Freedom was funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. Tax filings confirm donations from Donors Capital Fund ($171,050 in 2016), ⁴ State Policy Network (SPN) ($71,000 in 2014), ⁵ and the Charles Koch Institute ($10,000 in 2017). ⁶

Financials

Spark Freedom filed the short-form nonprofit tax return in 2017 claiming total revenue of $192,997. ⁷ Spark Freedom’s most recent IRS filing as of early October 2021 was an “E-postcard” in 2018 claiming less than $50,000 in gross receipts. ⁸

People

Nicole Williams was the president and CEO of Spark Freedom. Williams formerly worked for the State Policy Network, the Beacon Center of Tennessee, and Cascade Policy Institute. ⁹

Jonathan Haines was the vice president of Spark Freedom. Haines formerly worked for Federalism in Action, State Budget Solutions, and the Maine Heritage Policy Center. ¹⁰

Stanford Swim ¹¹ sat on Spark Freedom’s board; he is the former president of the GFC Foundation ¹² and a former chair of the board of the Sutherland Institute. ¹³

1. “About.” Spark Freedom. Archived from the original October 27, 2016. Accessed October 6, 2021. http://web.archive.org/web/20161027163022/http://sparkfreedom.org/about/.
2. “Directory.” State Policy Network, 2016. Archived from the original March 30, 2016. Accessed October 6, 2021. http://web.archive.org/web/20160330102542/http://www.spn.org/directory/organizations.asp.
3. “Our Clients.” Spark Freedom. Archived from the original March 15, 2016. Accessed October 6, 2021. http://web.archive.org/web/20160315234544/http://sparkfreedom.org/our-clients/.
4. Donors Capital Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2016, Schedule I, Part II.
5. State Policy Network, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2014, Schedule I, Part II.
6. Charles Koch Institute, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Schedule I, Part II.
7. Spark Freedom, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990-EZ), 2017, Part I, Line 9.
8. “Spark Freedom.” Internal Revenue Service. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/detailsPage?ein=274827443&name=Spark%20Freedom&city=Lancaster&state=TN&countryAbbr=US&dba=&type=CHARITIES,%20EPOSTCARD,%20COPYOFRETURNS&orgTags=CHARITIES&orgTags=EPOSTCARD&orgTags=COPYOFRETURNS.
9. “About.” Spark Freedom. Archived from the original October 27, 2016. Accessed October 6, 2021. http://web.archive.org/web/20161027163022/http://sparkfreedom.org/about/.
10. “About.” Spark Freedom. Archived from the original October 27, 2016. Accessed October 6, 2021. http://web.archive.org/web/20161027163022/http://sparkfreedom.org/about/.
11. “About.” Spark Freedom. Archived from the original October 27, 2016. Accessed October 6, 2021. http://web.archive.org/web/20161027163022/http://sparkfreedom.org/about/.
12. The GFC Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2018, Part VIII, Line 1a.
13. Sutherland Institute, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2018, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a.