State Policy Network

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
570952531
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2025
Official website data refreshed
Aug 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Arlington, VA, US
Phone
(703) 243-1655
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Management & Technical Assistance

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$18,666,642
Expenses
$23,630,803
Assets
$19,799,574
Liabilities
$1,943,209

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

19 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • TRACIE J SHARP (PRES & CEO TILL 9/25, CEO EMERITUS)
  • ANTHONY WOODLIEF (SENIOR EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT)
  • REBECCA PAINTER (SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT UNTIL 12/25)
  • KYLE HARTZ (VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS)
  • JULIA BURDEN (VICE PRESIDENT OF EVENT STRATEGY)
  • TODD DAVIDSON (VICE PRESIDENT OF PROGRAMS)

Highest reported compensation

  • TRACIE J SHARP (PRES & CEO TILL 9/25, CEO EMERITUS): $487,953 total reported compensation
  • REBECCA PAINTER (SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT UNTIL 12/25): $330,321 total reported compensation
  • ANTHONY WOODLIEF (SENIOR EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT): $322,546 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

State Policy Network’s mission is to catalyze thriving, durable freedom movements in every state, anchored with high-performing independent think tanks.

What it reported doing in 2025

Build and strengthen state-based durable freedom infrastructure: through targeted training, coaching, grants, and peer-to-peer collaboration, spn accelerates the growth and impact of high-performing state-based organizations and leaders. By connecting state leaders and equipping them to defend federalism, advance free-market reforms, and champion community-driven solutions, spn ensures policy changes take root, endure, and ultimately improve the lives of americans.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 92% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 66% for direct work, and 34% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 81
  • Transparency & Controls: 87
  • Accountability: 89
  • Sustainability: 18
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 97.4%; rating input score 97
  • Program expense ratio: 76.8%; rating input score 77
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.27 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 99.9%; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 88.9%; rating input score 89; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -26.6%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.84; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.8%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 9% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 9.6% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 14% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 4 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 97.4% of revenue deployed · 76.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 9 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $18.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $488K · 19 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.9M reported
  • Consistency: 40 of 40 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2011 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 82 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 71 filed related-organization links
  • 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 14/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 2/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 24/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Form 990 shared with the board not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 19/100.