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Non-profit

Washington Policy Center

Website:

washingtonpolicy.org
Location:

SEATTLE, WA
Tax ID:

91-1752769
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2021):

Revenue: $4,652,267
Expenses: $3,445,876
Assets: $6,351,425
Formation:

1997
Type:

Non-profit
President and CEO:

Michael Gallagher

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The Washington Policy Center (WPC), formerly the Washington Institute Foundation,1 is a non-partisan, free-market think tank based in Seattle, with offices in Olympia, Spokane, and the Tri-Cities. 2 WPC operates WashingtonVotes.org, which provides information on every bill, vote, and amendment in the Washington state legislature. 3

WPC has eight research centers, each focusing on a specific policy area: education, environment, government reform, health care, small business, transportation, worker rights, and agriculture. 4 Additionally, WPC performs research on policies concerning ballot measures, criminal justice, labor and employment, property rights, and technology and telecommunications. 5

The Washington Policy Center is an affiliate member of the State Policy Network, a coalition of free-market state-level policy organizations. 6

Activity

The Washington Policy Center (WPC) is a non-partisan, free-market think tank based in Seattle, with offices in Olympia, Spokane, and the Tri-Cities. 7

WPC has eight research centers, each focusing on a specific policy area: education, environment, government reform, health care, small business, transportation, worker rights, and agriculture. 8 Additionally, WPC performs research on policies concerning ballot measures, criminal justice, labor and employment, property rights, and technology and telecommunications. 9

Policy Areas

The WPC Initiative on Agriculture advocates for the use of free market incentives in agricultural policy, promoting “local solutions” and regulatory changes. 10

The Center for Education uses its research to make recommendations intended to improve schools. Recommendations include school choice, charter school expansion, education savings accounts, and repealing Washington’s certification rules and lifetime tenure policy for teachers. 11

The Center for the Environment claims that current state environmental policies are “expensive and ineffective” and points to the state’s failure to meet its CO2 emissions goals. WPC promotes free-market solutions to address this, claiming that individuals and businesses can be more effective than public policy. 12

The Center for Government Reform advocates for more transparency, accountability, and performance from the state government. 13

The Center for Health Care claims that patient-centered free market solutions would reduce healthcare costs while improving quality and accessibility. 14

The Center for Small Business provides information and analysis on state regulations and tax structure, to improve Washington’s small-business climate. 15

The Coles Center for Transportation researches and analyzes the costs of state highway and transit projects. 16

The Center for Workers Rights currently supports transparency in collective bargaining and removing state requirements for occupational licenses for certain workers. It also claims that young people are the most likely group of workers to be negatively impacted by a higher minimum wage. 17

WPC operates WashingtonVotes.org, which provides information on every bill, vote, and amendment in the Washington state legislature. 18

Young Professionals Program

WPC’s Young Professionals (YP) program has chapters across Washington, promoting a free market policy agenda in order to create more young leaders that support these efforts. To do so, YP publishes a monthly newsletter and hosts events, including happy hours, summer socials, an annual dinner, and an annual “solutions summit.” 19

Funding

WPC receives funding from individuals, foundations, and businesses. Notable donors include the Donors Capital Fund, which contributed between 2007 and 2015;20 the State Policy Network, which has contributed since 2009;21 and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, which has contributed between 2014 and 2017. 22 WPC has also received funding from the Charles G. Koch Foundation. 23

People

Michael Gallagher is the president and CEO, as of January 2024. Previously, he served as the president and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association, a trade association representing the video game industry, from 2007 through 2018. Prior to this, he was the Communication Practice Chair Perkins Coie LLP law firm from 2006 through 2007, and served several positions with the US Department of Commerce NTIA between 2001 and 2006 including Assistant Secretary and the head of the National Telecommunications & Information Administration. 24 25

Paul Guppy is the vice president for research at WPC and formerly served as a Congressional chief of staff and legislative director. 26

David Boze is the communications director for WPC and a former research analyst for the Evergreen Freedom Foundation. 27

