The Leadership Institute

The Leadership Institute (LI) is a conservative educational organization that influences public policy through direct citizen participation and activism. LI provides training in leadership, campaigning, organizing, and youth politics. 1

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Website:

leadershipinstitute.org

Location:

Arlington, VA

Formation:

1987

President:

Morton Blackwell

President’s Salary:

$332,270 2

Tax ID: 51-0235174
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $32,160,227 Revenue: $52,085,257 Expenses: $54,728,123

Contents

    The Leadership Institute was founded in 1979 by Morton Blackwell, a longtime member of the Republican National Committee as committeeman for Virginia. LI has trained over 200,000 conservative activists and leaders and claims a college campus network of over 1,700 groups and newspapers. 1

    The Leadership Institute is an associate member of the State Policy Network, a coalition of free-market state-level policy organizations. 3

    Activity

    The Leadership Institute provides training for conservative activists on topics that include the history of the Constitution, the foundations of conservatism, conservative podcasting, and how to become a pundit. 4 Additionally, LI offers a series called the “Campaign Academy,” which trains future candidates, campaign managers, and campaign staff. The Academy training includes segments on campaign creation, budget development, fundraising, and targeting and mobilizing voters. 5

    The Leadership Institute claims that the majority of school boards are run by liberal parents and that teachers’ unions back candidates that favor a liberal agenda, including the teaching of critical race theory. In response, LI launched its “School Board Campaign Training” in 2021 in order to train conservatives to win school board races and restore American education. 6

    The Leadership Institute hosts the “Wednesday Wake-up Club Breakfast,” a monthly video featuring a conservative speaker. Past speakers include Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), Grover Norquist (president of Americans for Tax Reform), James Lindsay (founder of New Discourses), and Michael Farris (president and CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom). 7

    The Leadership Institute’s other projects include Campus Reform, an online news site that acts as a conservative watchdog exposing liberal bias on college campuses, 8 and ConservativeJobs.com, a jobs website specifically designed for conservative employers and job seekers. 9

    Funding

    The Leadership Institute is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. While LI does not disclose its donors, tax filings confirm donations from Greater Horizons ($6.1 million in 2015), 10 the Sedwick Charitable Foundation ($100,000 in 2016), 11 and the Charles Koch Foundation ($52,112 in 2014). 12

    People

    Morton Blackwell is the founder and president of the Leadership Institute and a member of the Republican National Committee as national committeeman for Virginia. Blackwell is the former national vice chairman at large of the Young Republican National Federation and former executive director of the College Republican National Committee. Blackwell sits on the Republican National Committee’s Standing Committee on Rules 13 and sits on the boards of the American Constitutional Rights Union, 14 the American Conservative Union, the American Civil Rights Union, the Conservative Leadership PAC, the Free Congress Foundation, and the National Right to Work Committee. 15

    David Fenner is vice president of programs at LI. Fenner formerly worked as director of programs at the Council for National Policy (CNP), vice president of CNP Action, and treasurer of the Conservative Leadership PAC. 16

    Board of Directors

    Ed Corrigan is the secretary of the board of the Leadership institute. Corrigan formerly worked as the group vice president for policy promotion at the Heritage Foundation, as a senior adviser on policy and strategy to former Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), and as the executive director of the Senate Republican Steering Committee. 17

    Chuck Cunningham was the senior advisor for intergovernmental and external affairs at the Department of Energy In the Trump administration. Cunningham is a former vice president at Securing America’s Future Energy, a former senior policy advisor at Take Back Our Republic, and a former senior advisor at the National Rifle Association. 18

    Dario Paya is the president of The Leadership Institute in Chile and a co-founder and secretary general of the Independent Democratic Union (UDI), a center-right political party in that country. 19

    Justin Ouimette is a former policy director of the Freedom Caucus. 20

    Star Parker is the founder and president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education. 21

