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Non-profit

The Fund for American Studies

Tax ID:

13-6223604
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2019):

Revenue: $14,414,710
Expenses: $14,493,427
Assets: $26,735,388
Website:

tfas.org
Location:

Washington, D.C
Formation:

1967
Type:

Non-Profit
President:

Roger Ream
President's Salary:

$380,334 1

References

  1. The Fund for American Studies, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a.

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The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) is a non-partisan, educational organization that promotes liberty, limited government, and free-market economics through its academic programs. 1

The Fund for American Studies is an associate member of the State Policy Network, a coalition of free-market state-level policy organizations. 2 While TFAS is non-partisan, members of its board of trustees have affiliations with the Republican Party.

Activity

The Fund for American Studies was established in 1967 by former New Jersey Governor Charles Edison (D) in response to the left-wing “counterculture” movement of the 1960s, which largely rejected the American political tradition. TFAS established its first educational programs at Georgetown University to engage students with the ideas and values of a free society. TFAS continues to advance American political tradition with its programs based on the principles of freedom, individual responsibility, and free markets. 3

The Fund for American Studies offers more than 20 academic programs, fellowships, and seminars to students and young professionals worldwide in an effort to create engaged citizenship. TFAS currently has more than 42,000 alumni who have learned the principles of limited government, free-market economics, and honorable leadership. 4

The Fund for American Studies is the parent organization of the Foundation for Teaching Economics, which trains economics teachers to be more effective educators, especially as it relates to social studies curriculum. 5

Funding

The Fund for American Studies is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. While TFAS does not disclose its donors, tax filings show donations from DonorsTrust ($476,421 in 2019), 6 the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation ($155,000 in 2019), 7 and the Earhart Foundation ($120,000 in 2015). 8

People

Staff

Roger Ream is the president of The Fund for American Studies. Ream sits on the boards of the Foundation for Economic Education and Donors Capital Fund and is a past president of the Philadelphia Society. 9

Steve Slattery is the executive vice president of TFAS. Slattery formerly worked as a development officer for Citizens for a Sound Economy. 10

Robert Callahan is the CFO and vice president of finance and administration at TFAS. Callahan formerly worked as the CFO of the Free Congress Foundation. 11

Matt Bagnoli is the chief development officer at TFAS. Bagnoli formerly worked as the manager of donor relations at the Mercatus Center and in the development offices of the American Conservative Union and the Heritage Foundation. 12

Shane Mazzella is the vice president of U.S. Programs at TFAS. Mazzella formerly worked as vice president of legal affairs and administration at the Center for Individual Freedom. 13

Donald Boudreaux is a senior scholar at TFAS. Boudreaux formerly worked as president of the Foundation for Economic Education. 14

Anne Rathbone Bradley is the vice president of academic affairs and the George and Sally Mayer Fellow for Economic Education at TFAS and a lecturer at the Institute for Humane Studies and the Foundation for Economic Education. Bradley formerly worked as the vice president of economic initiatives at the Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics. 15

Board of Trustees

Randal Teague is chair of the board of The Fund for American Studies. Teague formerly served on the boards of Young Americans for Freedom and the American Conservative Union. Teague sits on the board of the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy and as senior councilor to the Atlantic Council. 16

William Hybl is vice chair of the board of TFAS and as chairman emeritus of the board of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems. Hybl formerly served as the chair of the U.S. Commission on Public Diplomacy. 17

Dan Branch serves as secretary of the board of TFAS. Branch (R) formerly served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives, the chair of the Texas Public Finance Authority, and as a Texas Commissioner to the Education Commission of the States. 18

Charles Black is the founding chair of Prime Policy Group and formerly served as the senior political advisor and strategist to the McCain 2008 Presidential Campaign. 19

Lindsay Craig is the president of the National Review Institute and sits on the board of Young Voices. Craig formerly worked as vice president of communications and marketing at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. 20

Frank Donatelli sits on the board of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems and formerly served as the deputy chairman of the Republican National Committee. 21

Theresa Kostrzewa sits on the finance committee of the Republican Governors’ Association. 22

Peter McPherson is the president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. McPherson formerly served as a special assistant to former President Gerald Ford and as the deputy secretary of the Department of the Treasury during the Reagan administration. 23

David Stover sits on the boards of the John William Pope Foundation, the John Locke Foundation, and Philanthropy Roundtable. 24

Bridgett Gaines Wagner is the vice president for Policy Promotion at the Heritage Foundation. Wagner sits on the boards of the State Policy Network, the Foundation for Government Accountability, the State Financial Officers Foundation, and the Steamboat Institute. 25

Chapman Cox is a trustee emeritus of TFAS and chair emeritus of Alliance Defending Freedom. 26