Todd Myers is the director of the Center for the Environment, serves on the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council, and is a former member of the executive team at the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Myers serves as president of the Prescription Drug Assistance Foundation and formerly served as vice president of the Northwest Association of Biomedical Research. 28 Myers is a former member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) Natural Resources Task Force. 29

Dr. Roger Stark, MD is a senior fellow and the former health care policy analyst for WPC. (from 2008 through 2020). He sits on the board of the Washington Liability Reform Coalition. 30

Mark Harmsworth is the director of the Center for Small Business and formerly served two terms in the Washington State House of Representatives. 31

Liv Finne is the director of the Center for Education at WPC32 and formerly represented WPC on ALEC’s Education Task Force. 33

References

  1. “Washington Institute changes name.” Puget Sound Business Journal. June 21, 2001. Accessed November 11, 2020. https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2001/06/18/daily39.html.
  2. “About.” Washington Policy Center, 2020. Accessed November 9, 2020. https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/about/.
  3. “About this Site.” WashingtonVotes.org, 2020. Accessed November 11, 2020. https://www.washingtonvotes.org/Purpose.aspx.
  4. “WPC’s Research Centers and Issues.” Washington Policy Center, 2020. Accessed November 9, 2020.  https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/centers.
  5. “WPC’s Research Centers and Issues.” Washington Policy Center, 2020. Accessed November 9, 2020.  https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/centers.
  6. “The Network: Washington.” State Policy Network, 2020. Accessed November 9, 2020. https://spn.org/directory/#WA.
  7. “About.” Washington Policy Center, 2020. Accessed November 9, 2020. https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/about/.
  8. “WPC’s Research Centers and Issues.” Washington Policy Center, 2020. Accessed November 9, 2020.  https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/centers.
  9. “WPC’s Research Centers and Issues.” Washington Policy Center, 2020. Accessed November 9, 2020.  https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/centers.
  10. “The WPC Initiative on Agriculture.” Washington Policy Center, 2020. Accessed November 9, 2020. https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/centers/detail/the-wpc-initiative-on-agriculture.
  11. “About WPC’s Center for Education.” Washington Policy Center, 2020. Accessed November 9, 2020. https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/centers/page/about-the-center-edu.
  12. Myers, Todd. “Issues 2020: Climate and Energy Policy.” Washington Policy Center, July 21, 2020. Accessed November 9, 2020. https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/publications/detail/issues-2020-climate-and-energy-policy.
  13. “Center for Government Reform.” Washington Policy Center, 2020. Accessed November 9, 2020.  https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/centers/detail/center-for-government-reform.
  14. “Center for Health Care.” Washington Policy Center, 2020. Accessed November 9, 2020. https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/centers/detail/center-for-health-care.
  15. “Center for Small Business.” Washington Policy Center, 2020. Accessed November 9, 2020. https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/centers/detail/center-for-small-business.
  16. “Cole Center of Transportation.” Washington Policy Center, 2020. Accessed November 9, 2020. https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/centers/detail/coles-center-for-transportation.
  17. “Center for Workers Rights.” Washington Policy Center, 2020. Accessed November 9, 2020. https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/centers/detail/center-for-worker-rights.
  18. “About this Site.” Mackinac Center for Public Policy, 2020. Accessed November 11, 2020. https://www.washingtonvotes.org/Purpose.aspx.
  19. “Young Professionals, Washington Policy Center.” Washington Policy Center, 2020. Accessed November 9, 2020. https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/library/doclib/YP-Brochure-web-3.pdf.
  20. Donors Capital Fund, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2007-2015, Schedule I, Part II.
  21. State Policy Network, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2009-2018, Schedule I, Part II.
  22. Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2014-2017, Schedule I, Part II.
  23. Charles G. Koch Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2012, Part XV, Line 3.
  24. “Staff.” Washington Policy Center, 2020. Accessed January 31, 2024. https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/about/page/staff
  25. “Mike Gallagher.” LinkedIn, Accessed January 31, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikegallagherintrepidity?challengeId=AQEzD5fzvBVgrwAAAY1g7W0JaQ6_Y-wPoYhO2IzJN8J3-JXcOVQYg7cA4mZeqwazWYHjMlEBAx3KwXO3om3-sQRKu9_DJJtTgQ&submissionId=f85b40b4-3e84-af17-fe0b-b2ff77cbb521&challengeSource=AgEIvMV8dWI9SAAAAY1g7ab4jlyHombYOWnv638KMbcIFEcfLS83XnbJYH-0uMQ&challegeType=AgHe3gNf7wVbOwAAAY1g7ab7-P1MR45d0eyXN4V0uKnJVoQtspyPwNY&memberId=AgFNjeaoXeDPGQAAAY1g7ab-eVGCRZ2VZ4GQU40OdobxaAA&recognizeDevice=AgEbq0Vq0YGPGwAAAY1g7acARiGt5vue_lWAC9aoe6RyqkxaZnN
  26. “Staff.” Washington Policy Center, 2020. Accessed November 9, 2020. https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/about/page/staff.
  27. David Boze.” LinkedIn, 2020. Accessed November 11, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-boze-83a8312a/.
  28. “Staff.” Washington Policy Center, 2020. Accessed November 9, 2020. https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/about/page/staff.
  29. “Inside ALEC.” January/February 2010. Archived from the original December 5, 2010. Accessed November 11, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20101205034443/http://www.alec.org/am/pdf/InsideALEC/InsideALEC_Jan-Feb2010.pdf.
  30. “Staff.” Washington Policy Center, 2020. Accessed January 31, 2024. https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/about/page/staff
  31. “Staff.” Washington Policy Center, 2020. Accessed November 9, 2020. https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/about/page/staff.
  32. “Staff.” Washington Policy Center, 2020. Accessed November 9, 2020. https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/about/page/staff.
  33. “Inside ALEC.” January 2011. Archived from the original April 7, 2011. Accessed November 11, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20110407110200/http://www.alec.org/AM/pdf/insidealec_january2011.pdf.