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $32,160,227 $52,085,257 $54,728,123 View
    2023 $30,979,961 $45,008,202 $51,591,743 View
    2022 $38,296,390 $39,249,420 $34,475,593 View
    2021 $34,291,273 $30,548,300 $26,019,058 View
    2020 $29,293,768 $23,638,240 $20,433,534 View

    Prior year filings: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    • Number of Employees: 272

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Riley GainesDirector, Riley Gaines Center$474,313
    John DavisVP for Growth and Development$409,089
    Morton BlackwellPresident$345,322
    Mark CentofanteVP for Technology and Operations$255,021
    Bryan BernysVP for Campus Leadership Programs$239,215
    David FennerVP for Programs$239,215
    Mark CampbellSenior Fellow$231,296
    Andrew BenderVP for Finance$227,711
    Yana Igorevna MyaskovskayaChief of Staff$224,751
    Ronald NehringDirector, Interl School of Politics$221,369
    Robert ArnakisSr. Dr. of Domestic and Inter Programs$219,846
    Steven SuttonExecutive VP, Acting President$202,004
    Stephen TheriaultDirector of Communications$173,214

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $64,839,366
    • Number of Grants: 4,407
    • Number of Funders: 1,070

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $3,014,0502024 Bradley Impact Fund IncGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT.
    $2,500,0002023 George Jenkins Foundation Inc C/o Lj Management Services IncFOR THE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE OPERATIONS
    $844,9442021 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $826,7472023 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $710,3212022 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $696,8362024 Donor Advised Charitable Giving, Inc.PUBLIC, SOCIETAL BENEFIT
    $660,0002021 George Jenkins Foundation Inc C/o Lj Management Services IncCONTRIBUTION FOR OPERATIONS
    $630,0002022 George Jenkins Foundation Inc C/o Lj Management Services Inc$282,208 FIRST INSTALLMENT OF PLEDGE FOR THE FL BATTLE PLAN 2022$347,792 FINAL INSTALLMENT OF PLEDGE FOR THE FL BATTLE PLAN 2022
    $625,0582020 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $550,0002022 Glacs Endowment FundGENERAL EXEMPT FUNCTION PROGRAMS
    $500,0002023 Glacs Endowment FundGENERAL EXEMPT FUNCTION PROGRAMS
    $480,1922024 National Christian Charitable Foundation, Inc.LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
    $478,4502024 Vanguard CharitableFOR RECIPIENT'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
    $473,3752024 American Endowment FoundationEDUCATIONAL
    $472,9702023 National Christian Charitable Foundation, Inc.GROWTH
    $430,0002023 Dian Graves Owen FoundationGENERAL SUPPORT
    $379,5502022 Vanguard CharitableFor recipient's exempt purpose
    $342,4502023 Raymond James Charitable Endowment FundGENERAL SUPPORT
    $340,0002024 Dian Graves Owen FoundationGENERAL SUPPORT
    $338,2472023 Donor Advised Charitable Giving, Inc.PUBLIC, SOCIETAL BENEFIT
    $330,0002022 Dian Graves Owen FoundationGENERAL SUPPORT
    $324,6832022 Donor Advised Charitable Giving, Inc.PUBLIC, SOCIETAL BENEFIT
    $300,7502023 Vanguard CharitableFOR RECIPIENT'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
    $281,0002021 Vanguard CharitableFOR RECIPIENT'S EXEM
    $277,0642021 Donor Advised Charitable Giving, Inc.PUBLIC, SOCIETAL BENEFIT

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $843,501
    • Number of Grants: 26
    • Number of Recipients: 21