Mitchell “Mitch” Daniels, Jr., the former Governor of Indiana and sitting president of Purdue University, is a trustee emeritus of TFAS. Daniels is a co-chair of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and a co-chair of the Aspen Institute‘s Future of Work Initiative. Daniels sits on the board of the Urban Institute. 27

Thomas Phillips is a trustee emeritus of TFAS and as emeritus member of the board of the Young America’s Foundation. Phillips serves on the advisory board of the Claremont Institute. 28

Don Sundquist, the former Republican Governor of Tennessee, is a trustee emeritus of TFAS. 29

References

  1. “About.” The Fund for American Studies, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://tfas.org/about/.
  2. “The Network: Washington, DC.” State Policy Network, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://spn.org/directory/#DC.
  3. “History.” The Fund for American Studies, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://tfas.org/about/history/.
  4. “Programs.” The Fund for American Studies, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://tfas.org/programs/.
  5. “About FTE.” The Foundation for Teaching Economics, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://www.fte.org/about-fte/.
  6. DonorsTrust, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Schedule I, Part II.
  7. Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2019, Part XV, Line 3a.
  8. Earhart Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2015, Part XV, Line 3a.
  9. “Roger Ream.” The Fund for American Studies, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://tfas.org/staff/roger-ream/.
  10. “Steve Slatterly.” The Fund for American Studies, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://tfas.org/staff/steve-slattery/.
  11.  “Robert J. Callahan, CPA.” The Fund for American Studies, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://tfas.org/staff/robert-j-callahan-cpa/.
  12. “Matt Bagnoli.” The Fund for American Studies, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://tfas.org/staff/matt-bagnoli/.
  13. “Shane Goldsmith Mazzella.” The Fund for American Studies, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://tfas.org/staff/shane-goldsmith-mazzella/.
  14. “Donald J/ Boudreaux.” The Fund for American Studies, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://tfas.org/staff/donald-j-boudreaux/.
  15. “Anee Bradley.” The Fund for American Studies, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://tfas.org/staff/anne-bradley/.
  16. “Randal C. Teague.” The Fund for American Studies, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://tfas.org/staff/randal-c-teague/.
  17. “William J. Hybl.” El Pomar Foundation, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://www.elpomar.org/About-Us/boardoftrustees/william-j-hybl/.
  18. “Dan Branch.” Winstead PC, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://www.winstead.com/People/Dan-Branch.
  19. “Charlie Black.” Prime Policy Group, 2016. Accessed September 13, 2021. http://prime-policy.com/team/charlie-black/.
  20. “Our Team.” National Review Institute, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://nrinstitute.org/about-nri/our-team/.
  21. “Frank J. Donatelli.” International Foundation for Electoral Systems. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://www.ifes.org/people/frank-j-donatelli.
  22. “Theresa Kostrzewa.” Capital Advantage. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://www.cap-ad.com/theresa-kostrezewa/.
  23. “Our President.” The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://www.aplu.org/about-us/who-we-are/our-president/.
  24. “David Stover.” John William Pope Foundation, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://jwpf.org/team/david-stover/.
  25. “Bridgett Wagner.” The Heritage Foundation, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://www.heritage.org/staff/bridgett-wagner.
  26.  Board of Trustees.” The Fund for American Studies, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://tfas.org/board-of-trustees/.
  27. “Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. Biography.” Purdue University, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://www.purdue.edu/president/about/biography.php.
  28. “Thomas L. Phillips.” Young America’s Foundation, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://www.yaf.org/staff/thomas-l-phillips/.
  29. “Board of Trustees.” The Fund for American Studies, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://tfas.org/board-of-trustees/.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: September 1, 1967

    • 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 $14,414,710 $14,493,427 $26,735,388 $5,465,627 N $8,332,321 $5,426,432 $532,045 $713,249 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $12,474,003 $11,882,083 $24,621,632 $5,175,725 Y $7,387,327 $4,220,747 $503,847 $739,373 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $15,094,340 $11,334,174 $25,296,053 $5,252,744 N $8,096,316 $4,294,975 $262,549 $732,496 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $10,186,976 $10,030,963 $22,458,447 $5,469,022 N $4,927,383 $4,426,354 $527,819 $545,851 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990 $10,177,108 $10,000,192 $21,135,238 $5,409,173 N $4,794,539 $4,026,940 $179,574 $601,730 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $8,542,443 $10,052,183 $22,530,711 $5,560,356 N $3,851,289 $3,731,147 $188,686 $503,295 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $8,950,629 $9,467,861 $23,935,062 $5,650,052 N $3,886,144 $3,602,360 $543,720 $496,950 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $9,230,922 $9,759,907 $23,384,329 $5,496,869 N $3,362,095 $5,170,907 $537,862 $504,052 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $9,758,544 $10,357,218 $22,714,493 $5,781,110 N $3,333,640 $5,528,929 $383,284 $514,078 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)