Associated Organizations

  1. American Juris Link (Non-profit)
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: March 1, 1997

    • 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
    2021 Dec Form 990 $4,652,267 $3,445,876 $6,351,425 $135,428 N $5,132,959 $8,314 $48,099 $387,315
    2020 Dec Form 990 $3,792,912 $3,624,998 $4,849,516 $121,362 N $3,980,663 $71,043 $15,930 $414,635
    2019 Dec Form 990 $3,747,197 $3,361,279 $4,520,543 $142,783 N $4,005,121 $168,356 $62,229 $409,057 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $3,336,902 $3,080,212 $3,894,641 $849,487 N $3,475,944 $160,670 $52,483 $383,048 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $2,988,079 $2,628,708 $3,500,556 $516,158 N $3,124,409 $120,813 $45,490 $363,666 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $2,465,447 $2,233,003 $3,103,452 $584,540 N $2,684,154 $107,313 $39,717 $340,165 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990 $2,448,806 $2,249,164 $2,839,656 $628,332 N $2,464,020 $126,990 $41,829 $320,633 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $1,941,178 $1,934,552 $2,442,144 $352,100 N $2,003,575 $98,236 $37,422 $277,500 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $1,976,580 $1,884,072 $2,428,993 $376,064 N $2,009,239 $99,649 $34,126 $266,250 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $1,896,078 $1,848,803 $2,094,122 $269,882 N $1,729,933 $109,638 $50,626 $253,000 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $1,513,481 $1,860,653 $1,883,402 $72,885 N $1,483,673 $120,876 $50,494 $244,840 PDF
    2010 Dec Form 990 $1,500,932 $1,889,632 $2,244,914 $41,572 N $1,420,494 $123,851 $50,010 $234,300 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Washington Policy Center

    3404 4TH AVE S
    SEATTLE, WA 98134-1905