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $164,0002023 Freedomworks Foundation IncTraining Seminars
    $126,1742024 International Democracy UnionTraining Seminars
    $71,2552020 Turning Point USAGrants & Event Sponsorship
    $67,0592022 Turning Point USAProgram Services
    $54,8892021 Turning Point USAPROGRAM SERVICES
    $20,0002024 Judicial Watch IncGeneral Purpose
    $16,0002024 The Heritage FoundationGeneral Purpose
    $12,0002021 American Conservative Union IncProgram Services
    $12,0002020 American Conservative Union FoundationEvent Sponsorship
    $11,6172022 Students for Life of America IncProgram Services
    $11,5002024 American Center for Law and Justice IncGeneral Purpose
    $10,2202020 Young Americans for Liberty FoundationGrants
    $10,1492021 Network of Enlightened Women IncPROGRAM SERVICES
    $8,0002021 Power2Parent IncPROGRAM SERVICES
    $7,5002024 Freedomworks Foundation IncGeneral Purpose
    $7,5002024 Hillsdale CollegeGeneral Purpose
    $7,1752021 Council for National PolicyPROGRAM SERVICES
    $7,0002024 Americans for Prosperity FoundationGeneral Purpose
    $6,0002024 BILL OF RIGHTS INSTITUTEGeneral Purpose
    $6,0002022 AMERICA'S FUTUREProgram Support
    $5,7542022 Young Conservatives of Texas FoundationProgram Services

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    Contact Us

    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. “About the Leadership Institute.” Leadership Institute, 2021. Accessed November 1, 2021. https://www.leadershipinstitute.org/aboutus/.
    2. Leadership Institute, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2020, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a.
    3. “The Network: Virginia.” State Policy Network, 2021. Accessed October 29, 2021. https://spn.org/directory/#VA.
    4. “Courses.” Leadership Institute, 2021. Accessed November 1, 2021. https://leadershipinstitute.teachable.com/courses.
    5. “Campaign Academy.” Leadership Institute, 2021. Accessed November 1, 2021. https://leadershipinstitute.teachable.com/p/campaign-academy.
    6. “School Board Campaign Training.” Leadership Institute, 2021. Accessed November 1, 2021. https://teachable.leadershipinstitute.org/p/schoolboard?utm_source=leadershipinstitute.org&utm_medium=landingpage&utm_campaign=schoolboard&utm_id=schoolboard.
    7. “Conservative Speakers.” Leadership Institute, 2021. Accessed November 1, 2021. https://www.leadershipinstitute.org/speakers/.
    8. “Mission.” Campus Reform, 2021. Accessed November 1, 2021. https://www.campusreform.org/about.
    9. “About.” Conservative Jobs, 2021. Accessed November 1, 2021. https://conservativejobs.com/about.
    10. Greater Horizons, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2015, Schedule I, Part II.
    11. [1] Sedwick Charitable Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2016, Part XV, Line 3a.
    12.  Charles Koch Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2014, Part XV, Line 3a.
    13. “Morton Blackwell.” Leadership Institute, October 19, 2021. Accessed October 29, 2021. https://www.leadershipinstitute.org/aboutus/morton.cfm.
    14. “Board of Directors and President.” The American Constitutional Rights Union, 2021. Accessed October 29, 2021. https://theacru.org/board-of-directors/.
    15. “Morton Blackwell.” Townhall. Accessed October 29, 2021. https://townhall.com/columnists/mortonblackwell/
    16. “David Fenner.” Leadership Institute. Accessed October 29, 2021. https://www.leadershipinstitute.org/contactUS/staff/?staff=10345.
    17. “Ed Corrigan.” The Heritage Foundation, 2021. Accessed October 29, 2021. https://www.heritage.org/staff/ed-corrigan.
    18. “Chuck Cunningham.” LinkedIn, 2021. Accessed October 29, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-cunningham-8262a2100/.
    19. “Dario Paya.” Leadership Institute. Accessed October 29, 2021. https://www.leadershipinstitute.org/training/contact.cfm?FacultyID=19060.
    20. French, Lauren. “Freedom Caucus hires new executive director.” Politico, February 24, 2016. Accessed October 29, 2021. https://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/freedom-caucus-executive-director-219724.
    21. “Star Parker.” Center for Urban Renewal and Education. Accessed October 29, 2021. https://curepolicy.org/star-parker/.