The WHWG Initiative for Studying Public Affairs (WISPA) is a nonprofit organization that sponsors events intended to foster nonpartisan discussions of current issues. WISPA’s events are typically salon-style lunches and dinners that include an expert speaker, with the intention of educating, informing, and providing a space for debate among guests and with the speaker. ¹

WISPA also provides grants to select scholars. ² American journalist David Satter, who is a commentator on Russia and the former Soviet Union, has received $170,000 in grants from WIPSA between 2018 and 2020. ³

White House Writers Group

Members of the WHWG Initiative for Studying Public Affairs’ board of directors have affiliations with the White House Writers Group (WHWG). ⁴ Founded in 1993, WHWG is a public affairs communications firm whose original members were White House speechwriters during the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. ⁵

WHWG’s clients include those working in high technology, consumer products, transportation, government, and national defense. ⁶ WHWG aims to create compelling narratives and persuasive content for its clients, framing arguments that are most important to its targeted audience. WHWG provides services related to issue advocacy, thought leadership, and corporate and brand reputation. ⁷

WHWG places op-eds in publications like the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Forbes, writes and produces spots for television and radio, and organizes global webinars and conferences. WHWG also provides media and speaker training to high-level executives. ⁸

The White House Writers Group celebrated its 30^th anniversary in 2023 by highlighting some of its prominent cases, including expanding the impact of the Hoover Institution with streaming technologies; advocating for telecommunications reforms for Verizon; defeating claims made by environmentalists that widespread damage was being caused by agricultural technology; and recovering the reputation of Poland, claiming that at the time, many news outlets were undermining U.S. support for Poland. ⁹

Funding

WHWG Initiative for Studying Public Affairs is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. While the WHWG Initiative does not disclose its donors, tax filings confirm donations from the Sarah Scaife Foundation ($60,000 in 2019), ¹⁰ the Searle Freedom Trust ($50,000 in 2015), ¹¹and DonorsTrust ($12,000 in 2019). ¹²

Board of Directors

Daniel Oliver is the president of WHWG Initiative for Studying Public Affairs, ¹³ a senior director at the White House Writers Group (WHWG), and the chair of the Education and Research Institute. Oliver is a former senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation and a former chair at the Pacific Research Institute, National Review, and the Federal Trade Commission (FEC). ¹⁴

Clark Judge is the secretary and treasurer of WISPA, ¹⁵ the founder and managing director of the WHWG, the chair of the board of the Pacific Research Institute, and sits on the board of the Eisenhower Foundation. Judge formerly worked as a speechwriter and special assistant to both former President Ronald Reagan and former Vice President George H.W. Bush. ¹⁶

Joshua Gilder formerly worked as a senior speechwriter to former President Ronald Reagan and as principal deputy assistant secretary for human rights at the State Department during the George H.W. Bush administration. ¹⁷

1.  WHWG Initiative For Studying Public Affairs, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-EZ), 2020, Part III.
2. WHWG Initiative For Studying Public Affairs, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-EZ), 2020, Part III.
3. WHWG Initiative For Studying Public Affairs, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-EZ), 2018-2020, Schedule O.
4. “Team.” WHWG. Accessed June 18, 2023. https://www.whwg.com/team.
5. “Our History.” WHWG. Accessed June 18, 2023. https://www.whwg.com/our-history.
6. “Our History.” WHWG. Accessed June 18, 2023. https://www.whwg.com/our-history.
7. “About WHWG.” WHWG. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://www.whwg.com/about-whwg.
8. “About WHWG.” WHWG. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://www.whwg.com/about-whwg.
9. “Home.” WHWG. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://www.whwg.com/.
10. Sarah Scaife Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2019, Part XV, Line 3.
11. Searle Freedom Trust, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2015, Part XV, Line 3.
12. DonorsTrust, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Schedule I, Part II.
13. WHWG Initiative For Studying Public Affairs, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-EZ), 2020, Part IV.
14. “Daniel Oliver.” WHWG. Accessed June 14, 2023. https://www.whwg.com/daniel-oliver.
15. WHWG Initiative For Studying Public Affairs, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-EZ), 2020, Part IV.
16. “Clark Judge.” WHWG. Accessed June 14, 2023. https://www.whwg.com/clark-judge.
17. “Home.” Reach Global Strategies.” Accessed June 14, 2023. https://www.reachglobalstrategies.com/.