Freedom Center Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
541545435
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2009
Location
McLean, VA, USA
Phone
7036723901
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Research Institutes and Public Policy Analysis

Reported finances

Revenue
$230,879
Expenses
$199,642
Assets
$647,829
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

People named in this filing

  • Richard A Delgaudio (Chairman)
  • Herb Stupp (Director)
  • Joan Kehlhof (Director)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

To advance the cause of Freedom in America and in public policy by providing grants and funding to help fund an annual Freedom Leadership Conference, to conduct research on current public policy events and debates, to educate, motivate and activate citizens and increase their influence on public policy in keeping with the philosophy enumerated in The Thurmont Statement of Principles, first announced and adopted in conference over 15 years ago in Thurmont, MD.

What it reported doing in 2024

To pay for conferences and meetings of pro-Freedom organizations and coalitions, which help advance the Foundations public policy agenda with publications, annual and periodic public meetings, publications including mass market paperbacks, newsletters, videos and other publication distributed by mail and electronically, to pay speaker honoraria and travel expenses and conduct research which shall be made available to speakers and writers notably including Briefing Reports and the annual Freedom Leadership Conference.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 61% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Revenue has declined or grown slowly and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 76
  • Transparency & Controls: 93
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 69
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 68.9%; rating input score 69
  • Program expense ratio: 79.7%; rating input score 80
  • Fundraising efficiency: $858.29 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 13.5%; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.24; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 9.3% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -3.7% per year; rating input score 0; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 19.1% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 68.9% of revenue deployed · 79.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $159K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 3 people listed
  • Consistency: 22 of 22 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes grants
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.