Advancing American Freedom Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
861778799
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2027804848
Rating
54
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
International, Foreign Affairs, and National Security N.E.C.

Reported finances

Revenue
$13,667,982
Expenses
$10,998,810
Assets
$5,521,454
Liabilities
$730,476

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PAUL TELLER (EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT)
  • TIMOTHY CHAPMAN (PRESIDENT (AS OF 8/19/24))

Highest reported compensation

  • TIMOTHY CHAPMAN (PRESIDENT (AS OF 8/19/24)): $363,697 total reported compensation
  • PAUL TELLER (EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT): $317,492 total reported compensation
  • JOHN WHEAT (GENERAL COUNSEL): $296,267 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Advancing american freedom promotes and defends the successful policies of recent years that yielded unprecedented prosperity at home and restored america's strength abroad, while elevating traditional american values. Aaf serves the conservative movement by developing innovative policy solutions, strategies, coalitions, and messaging that builds upon those accomplishments, expands freedom for all americans, and hampers anything that would threaten america's standing as the greatest nation on the face of the earth.

What it reported doing in 2024

With donations from our supporters, aaf held a policy conference, had material impact on national policy through our grassroots advocacy work, and extensive coalition outreach to research the policy components that took form as the freedom agenda, distributed in print and on the organization's website. Aaf produced videos, mailings, and provided speakers for public forums and media appearances to educate the american public on policy choices that will enhance human flourishing.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 67% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 27
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 72
  • Sustainability: 51
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 27%; rating input score 27
  • Program expense ratio: 33.5%; rating input score 33
  • Fundraising efficiency: $1.88 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 66.7%; rating input score 67; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 19.5%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.5; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.13; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 17.6%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -41.3% per year; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.7% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 22.9% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 27% of revenue deployed · 33.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 6 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $3.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $364K · 16 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $4.3M reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2022 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 10 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 27/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 33/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 6/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 16/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 5/100.